In the final part of the State Exam you will be asked to present a part of your portfolio to the committee. This part of the exam will last up to 15 minutes.

What is your portfolio?

Your portfolio is a compilation of various documents and materials that you have collected over your studies. It should be about 15 – 20 pages in length and comprise 10 different items.

The items that you include in the portfolio should be things which have made an impact in some way on your development and are relevant to your teaching philosophy. It is entirely your responsibility to choose and justify the items,  which can include a range of things that you produced during your studies at the DEAS (including your teaching practice). An item may be (but is not limited to) any of the following:  

A course assignment;

An annotated lesson plan; 

Materials that you have designed;

An activity that you used successfully in class.

The items should be able to stand alone and you should  be able to say clearly why/ how they have had an impact on your development. For example, if you include a lesson plan, annotate it so that it clearly shows the aims, and what you learnt from it (e.g. which stages were pivotal for you and why). If you include an assignment, tell us what is significant about it.

Shaping the final portfolio

Organise your portfolio to include:

Title page and table of contents;

Headings and subheadings - clearly identify and separate components;

Brief explanatory statements accompanying each item – the context, purpose, and relationship to your development.

Submitting your portfolio

Your portfolio is due in 3 working days before the State Exam. Your portfolio should be uploaded in this ELF course. Please upload your portfolio as one document.

Preparing for the exam

Before the exam choose one item from your portfolio and prepare to present it to the committee in 5 mins (max). Make four copies of the item for the members of the committee (if the exam is held face to face)Tell the committee what you are presenting and how and why it had an impact – what you learnt from it, and relate it to the underlying concepts discussed in the courses. The presentation and the rest of your portfolio will act as stimuli for discussion.