Context

          Since the summer of 2024, I have been enrolled in the Early Childhood Intervention Specialist Program at Ohio University. During this time, I have gained a lot of knowledge about teaching strategies and practices, assessments, behavioral supports, and how to create an inclusive classroom. The readings, videos, and assignments helped push me to think critically and put what I have learned into action. I have had experience in a general education preschool classroom setting and in an integrated preschool classroom setting. For both of these classrooms, I was the lead teacher. In 2017, I graduated from Bowling Green State University with two bachelor's degrees in Early Childhood Intervention Specialist and Early Childhood Education, both for Preschool-3rd Grade.

          For four years, I was a preschool itinerant teacher, and I ran a program for my school district to provide resources, education, and socialization to families with children ages birth to 4 years old. I really enjoyed creating and implementing interventions directly with students and supporting classroom teachers, as well as working more with families instead of just their child. For four years, which overlapped with the first year of my graduate program, I was a classroom teacher for a general education preschool classroom. Although it was considered the general education room, I did have students in my classroom with IEPs, and I helped implement and create interventions for them. They also had an itinerant teacher to provide their direct intervention services.

          The experience of learning more about interventions through my graduate program, combined with teaching a preschool classroom and my previous experience of providing itinerant services, inspired me to switch to teaching an integrated preschool classroom after the previous teacher retired. My elementary school is a part of a rural school district in Southeast Ohio. In my classroom, I currently have three students who have IEPs, and the rest are peer role models, ages 3-5 years old. My students come to school four days a week, for full days. One day a week is used for lesson planning, lesson preparation, cleaning, switching out toys and materials, meetings, and collaboration. This school year, I also stepped into the role of being an informal mentor for a new preschool teacher next door to me. I have been able to use skills that I’ve gained during my graduate courses to help teach her as well. Balancing a full-time job, raising two children, and attending graduate school has been a challenge, but well worth the knowledge and skills that I have gained!

          This portfolio reflects my growth as an educator through reflection and application of course learning. During the past six semesters, I have experienced growth and learning through my courses and have been able to implement strategies into my own classroom. It’s allowed me to self-reflect on my previous practices and make changes that are more effective for myself and for my students.