Education Portfolio
Receptivity Intelligence Knowledge Experience Expression
Personal Summary
In this section, I give a table of contents of my portfolio pieces and a reflective summary of them and their significance to my personal and professional development including:
- my personal and professional goals as related to teaching and education
- my primary accomplishments as illustrated in my portfolio
- directions I see myself developing from now on in order to achieve my goals
- conceptual themes I see in my work that will guide my growth in the future.
My portfolio includes my approach to education and samples of curriculum that I have created. I have been inspired by my teachers and especially by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation Program. A key component of my teaching style, curriculum design and classroom management is Maharishi's Principles of Ideal Teaching: Receptivity, Intelligence, Knowledge, Experience and Expression; and their expansion in Central Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI)/Maharishi Vedic Science Principles Relevant to Education:
1. Receptivity is the foundation of learning.
2. Self-referral performance is both the first principle of education and goal.
3. The part of knowledge should always be taught with reference to whole of knowledge and to the Self.
4. Education should develop wholeness in the life of the learner
5. Knowledge is structured in Consciousness and is different in different states of consciousness.
6. Understanding and experience are both needed for complete knowledge.
7. Effective Education must take into account the knower, process of knowing and known.
8. Growth occurs through the natural cycle of knowledge, action, achievement and fulfillment.
9. Expression is a necessary part of learning.
10. Enjoy and accomplish more.
(Whenever I use these key words, phrases, and principles I will try to italicize them.)
In my Personal Education Theory, I give my approach to education and my goals. I discuss my strengths and achievements. I talk about some of the new developments and issues in education that inspire me and that I want to incorporate into my own teaching such as
- Holistic Education (Receptivity, Wholeness),
- Multiple Intelligences (Intelligence),
- Consciousness-Based Education (Knowledge), Sanskrit
- Multiculturalism ("The World Is My Family"),
- Standards and Benchmarks
Finally, I discuss the people who have inspired me including Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Rudolph Steiner (Waldorf schools), Oliver Sachs, and my parents, family, teachers, and students.
Following my Personal Summary and Personal Education Theory, I share my views on various trends and issues in Education in Position Papers:
- Holistic Education
- "The Layered Nature of the Mind - Teaching Reading and Adolescent Literature"
- "Use of Technology in the classroom"
- "Summer Literacy Progam For Toby"
In my Curriculum Samples I include two units of curriculum that I developed:
- Native American Curriculum Unit (that I unfortunately did not get to use in either of my student teaching assignments but I love it so much and it integrates so much of my philosophy of education that I wanted to include it).
- "Our Stories, Ourselves - Oral Tradition: Wholeness is Found In Every Part"
- Prairie Unit
I share samples of lessons I developed in different subjects and relevant position papers:
- Science -"Electricity - How Does It Work"; Rock Unit; Biome Unit
- Math - "Counting to A Million"
- Language Arts - '"Treasure Hunt - Search for Idioms"; Jan Brett Author Unit - "The Nature of Life Is To Grow"'
- Music - "Rocky Road"
- Social Studies - "Human/Environment Interactions - Emdangered Wildlife"
In Video of Lesson With Critique I discuss a lesson I gave on "Fables" and include a video clip which gives a sense of my teaching style and the way the students responded.
In Examples of Student Work , I share some poems and project posters.
We know that Assessment and grading are ways to concretely document student achievement . From the point of view of Maharishi Vedic Science (MVS), gathering this evidence of achievement "completes the knowledge-action-achievement-fulfillment cycle and allows us to move toward deeper and more fulfilling areas of knowledge."("Student Teaching Seminar -Review of Ethics and Assessment", Education Faculty of MUM)
I give some samples of assessment that I developed for :
- my Native American curriculum unit
- my prairie unit - "Biome Presentation"
- idiom lesson - "Idiom Story"
- geography lesson - "Student Self-Assessment Rubric"
In Classroom Management I talk about the importance of promoting self-referral performance in the classroom, that is, supporting the students to make the most life supporting choices regarding their behavior. I discuss the need to enliven receptivity in the student and the reciprocal influence between each individual and the community. I explain my system of procedures and rules, how I handle chronic behavior problems and attributes of both individual and group problem solving. I talk about the value of class meetings. I include a sample letter to parents.
In About Me, I briefly summarize my background, hobbies and Interests. I give my Resume. I include Recommendations/Evaluations from my supervising teachers:
- Rena Boone
- Cecilia Barron
- Marie Loiselle
- Meg Vigmostad
In Bibliography I list some of the books, articles and websites of people and subjects that inspire me.
Finally, in Contact Me, I give my address, phone numbers and e-mail address for anyone who would like to get back to me and discuss any of the information and ideas given in my Education Portfolio.
REFLECTIVE SUMMARY
GOALS - What I want to Do
Ideally, I see myself in a Consciousness-Based Education (CBE) setting and/or helping to make CBE widely available by helping to create "user-friendly" packets of knowledge (on Vedic Science, MAV, Sanskrit, Vedic Computation, Behavioral Rasayanas, Maharishi's Technologies of Consciousness. including Transcendental Meditation, etc.) so that every school can become Vedic, developing the full potential of every student through the growth of consciousness. I envision TM/Science of Creative Intelligence (SCI)/Vedic Science clubs or groups in every educational institution from Kindergarden through college and Continuing Education. I envision every citizen being a life-long learner, growing towards higher states of consciousness.
Maharishi has told us that the teacher gains more than the student. I know that I have gained so much in these past few years and I want to continue teaching, and promoting holistic education. I want to immediately start using what I have learned in my Education classes at MUM and in my student teaching to enliven Wholeness in the life of my future students.
On a deeper level, I want to be Whole myself, to be happy, to be a blessing - to myself and my environment. I want to be a blessing to my family and friends, to my students, to my community, to the world. I want to help make Maharishi's prescription for Ideal Education - "Close the eyes and meditate, open the eyes and read the Vedic Literature "- a viable option for all. I want to embody within my Self what the Mahavakyas promise: "I am That; Thou Art That; All This is nothing but That Totality, Brahm. Aham Brahmasmi; Tat Twam Asi; Sarvam Kahlvidam Brahm."
ACCOMPLISHMENTS - What I have done
During my student teaching, I have encouraged and enlivened the "invisible", shy, unresponsive, unconfident students in my classes. I have guided and supported the "quick" learners in their enthusiasm for knowledge and led them to take their next best step.
I have come a long ways to feeling comfortable and in charge of my class, keeping that fine balance between lively exploration of knowledge and free expression, and an orderly settled classroom. I have become more organized in the day-to-day adminstrative work of handing out assignments and grading papers.
I have enjoyed good success with my use of cooperative groups and theme-based, interdisciplinary lesson plans. I have improved in my ability to use technology, including computers and the internet, both as a tool for myself to research lesson pans, and also to promote its use by my students.
I have taught acording to the diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences of my students, encouraging them to express what we are studying in many different ways and thus learn it better. I have taken advantage of Standards and Benchmarks to create objectives and lesson plans.
I have learned to make compeling lesson plans, starting and ending with wholeness, connecting the information with what the student already knows, with what he/she is - which is the Wholeness of the Self, Atma.
My students have felt themselves to be accepted, loved, appreciated, and cherished by me. Enlivened by that tender bond of love, we have been receptive to each other, we have made our deep connections with each other and with knowledge.
On another level, I have completed the requirements for my Masters in Education to become certified K-12 with Endorsements in English and Social Studies (July 2003).
DEVELOPING DIRECTIONS - How to Get Where I Want To Go
I want to get more practical experience in the classroom. I want to pursue my ideas for Consciousness-Based Special Education, but within the Maharishi School and in the public school by bringing information about the practical effects of Maharishi's Technologies of Consciousness for students with Special Needs. (See my position paper on this topic.)
I also want to get my PhD in Vedic Science and for my Heaven On Earth Project do something in the field of education.
I want to have fun. I want to continue to express my own creative intelligence in all the ways that give me so much bliss - teaching, drama. singing,and writing.
CONCEPTUAL THEMES
When I look at the lessons that I have designed over the past few years, I see over and over the emphasis on self-referral, curving back on oneself to create and grow more. I also find that I automatically try to teach the details of knowledge in terms of wholeness, to begin and end each lesson with wholeness. I also see the importance I have given to Maharishi's Principle's of Teaching, including Expression - giving the students lots of chances to give out the knowledge, to present to each other, to integrate what they are learning by doing skits, singing songs, performing creative movements. My belief that every person is important, is precious, is necessary and unique is embodied in the lessons I try to teach my students.
My students are an integral part of my inspiration as an educator.
My portfolio shows the development of my ability as a teacher over time in the various lesson plans that I have submitted. The growth of consciousness is reflected in my work as a whole through the repeated use of the themes of wholeness, deep connection, and self-referral.