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A number of years ago, a teacher came into my office
to introduce herself to me in my new position as what is now known as a
Director of Special Education. She had a challenging work situation with
a child who had unique issues. Her frustration with her lack of progress
in teaching this child was tangible. Being new and unfamiliar with the student,
I began to ask questions to get a better understanding of what was happening.
As we talked, it became apparent to me that it was highly likely that this
child had made a great deal of progress. However, because his learning issues
were many, and the magnitude of each was significant, the teacher had no
way to recognize what she and her student had accomplished. Without a record
that went beyond paper, it was difficult to appreciate how much the child
had improved in a two-year period. In the end, by having her recall
where the child had started in multiple areas, she was able to recognize
her own accomplishments in teaching this student. How much differently that
first interview might have been if the teacher had been able to bring in
a cd with the child's portfolio of learning skills and her portfolio of teaching
strategies.
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We'll be expanding our discussion of portfolios during
November. In the meantime, we've posted some resources
for immediate use.
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