Analyzing the different competencies found in the Teaching Quality Standard (TQS) has allowed me to reflect on how my own life experiences have contributed to my growing understanding of these key areas. My previous work experience and educational background in Human Resources has given me a familiar legal framework, a willingness to pursue professional development through a career-building lens, and the organizational structure to create teaching plans with various resources, instructional strategies, and goals in mind. My volunteer experiences with children and individuals on the Autism Spectrum have provided me the ability to foster authentic, trusting relationships, attend to diverse learning needs, and continuously promote an inclusive environment for learning. And my personal interests and experiences of communities, the outdoors, and reading and reflections, have allowed me to make connections to the important aspects of Indigenous education.

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Connecting these links of the TQS to my experiences has shown me the areas I have developed in as a preservice teacher and the gaps in which I will need to continue to grow. One gap I have noticed is indicating specific skills being assessed to create effective, targeted, and meaningful learning lessons. To do this, I would encourage myself to regularly ask “why” when planning and engaging in tasks, even including this subtle visual cue on my lesson plan templates to remind me to be purposeful in all I am teaching. I could also have more regular conversations with my students to inquire on what they think the learning outcome is and why, as this would help me measure the effectiveness of my teaching assessments as well as elicit valuable student feedback to consider for future planning. Another gap I have observed is in my teaching of Indigenous history. In addition to the current readings, practices, and activities I am already working to integrate, it is important for students to understand adverse past events in order to work towards a better future for reconciliation within our school system and our nation as a whole. I would consider myself to share historic Indigenous stories and videos with students to bridge this gap and engage in important discussions. As I strive to create inclusive learning environments it is vital that I consider the many student stories, backgrounds, and experiences to ensure a safe space for all to learn authentically.

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Through the Inclusive Education program at the University of Calgary, I have been able to develop as a learner and academic knowledge acquired has allowed me to intentionally think about learning as a diverse process. Collectively, the artefacts displayed on this e-portfolio offer a glimpse into the planning, designing, and application of my learning of core teaching competencies. Each artefact is carefully curated to demonstrate my academic understandings, teaching philosophy, and personal areas of interest while striving for continued professional learning as I enter the Education profession. The peer feedback I received from my Professional Learning Community (PLC) during this phase of e-portfolio creation, helped me better structure my evidence of teaching and learning and ways in which I could showcase that. I was able to integrate this peer feedback into my e-portfolio by designing each page to be more user-friendly while making clear connections to my personalized development as a preservice teacher.