Summary of Portfolio Tasks & Expectations

Many administrators want to know more about what beginning teachers are asked to do in their portfolios and how they can help them.  Administrators may find this summary of portfolio tasks and performance expectations helpful in their own supervisory process as they observe and hold conferences with beginning teachers.

• Select and describe students/class.
• Plan a series of lessons that build on each other to promote student learning.
• Write a commentary on the rationale for your planning based on students’ academic needs and curriculum.

Expectations:
The content is connected and organized around big ideas and concepts. The “unit” design reflects the learning needs and interests of the students and real-world connections. Appropriate and varied strategies and activities support students’ learning of unit goal(s) as well as the student needs, learning styles and interests.

• Conduct the lessons.
• Document what happened during the lessons in daily lesson log commentaries.
• Videotape selected segments.

Expectations:
The “unit” offers students opportunities to explore, explain, apply and think critically to extend their understanding of the “unit’s” concept(s). The videotape documents performance consistent with content-specific expectations (e.g., student discourse, inquiry, response to text, etc.). Monitoring of student learning is varied and ongoing. Daily instructional adjustments are made to promote student learning.

• Collect student work samples.
• Write a commentary analyzing student learning throughout the “unit.”

Expectations:
Adjustments, if needed, are evident to address the individual and collective learning needs of students. Assessment criteria and performance expectations are clearly communicated to students. Feedback is clear, accurate, consistent and specific. Assessments are aligned with the “unit’s” learning goal(s). Summative assessments focus on students’ conceptual understanding.

• Analyze the effectiveness of teaching based on student learning.
• Write a short commentary on professional growth.

Expectations:
Reflective commentaries on teaching provide specific connections between teaching practices and students’ learning outcomes supported by evidence from the portfolio. The analysis of student learning focuses on student understanding of concepts that were taught and is supported by submitted student work. Reflection suggests future instructional modifications that will improve the quality of instruction.