(Revised 2006)

The professional portfolio is an organized collection of professional materials chosen to demonstrate the students’ progress in the program of study and their level of professional proficiency. If organized and used properly, the professional portfolio will effectively showcase your relevant knowledge and experience as an educator and serve as a valuable career development resource. Additionally, the professional portfolio may be organized in order to be meet National Board Certification requirements.

Putting together your portfolio

The first section of your professional portfolio should serve as an overview. Items typically found in this section are:

• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Your teaching philosophy statement
• Current resume or vita
• References
• Employment History and Training
• Transcripts

You can also include more personal items like hobbies, community service projects, and accomplishments. The important thing to remember is that everything included in the professional portfolio should be relevant to your career- so if your hobby is unrelated to your profession or job description, best to leave it out.

The second section should reflect your academic background. As you move through your courses at Teacher Education University, try and retain a copy of your course syllabus, and one artifact for each course (an artifact can be an assignment, project, test or exam that positively reflects your ability as an educator). Items typically included in this section are:

• Course syllabi
•  Artifact from each course attended
• Reflection/caption for each artifact (A brief statement explaining why you chose to include this piece for your portfolio.)
• Practicum projects
• Academic awards and certificates

The third section should highlight your experience as an educator. Typical items included in this section are:

•  National Examination Results
• State Certification Documents
• Evaluations from Cooperating Teachers
• Evidence of Field Experience Work
• Pupil Evaluations
• Teaching Unit You Created
• Original Lesson Plans
• Photos or video of teaching experiences
• Letters to Parents
• Evidence of Extra-Curricular Involvement
• Student Outcomes of  a Lesson Plan

*Please note that you are not required to include all of the listed items and you may include items not listed, these are just suggestions.

Hard Copy or Electronic Portfolio?

You may choose to create either a hard-copy professional portfolio or an electronic portfolio depending on what will best serve you and your professional objectives.

Electronic Portfolio

Electronic portfolios are typically designed as web pages and are posted to an internet location or burned onto a CD-ROM to be used as a tool to SUPPLEMENT the hard-copy version of your portfolio. An electronic portfolio demonstrates to employers that you are technically savvy, and gives employers the opportunity to receive further information about you either before or after an interview. For individuals with computer-related degrees, creating an electronic portfolio is an opportunity for you to showcase some examples of relevant technical work you have completed.

WARNING: It is important that your electronic portfolio has a professional appearance and is easy to navigate. A poorly made electronic portfolio could present you negatively to an employer.

To learn more about creating an electronic portfolio, click here and scroll to page three (3).

The above information is provided by the University of Wisconsin- River Falls Career Services Office, (http://www.uwrf.edu/ccs).

Hard-Copy Portfolio

When assembling your professional portfolio, remember, the goal is to be able to quickly access what you are looking for. With that goal in mind, use organizing tools like divider tabs, sheet protectors and quality paper to ensure your portfolio will be well organized and user-friendly.

Using Your Portfolio during a Job Interview

Before attending a scheduled interview, it may be beneficial to complete a mock-interview using your portfolio with a friend or family member. Also, try finding specific artifacts or sections in order to familiarize yourself with the contents of the portfolio. Once in the interview, use examples from your portfolio to help address the employers’ questions. Remember, the professional portfolio should not replace your responses but should serve to reinforce them by offering tangible examples of your experience and success.