92
Reprinted from
Young Children • January 2010
Degree in hand, thousands of early
childhood students leave college each
year with dreams of making a differ-
ence in the lives of young children.
Countless veteran professionals inter-
view for new or different positions
or share their beliefs with colleagues
and families. Even climbing the career
ladder within the same program may
require an interview for each new
position.
Yet how many times have we pre-
pared for interviews only to draw a
blank when the time comes to share
our knowledge and understanding?
What can we do to prepare to articu-
late our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs
when we apply for an early childhood
position? How might we organize
documents reflecting our philosophy
and goals, professional growth, and
experiences?
My years of work with preservice
early childhood teachers, new pro-
fessionals, and organizations that
recruit beginning
professionals have
helped me identify
key activities and
documents to be
incorporated into
a professional
portfolio. A well-organized
portfolio can help newer practitio-
ners effectively express their beliefs
and experiences during the interview
process as well as document their
ongoing professional growth. Walking
into an interview or other meeting
with a portfolio in hand speaks vol-
umes about the professional that you
are, and a portfolio often impresses
the interviewer or peer. It can be a
determining factor in whether a pro-
gram considers you a good fit.
What a portfolio is
and is not
Before discussing what a portfolio
is, let’s determine what it
is not. A
professional portfolio
•
is not a photo album. There is a
place in the portfolio for photos, but
they should directly relate to a lesson
plan, letter to families, or other docu-
ment on display.
•
is not a scrapbook. We will discuss
the creative display of materials, but
your portfolio should highlight your
skills, not distract from them.
•
is not a package to hand to the inter-
viewer to be read from front to back.
So, what
is a portfolio, if the employer
is not supposed to look through it?
What is the point?
The kind of portfolio we are talking
about documents your beliefs, pro-
fessional development, experience,
involvement in the field, and class-
room/program use of best practices.
It is a visual tool to help you verbally
answer questions. You can use the
contents to demonstrate or illustrate
a key point. Many interviewers are
required to ask applicants identical
questions, and a portfolio lets you
stand out from other candidates.
The key to success lies in how
you organize and use the portfolio.
Think about what you would like
to talk about at an interview, antici-
pate possible questions that may be
asked, and then include items in your
portfolio that illustrate these points.
Referring to the items provides visual
cues for verbally sharing your philoso-
phy, experiences, and pedagogy. With
Cheryl Priest, EdD, is an assistant professor of human development and family studies
and the faculty director of the Child Development and Learning Laboratory at Central
Michigan University, in Mount Pleasant. She has spent the last 10 years supporting
graduating seniors in early childhood education as they complete their student teaching,
learn to represent their knowledge in creative ways, and embark on the search for excit-
ing career opportunities. pries1cn@cmich.edu
This article is available in an online archive at
www.naeyc.org/yc/pastissues.
The Benefits
of Developing a Professional
Portfolio
Cheryl Priest
What curriculum styles are you
most familiar with, and which
do you follow most closely?
What would a daily schedule
look like in your classroom?
What tools would you use to
communicate information to
families?
Reprinted from
Young Children • January 2010
93
© E.J. Landsman
thoughtful preparation, your portfolio
will not only provide a distinct inter-
viewing advantage but also will help
you grow professionally.
Obvious benefits of
a portfolio
Imagine that you apply for a teach-
ing position at a preschool. When you
arrive for a scheduled interview, one
of the first questions the interviewer
asks is, “We are very interested in
the creative development of children.
Could you please describe a creative
experience you planned and explain
what you like about it?”
Without a portfolio
as a guide, you might
rack your brain trying
to recall a suitable art
activity, then respond,
“Hmmm. Well . . . I
remember one time
when I laid contact
paper out on the table
and peeled off the back
so the sticky side was
up. The children then
used things like feath-
ers and sequins to
decorate the contact
paper. I guess I like
this activity because
it is open-ended and
doesn’t focus on a spe-
cific end product.”
Instead, portfolio
in hand, you turn to a
lesson plan on creative
development and say, “I
have a perfect example
here in my portfolio.
[
Pointing to the title and
objective of the lesson
plan] I planned a sticky
collage activity for children to work
on in small groups. The objective was
to have children work together while
exploring creative materials. After
asking what materials might stick to
the contact paper, I encouraged the
children to work together to select
and place materials.
[
Pointing to the extension section of
the lesson plan] “I also prepared open-
ended questions I could use to stimu-
late explorations, such as, ‘What do
you notice about the way these mate-
rials look together?’ or ‘How might
we make a flower on this collage?’ For
children who needed more creative
challenges, I asked questions such as,
‘What makes that a good idea?’
“I really liked this experience
because children could take the lead
in choosing which materials to use
and how they wanted to use them,
based on their previous experiences
and knowledge. It required children to
communicate with each other and to
work together throughout the pro-
cess. See, in these pictures, it’s clear
how involved the children became—
the happy and focused looks on their
faces show how successful the activity
was.”
Both answers refer to the same
activity, but using the portfolio led to
a well-thought-out, immediate exam-
ple that did not require frantically
thinking of all possible art activities
and deciding which
one would sound the
best. In this response,
you were able to
present a thorough
description and justi-
fication, providing not
only a visual example
of a detailed small
group lesson plan, but
also images of children
engaging in and enjoy-
ing the creative activ-
ity. (For other potential
scenarios, see “Sample
Interview Questions
and Supporting
Portfolio Documents.”)
What to include in
a portfolio
Several types of
materials can be
included in a quality
portfolio. The contents,
of course, are modi-
fied based on personal
Many interviewers are required to ask applicants identical questions, and a portfo-
lio lets you stand out from other candidates.
94
Reprinted from
Young Children • January 2010
experiences and the portfolio’s pur-
pose. Typical contents include
• table of contents (see “Sample
Contents Page”)
• résumé (visit www.careers.cmich.
edu for résumé samples and résumé-
builder tools)
• statement of philosophy on early
childhood care and education (see
“Writing a Statement of Philosophy”)
• letters of reference
• records of workshops and other
training
• list of professional memberships
• certificates of achievement for
volunteer work or professional
development
Question: How would you design your classroom, and what materials
would you include?
Supporting documents:
Drawing of a classroom floor plan
Sample weekly lesson plan showing learning centers and materials
Question: How are you involved professionally and/or in the community?
Supporting documents:
Membership certificates
Volunteer certificates/letters
Conference/training attendance certificates
Question: What types of things would you do to maintain good home-
school relations?
Supporting documents:
Family update
Formal letter to families
Announcement of family event
Parent volunteer calendar or materials
Statement of philosophy
Question: If a child in the class refuses to come inside from the play-
ground with the rest of the group, what would you do?
Supporting documents: Sample of language and steps used
during child guidance
Question: Please describe one of your favorite classroom experiences.
Supporting documents: Selected lesson plan and photos
Question: Name three of your strengths.
Supporting documents:
Statement of philosophy
Lesson plan in your area of strength
Letter to families
Reference to general organization of portfolio
Question: What curriculum styles are you most familiar with and which
one do you follow most closely?
Supporting documents: Lesson plan and reference to curricular
goals and objectives
Question: What types of child assessment techniques have you used or
do you consider appropriate?
Supporting documents:
Statement of philosophy
Sample anecdotal record (with child’s name removed)
Sample of assessment tool
Reference to sample of children’s work
Question: What does “working as a team” mean to you?
Supporting documents: Statement of philosophy
Sample Interview Questions and
Supporting Portfolio Documents
• lesson plans (my college students
include a weekly plan showing pos-
sible activities in each learning center
and outdoors; detailed large group
plans that list stories, finger plays, and
movement and transition activities;
and two to four detailed small group
plans focusing on children’s ongoing
investigations and the learning objec-
tives met by the investigations)
• field trip announcement/letter (or
a list of field trip experiences with
related goals)
Sample Contents Page
Contents
Résumé, Statement of Philosophy,
and References
Professional Development
• Professional memberships
• Certificates of achievement
• Training and development
Classroom Experience
• Lesson plans
• Family communication
• Sample daily schedules
• Sample classroom floor plan
and design
Reprinted from
Young Children • January 2010
95
• a few photographs or samples of
children’s work related directly to
(and placed with) the featured lesson
plans or field trip letter
• sample letter to families or other
form of family communication
• sample daily schedules for half- and
full-day programs (or by age group)
• example of steps taken to guide a
child’s behavior
Additional items, not on display but
tucked in a plastic sleeve behind a
blank piece of paper, include
• transcripts
• medical documents
• criminal history check
• other employment items as required
by licensing
The presentation
Once you have assembled the mate-
rials to be included, it is time to focus
on the presentation. Keep in mind that
the first glimpse a potential employer
or colleague gets of your portfolio is
the cover.
The cover should be kept in nice
condition, withstanding the test of
time. My students use black or white
three-ring binders with an insert
panel for a self-designed cover (more
economical, less professional); faux
leather scrapbook portfolios (eco-
nomical and professional); or genuine
leather or faux leather portfolio bind-
ers that snap or zip and sometimes
even have handles (professional but
not always economical) —all of which
can be found in office supply or other
stores.
I encourage students to make sure
their name stands out in a way that
identifies them as the creator of this
professional document. This is done
by including a cover page, inserting a
business card inside the front cover,
or placing a title such as “Professional
Portfolio” and your name above the
table of contents.
Here are some tips to aid in the
development of a well-organized, cre-
ative, and highly effective portfolio:
• Insert all contents into plastic
sleeves.
• Divide the portfolio into sections
(such as résumé and philosophy,
professional development, volunteer
experience, classroom experience,
and so on).
• Use the section titles as your head-
ings on the contents page.
• Select a good quality résumé paper
to use for the cover insert or cover
page, contents page, and section title
pages. Students often use the same
Keep in mind that the first glimpse a potential em-
ployer or colleague gets of your portfolio is the cover.
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Reprinted from
Young Children • January 2010
paper for their lesson plans and other
portfolio pages as well.
• Store extra copies of your résumé,
philosophy, and letters of reference
in the plastic sleeve, behind the
originals.
• Support your best examples on the
facing page with either a photo of
children engaging in the activity or
a sample of a child’s work or words
resulting from the experience.
Know your portfolio
Finally, be familiar with your port-
folio. Once you have the format
established, practice using it to share
your beliefs, qualifications, and experi-
ences. By organizing the portfolio in
general categories, you can add new
materials to the appropriate sec-
Copyright © 2010 by the National Association for the
Education of Young Children. See Permissions and
Reprints online at
www.naeyc.org/yc/permissions.
tion without having to reorganize or
change the table of contents.
Educators often document young
children’s work, collecting informa-
tion to be used to track and assess
learning and to plan appropriate
curriculum. Think of your portfolio as
documentation of your own growth
and development. Focus on giving an
in-depth look at your professionalism.
A portfolio is an excellent vehicle for
tracking your development, assess-
ing changes in your philosophy, and
sharing your beliefs with others in
a clear way. Veteran professionals
may find that organizing a portfolio
provides inspiration for continuous
development.
We often do so much on a daily basis
for children and families that we forget
that we too need encouragement and
support. Carefully crafted portfolios
reflect who we are as professionals.
They clarify and reaffirm our beliefs;
document our valuable experiences
for colleagues, families, programs,
and the profession; and inspire us to
try new things in the exciting world of
early care and education.
A portfolio is an excellent vehicle for tracking your
development, assessing changes in your philosophy,
and sharing your beliefs with others in a clear way.
Writing a Statement of Philosophy
A personal statement of philosophy about early childhood education can
send a strong message about you, and if you mail it with your cover letter
and résumé, it can serve as an introduction well before someone meets you
in person. It can share your values and beliefs about children more deeply
than a résumé or cover letter. When interviewing teachers for our university
preschool program, we often select (or eliminate) candidates based on the
contents of their philosophy statement.
A philosophy is generally limited to one page. It can begin with an opening
paragraph followed by bulleted highlights, or be written completely in para-
graph form.
To get started, students and new professionals should reflect on and distill
their views on ethical conduct, developmentally appropriate practice, values,
theory, inclusion of children with special needs, diversity, guidance, child
assessment and evaluation, and family support and involvement. Seniors at
Central Michigan University begin the process by reading the 64-page
How
to Generate Values in Young Children, by Sue Spayth Riley (Boson Books,
2005), or the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. They highlight at least five
significant points (and always discover more than five), summarize each point
in their own words, and bring their selections to class on note cards. These
points of value are the foundation for the students’ statements of philosophy
on early childhood education.
Next, the students add additional text on topics of their choice, such as
philosophical and theoretical underpinnings of child development that guide
their professional practices. They then use their creativity and their own style
to format the final statement. As a gesture of commitment, they usually sign or
type their name at the bottom of the page.
Something new
in 2010
Online chats, video clips,
and podcasts are among
the online features that
will enhance readers’
Young Children experi-
ence starting in 2010.
Check
Young Children’s
Web site in January for
a schedule of upcoming
interactive features.
