Marguerite Lafferty – Professional Teaching Portfolio

Passionate Special Education Teacher graduate utilizing 5 years of substituting for Sped Teachers in a variety of settings.  Described as dependable, compassionate, trustworthy, detail-oriented, and trained to spot learning trends among individual students. Will connect and build a strong rapport with each student to customize teaching strategies for higher test scores and greater graduation rates.

Personal Philosophy

The world is an ever-changing platform, therefore continuous learning is pertinent to be an effective teacher. As a Special Education teacher, I will actively seek knowledge of new and updated teaching methods, maintain a grasp on evolving laws that can affect the services or benefits my students qualify for, their rights and funding opportunities.

A good teacher must be creative in their approach to students in order to touch upon the individuals’ instructional format. A teacher’s role is to guide and motivate students allowing their curiosity to propel them through the learning process. I believe everyone is capable of learning, the key is to find that format which works for each individual. That is why I would like to incorporate the Universal Design for Learning program into my teaching strategies. I feel this is a way to capture a lot of different learners at one time and afford to give the students outside those parameters more individual instruction.

It has been scientifically proven that people respond to positive input. Through my own words and actions, I plan to teach my paraprofessionals and parents this concept. For example, using the word “remember” instead of the common “don’t forget”. You should always say the positive action you want the student to perform. Another example is when a student makes a mistake you simply reply, “try again”. Always use uplifting and encouraging words to instruct students

Finally, I want to create a constructive and safe learning environment. Giving students the proper tools, it is possible to encourage critical thinking and problem-solving routines that will help students feel valued as productive participants in their community and promote personal independence.