Portfolios and growing with one!

When I first started teaching, I started at a small school with 500 students and 40 teachers. It was wonderful. I taught a small group of students however, I knew a lot of the other students on campus I didn't have. After three years of teaching they dissolved my class. I never knew why. I know the principal fought hard to get it on campus. In fact, they didn't have space, so they turned the old home economics room into my computer lab (see the pic on the right).

I was confused as to why they would dissolve my course when so many students wanted to be in it. In February 2019 my principal called me into her office to give me the bad news. I was only 3 years into my teaching career. I had no idea what this meant for. Was I fired? Would I have to move schools and go to high school? I had just had my first child and she was barely 2 years old. In fact, no one could give me any direction as to what my future would be, so the Deputy-Superintendent had to come talk to me about it. She reassured me that I wasn't going to be fired, and they would find a spot on another campus for me to teach. What I would teach, she couldn't tell me, but it would be in the Tech. Apps. field.

So, during the summer I got a call from my department to interview with the biggest middle school in our district. I grabbed my resume and portfolio book and headed to my appointment. As I sat down at that meeting with the principal I explained to him what I knew and what I had been teaching at the other campus. You see, on his campus the spot he was interviewing for was an AV position teaching student's video. Unfortunately, I had no idea what the material was and where to begin. However, I did have a portfolio book I made of all the material I taught over those three years and photos of the students work and awards we had won.

He and I talked for an hour and a half. It was the best interview I had been on. I felt like he understood me and where I was coming from and the situation. I told him I had brought this book I made and showed it to him. He was surprised and in awe. He loved it and the work my students had created. He was impressed.

I felt like I had made the right decision to create this book. It encompassed my years of teaching and really explained and showed what we build, design, and create in our CTE elective courses. We talked for a while over the material and how this was what I knew, but if he really wanted me to teach AV I would, but it wasn't my strong suite. He agreed that trying to teach something you didn't know would give the students a leg up make it more difficult for classroom management. So, he was happy to let me teach my course. So, I moved to his campus that August and have continued to teach my course. I've added new material over the years, redefined what I taught, and collaborated with others in my field and in core classes.

When I think about my portfolio, I think about how he was impressed with my delivery of a portfolio. He had never seen anything like this in an interview. To me it allowed me the opportunity to take what we do in our class every day and show the world. To think outside the box and be creative. All the posters my students made, Photoshop and Illustrator creations, and even the 3D designs we made, I was able to show their competition pieces and highlight their achievements.

So, when I look at my Wix portfolio, I see something similar. I see an opportunity to showcase my students work but digitally. To show what I have taught them and what students are capable of. Just like my book, this digital portfolio will help me professionally to have an online reference point for other educators. It will be a starting place to discuss content, material, as well as get a visual of the final result that the lesson produced.

It is ever growing and developing. Over time the style will change and grow. It's part of the natural progression of things. How I view design now is not how I will view it in 10 years. That's okay. That's a good thing. That is progression.

Having a digital portfolio allows others in your field see your work and grow. They are able to get ideas of what you teach and apply similar concepts to their classroom or lesson plans. Also, having our portfolio digital allows it to be interactive.

When I look at having this and benefits for my future, I see similar opportunities as I did for the book, except this time potential employers have the chance to see what I have produced, taught, and am capable of before we meet. It will give them an insight into what kind of person I am. If I would fit with their company or the position. In the early 1990's the internet was a new thing and no one had a web page unless you were a business. Today, in 2025, everyone has social media, a website, and other pages to sell themselves. We have come a long way since the 1990's. Think of all the Linked In pages, Facebook pages, Instagram, or Tik Tok. Making a portfolio is no different than those. It's just a different avenue.

Reference:

Speck, A. (2025, October 1). Angela Speck’s portfolio. https://techietortuga.wixsite.com/angela-speck