Section Two: Teacher Candidate Background Experiences

Introduction

This section will highlight the educational and work experiences that have influenced my

decision to become a teacher. These experiences will date back to my early years in elementary school,

moving along to high school and ultimately post-secondary. Positive experiences outside of an

academic setting will also be discussed and applied to my rationale of the work that I do in present day.

Examples of observations I gathered through volunteer fieldwork placements and my current work will

be supported by evidence-based practices and theorists. I will use these examples to highlight the

application of these theories and evidence-based practices in our field today and in how I can

potentially apply them in future educational opportunities. Lastly, this will funnel into my philosophy

of education where I discuss my own beliefs, based on the knowledge I have gathered through the

years. Prior to the conclusion of this section, I will attach my resume. The resume will encompass all

my educational and work experiences in a single document for employers’ reference at the time that I

begin interviewing for teaching opportunities.

Teacher Candidate Educational Background and Work Experiences

Educational experiences. My early years in an educational setting were exceptionally

memorable and filled with extracurricular activities along with positive social interactions with

students and staff. Along with memorable moments, there are several people who I can recall had a

positive impact on my learning environment in elementary school. However, there is one individual

that stands out among the rest. This teacher was a French teacher which I had the privilege of having

throughout my grade 6 to 8 school years.

My French teacher was a very caring and charismatic woman. She was of Italian descent and

she could relate with her students on a deeper level because she had a daughter who was of the same
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age as we were. Therefore, many of the things that her students were experiencing at the time were

also things she would encounter in her own life outside of the classroom. Although she taught French,

I can recall her always beginning the class asking us if we had watched the news the night before and if

we had anything we wanted to speak about. I am sure we did not have much to say at times, because as

young grade 6 to 8 kids out time was taken up outside or playing video games. However, I do recall

numerous times that she took the time to educate us on things that were going on around the

community and in the world. As a French teacher, I am sure she had many topics that she wanted to

cover regarding French education, however she did educate us on things that were not part of the

curriculum, but in contrast, it was part of our everyday life.

I was born in Canada and my parents were immigrant from Uruguay, a small country in South

America. They both came to Canada in their teens where they would eventually meet. I was very

privileged as a young boy. I would travel every year to Uruguay with my mother and brothers

throughout the months of December and January because those were the summer months down in

Uruguay. Every year some teachers would give my mother a hard time because I would be leaving for

a month, however this French teacher encouraged my mother to take me. I can remember her

specifically saying that what I would learn from traveling to Uruguay would be just as valuable if not

more than what I would learn in her French class. As an educator, I can see how some teachers would

make this an issue, because of justification for grades and teaching curriculum, however in hindsight,

my French teacher was enabling me to gather knowledge about my culture and preparing me to be a

better person from the experiences I had on my trips. This is something that is very important for me,

and ultimately influenced me to become a support staff and an educator. I truly believe that there is

more to education than what is academically thought in the classroom, and this shapes who we become

as good citizens in our future.

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 My high school days were a breeze. I participated much less in extracurricular sports than

elementary school. I had a small group of friends and we kept to ourselves. At the time I was very

interested in hands on courses, such as construction technology and automotive tech. I also did very

well in Spanish, French and Geography. All areas in which I was interested in, and in grade 11 I finally

found a teacher in which I could connect with. This teacher was an older gentleman and he taught

world history. He made what some students found to be such a dry subject, be very interesting and

real. This was the closest experience I had in high school to a post-secondary experience. This teacher

made it worthwhile for a high school student to attend his class and pay close attention to what he was

trying to teach because of how prepared he was for his classes and how he engaged with his students.

Prior to anything we learned, he got to know us personally and was interested in who we were as

individuals. In his lectures, he used technology to provide us with examples and great resources. He

provided great rubrics and guidelines so his students could succeed. Everything in the class was as if

he was preparing us to be successful in post-secondary. There were no short cuts or surprises, in fact,

he told us exactly what the expectation was and what we had to do in order to be successful in his

class. I feel like this experience has shaped the way in which I approach working with students. In

some ways I see myself like this teacher by building relationships with my students and giving my

students as many resources for them to be successful. In return, the students would be engaged in the

material and learn something new that they could apply in the real world.

Lastly, I attended post-secondary at Humber College on a soccer scholarship. I graduated with

an advanced diploma as a child and youth worker and later completed my BA in Child and Youth

Care. During these 5 years as a student athlete I captained the Varsity Men’s Soccer team for 3 years

and won 4 national championships. I traveled all over Canada playing the sport that I loved and taking

advantage of the opportunity to get an education. These were truly the most memorable years of my

education and I believe, the most rewarding. Being a student athlete taught me the importance of

balance and time management. Between my personal life, having a job, attending school and countless
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hours of training and soccer games, I had to make sure I did not burn myself out and kept track of my

priorities. Many times, I did what I needed to do, and not what I wanted to do. This helped me make

good choices and ultimately achieve my goals. In my last 2 years I worked as a Varsity Academic

Mentor. As a well-established student athlete, I would mentor several freshman student athletes and

my focus was to help them understand the important of time management and setting their priorities.

Many of these athletes went on to complete their respective programs. This experience helped me

become the educator I am today and achieve the goals that I have put in place while completing my

Masters in Elementary Education.

Work experiences. I feel like my work experience can be separated between the school

educational setting and the non-educational setting. I have had the opportunity to work in several

environments such as elementary schools, soccer teams, recreation center, youth custody facilities,

group homes and afterschool programs. All these settings have played a role in the development of

who I am and have influenced how I approach my jobs and how I apply my knowledge and skills in

the workplace. Along with the positive experiences have come others which I have used as learning

opportunities and have helped me grow personally and professionally.

My first and longest job experience comes from the city of Brampton where I have taken on

numerous roles. In the 10 years that I worked for the city I have worked as a lifeguard, swim instructor,

camp counselor, camp director and programs director in a variety of settings ranging from community

centers, pools and beaches. These jobs have helped me to develop a foundation in first aid, customer

service, teamwork, communication, and they have provided me with leadership opportunities. Many of

the skills that I developed in MSED are directly related to the ones I implemented as a swim instructor.

In hindsight, I notice that I have differentiated the instruction as a swim instructor almost in every

single lesson because I would work towards the swimmer’s strengths, and each swimmer was unique.

My knowledge in swimming gave me the opportunity to work as a camp director looking over 20 staff
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and 120 children. This was a great opportunity for me to further develop my leadership skills to

communicate effectively, delegate tasks and provide quality programing.

As a college graduate, I quickly landed a job in a youth custody facility in Milton, Ontario as a

residential counselor. I had completed an internship at another youth custody location; therefore, this

setting was not something I was unfamiliar with. This job required an attention to detail regarding legal

documentation, medication and youth personal files. I had the opportunity to intake numerous youths

into the facility, take them to medical appointments and reintegrate them into the community. Along

with the 12-hour long day and overnight shifts came the opportunity to build relationships with the

youth, in the hopes of making a difference in their lives by providing them with insight and skill

development for them to make better decisions in the future.

In 2017, the opportunity to work as a Child and Youth worker for the Toronto District School

Board was at my grasp. I was hired as a relief staff and I bounced from school to school covering day

shifts and working in numerous environments with a variety of unique students. One day it was a

behavior classroom and another it was in a MID (mild intellectual disability) program. I even got the

chance to work one on one with students. After completing several days at a middle school, I quickly

built a great rapport with the administration and support staff and I took over a long-term contract in an

Intensive Support Program (ISP) classroom for children with Autism. I worked in that classroom for a

year and half providing daily support for the 10 students in the class and running social skills and life

skills programs for the students. Running these social skills and life skills programs helped me to

prepare programs for several students who are all at different levels regarding their cognitive

development and comprehension, therefore many of the activities had to be differentiated for all

students.

At the conclusion of my contract, I was granted the opportunity to stay in the school supporting

students in the mainstream classrooms. This enabled me to branch out and support a wide variety of

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students and provide insight on problem solving, positive behavior and social skills. I also used my

sports background work with at risk youth, engaging them in activities which put them in positions to

be successful. I was able to work 1 on 1 with a youth who was exposed to childhood trauma and

showed negative/violent behaviors. This experience was one of the best I have ever experienced. My

experience in a school setting ignited a passion and love for educating children. I found my niche in

the middle school setting and I feel that I can best provide education and support to middle schoolers.

School Observations and Classroom Application

My school observations consist of fieldwork hours completed through my post-secondary

education and in my own personal job with the TDSB. With over 1000 hours of voluntary observation

and 3 years of being a support staff in elementary and middle schools, I have witnessed several

teaching strategies, dynamics, environments and behaviors; all of which are represented with unique

staff and students. Many scenarios from the past years come to mind particularly relating to classroom

management, instructional strategies, and relationship building. I use these positive experiences as

opportunities to learn and reflect on how I can apply it to my own work in order to give my students

the best learning environment possible.

My latest fieldwork experience with Medaille College was at Buffalo Prep. This was a program

based out of the University of Buffalo south campus on saturday mornings. The program was built for

youth of color who are at a high level academically, however live in low economic areas. This program

was meant to give students of color an opportunity to further develop their academic skills in order to

achieve scholarship opportunities for post-secondary. Although the program was on a Saturday

morning and many students showed signs of not wanting to be there, I feel this program was a safe

haven for students and gave them a positive learning environment. My observations in this academy

were very memorable. This program had two classes, one of which consisted of boys and another that

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consisted of girls. Both classes participated in 4 subjects (media, math, literacy and science) which

were taught by the same teachers.

What I found interesting in my observation was the difference between the focus of classroom

management and instructional strategies. The math class was heavily focused on strict classroom

management, however, could use more time addressing academic learning. Much of the 40-minute

class was focused on addressing why students did not complete homework. In the science and media

class, the teacher was more laid back and did not focus heavily on classroom management. In contrast,

the teacher focused more on social interaction, group discussion, therefore creating a more productive

and fun learning environment with students. The teacher in the math class seemed very authoritative

and showed assertive behavior. Marzano (2003) suggests that this assertive behavior is shown by

assertive body language, tone of voice, keeping unconfrontational distance between educator and

students and speaking clearly and deliberately. Although I understand and agree with these classroom

management techniques, I feel it was not a successful strategy and the learning environment was not

positive because the teacher lacked a rapport with her students. Marzano (2003) encourages educators

to talk informally about the student’s interests, before, during and after the class. I feel this builds

relationship with students and I noticed it was lacking in this math learning environment, however it

was present in the science class next door, where the students showed signs of engagement and

enjoyment.

In my personal job I have witnessed several classroom settings and strategies which shaped a

positive learning environment for students. In the middle school that I currently work in there is a

teacher who does a great job to differentiating the instruction with the use of technology for his

students and relating it to things the students like. I often go to the classroom to support a student from

the ASD intensive support program who is integrated into the mainstream classroom for a portion of

the day. This student is high functioning however he sometimes needs redirection and guidance with

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his social skills in order to make reasonably choices. That’s where my support comes in, however I

also let this student explore and make choices on their own so that I can turn these experiences into

teachable moments.

This teacher used an assignment which consisted of using a student’s interest such as a sport or

a leisure activity and connected it to mathematics. The learning outcome for the students was to create

a something that was scaled down to the dimensions of a Lego person. For example, many of the

students were hockey athletes and swimmers, therefore the students created swimming pools and

hockey rinks that were all accurately scaled down and accurately proportionate to the Lego person. The

students applied what they had learned in math class to get the accurate dimensions. This was so cool

to witness. Every student had a different sized structure. This was a great way to give the students

something to be creative with and to have fun while applying what they have learned. This is a great

representation of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence because it shows the different ways in

which the students can show what they learned by creating something that is unique to them. It also

gave the teacher an opportunity to extend the students thinking, by giving them challenges to create

additional structures to what they currently had. For example, a student who made a hockey rink would

be encouraged to create fan bleachers in order to accommodate for higher level thinking.

This same teacher used video games and movies to highlight and teach the plot of a story. The

plot consists of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution. As a final project which

concluded the learning segment, the teacher let the student choose a video game or a movie which they

liked and had them apply the elements of a story and plot to whatever they had chosen. This falls

directly inline with Jian Piaget’s educational views on student centered learning. Student centered

learning shifts the focus from the educator to the student, empowering them to make connections and

learn from their own experiences. In this case the students had freedom to choose what they wanted to

apply their knowledge to. With both these examples, I can see how the teacher put an importance on

assessing academics and reinforcing the relationship with his students. By letting the students apply
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their knowledge to something of their choice, the teacher is learning about the students interests and

giving them the opportunity to be the highlight of their learning.

The observation of these events has helped me to think of ways in which I can apply these same

strategies and if not better in my future classroom. In my classroom I strive to give the students a

balance of fun and challenging learning opportunities. As a CYW I have encountered scenarios where I

need to be firm but fair with my students, therefore often compromising. Adequate behavior and good

choices can lead to a flexible learning environment where the student can have breaks and rewards for

completing tasks. This provides structure for the student. I strive to plan lessons that connect with my

students’ assets which ultimately will increase the likelihood of seeing student interest and engagement

throughout the lesson.

In EDU 503 I developed a learning segment which consisted of teaching inferences using the

book about the late Kobe Bryant, an African American basketball player who happened to be regards

as one of the best of all time. I created this with the intention of implementing it at Buffalo Prep for my

EDTPA. After getting to know my students for several weeks, I found they liked basketball and they

knew who Kobe Bryant was, therefore I could use this to my advantage when teaching them. Kobe

was not only known for his basketball ability, but for being a successful individual off the court and a

great father figure. This was an individual who could be a role model and who my students could relate

to. I feel this would be a way of connecting my students’ assets to the learning environment and to

teach something to my students using a common interest among the students and myself. Regarding

classroom management, I would lead by example and encourage my students to be respectful to one

another. With this, classroom discussion would be encouraged, and the students would have the

opportunity to sit in groups to complete work.

Philosophy of Education
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 My philosophy of education encompasses a variety of theorist views in which I strive to put

into practice in different ways throughout the classroom learning environment. The views of Robert

Marzano, Jean Piaget, Howard Gardner and John Dewey can all be related to the work that I put forth

with my students. My background in working extensively in supporting children and youth with social

skill and positive behavior development has influenced the way in which I approach my teaching. As I

will be teaching in an elementary setting, I believe first and foremost in building an honest,

trustworthy, welcoming and supportive relationship with all my students. I believe getting to know my

students’ personal interests and background will give me an opportunity to provide teachable moments

to each student far beyond the classroom setting.

A well establish relationship with my students will assist me in implementing a variety of

expectations in the classroom. I believe in a healthy balance of direct instruction, differentiated

instruction, game-based and personalized instruction, with a focus on student centered learning. Above

all, I strive to connect the curriculum to age appropriate real-life scenarios that the students can

reference and apply their knowledge to, outside an educational setting. I believe in positive family

engagement and involvement with each of my students. Assessments can be modified, and

accommodations will be put in place for students who need additional supports. My classroom will be

an honest and open classroom where discussion is encouraged, and above all - respect for one another.

Every student in my class will be treated equally and equitably. I strive to develop good students who

will become good people. Each day will be full of teachable moments in which I work towards making

a positive and memorable impact on a student’s life.

Resume

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 GERARDO MAGNO
5 Hacienda Court, Brampton, L6Z 3J2
647-203-1144
Gerardo.magno@tdsb.on.ca

OBJECTIVE

Results-driven professional, offering an exceptional blend of creative therapeutic and leadership skills. Open
and engaging communicator quickly establishes rapport and trust with all levels of staff and clients. Thrives in
team-based environments that demand collaborative strengths and creative problem-solving skills. Quick learner
with focus on the development of skills, advocacy, support, guidance, motivational team building and excellent
customer service. Looking for an opportunity within a school where I can utilize my leadership experience and
knowledge to grow professionally and assist in the success of the student

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Child and Youth Worker - Toronto District School Board Toronto, Ontario December 2017-Present

 Provide behavior management programs to identified individuals or groups of students of all ages.
 Focus on behavioral, social and emotional development with attention to communication, personal
management and social skill acquisition.
 Provide social skill and life skill development programming for individuals and groups.
 Provide support to the school community with school avoidance, bullying, healthy relationships and
friendships to help to create and maintain a positive school culture.
 Respond to immediate concerns and needs using life space interventions and restorative practices,
collaborative problem solving and goal setting.

Residential Counsellor – MacMillan Youth Center, Milton, Ontario September 2017- Present

 Supervise male youth age 12-19 who are in an open detention and open custody setting
 Ran programs on social skills, life skills (cooking), substance abuse, recreation, academics and multiculturalism.
 Provide one on one supervised counselling.
 Take part in Intake and Discharge processes for youth
 Prepare meals and facilitated daily checkups for the youth
 Participate in weekly staff meetings and voiced my observations of the youth to the staff
 Experienced all shift work (daytime, afternoon, evening, overnight)
 Responsible for accompanying youth on outings and administer medication
 Participate in workshops and clinics in relation to the Youth Justice System

Program and Camp Director – Professors Lake RC, Brampton, Ontario May 2017-September 2017

Directing all programs and over 150 children and youth in summer camps in an indoor and outdoor lake beach
setting

 Supervise, coach, and evaluate CAMP Leaders

 Facilitate staff training for CAMP Leaders
 Develop, deliver, evaluate and document staff training and meetings of above mentioned staff
 Plan and organize high quality safe and stimulating CAMP programs
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  Handle CAMP program feedback in a professional manner and provide exceptional customer service
 Monitor use of equipment and supplies, conductor inventory counts and re-stock as needed
 Administer medications according to policy
 Facilitate daily attendance reporting including follow-up telephone calls in the event of absent camper
 Complete administrative duties in a timely manner (i.e. staff and program schedules, reports, and
incident/accident reports)
 Report all concerns, accident and incidents to immediate supervisor for follow-up and take appropriate
act

VARSITY ATHLETIC MENTOR – Humber College, Toronto, Ontario September 2015 –May 2017
 Supporting Varsity Athletes with time management and Academics.

 Responsible for meeting weekly with first year athletes to discuss assignments, tests, weekly varsity
events.
 Provide insight, support and guidance on how to be successful in the classroom as well as in their
varsity sport
 Refer the athlete to any workshops and resources around the school that could provide further assistance
to them in their area of need.
 Maintain confidentiality unless it is my duty to report.

ACHIEVEMENTS
 5-year Varsity Athlete
 4X Varsity Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Soccer National Champion
 Varsity Athletic Award of Excellence
 Varsity Leadership Award
 2017 Varsity Gala Valedictorian

Dovercourt Boys and Girls Club – Toronto, Ontario January-June 2015

Student Volunteer, Lifeguard and Leader

 Provided safety supervision at the club and its outreach programs

 Developed and Facilitated fun and therapeutic programs for children and youth
 Participated in monthly staff meetings
 Lifeguarded and provided lessons for the club members in the pool

Deck Supervisor and Swim Instructor & Lifeguard, City of Brampton, Brampton, Ontario 2009-Present
SWIM INSTRUCTOR AND LIFEGUARD

 Instructor: Responsible for providing clients with the proper skills in order to be comfortable in the water
and learn how to swim. Also provided awareness of safety in the water when swimming alone or with a
partner. Have worked with all age groups.
 Lifeguard: Responsible for looking after the patrons in the pool and providing a safe and fun environment
for all.

DECK SUPERVISOR

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 Responsible for creating staff lesson block and schematics. Also providing the staff with the proper
resources in order for them to provide a productive and fun lesson. Responsible of all the pool area
including, staff and patrons in the water and on deck.
 Responsible for providing in depth first aid in the case of a situation
 Responsible for providing exceptional customer service
 Reporting and following up with accident reports

EDUCATION & SPECIALIZED TRAINING

 Masters of Elementary Education – Medaille College, Buffalo , New York

 Bachelor of Child and Youth Care Degree– Humber College, Toronto, Ontario
 Child and Youth Worker Diploma – Humber College, Toronto, Ontario
 Ontario Secondary School Diploma – St. Thomas Aquinas, Brampton, Ontario
 National Lifeguard Training – 2010 to present
 HIGH FIVE PHCD
 NCCP Coach: Bryst FA soccer coach
 City of Brampton Fleet Training
 Healthy Sexuality Peel Regional Training
 Standard First Aid with CPR-C
 Emergency First Aid
 Understanding and Managing Aggressive Behaviour (UMAB) Certificate
 CPI Training

REFERENCES

Available upon request

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Conclusion

This section has highlighted my educational and work backgrounds. I have addressed

numerous school observation experiences and outlined ways in which I can apply them in my

own classroom. these examples are reinforced with theorists and evidence-based practices. I have

addressed how my experiences have influenced my philosophy of education and provided

examples of how I put theory into practice in my classroom. My resume shows a clear pathway

of the experiences I have been a part of throughout my journey in becoming a well-rounded

elementary education educator.

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