M.Ed. in Elementary Education (Certification K-9)
M.Ed. in Secondary Education (Certification 6-12)
M.Ed. in Special Education

Requirements for Portfolio Content

Each student seeking teacher certification through the School of Education at Loyola University Chicago must complete a professional teaching portfolio that demonstrates expertise in content areas and pedagogy as well as reflection on clinical and classroom experiences. The portfolio should encompass the student's entire experience in the School of Education program, not simply the student teaching experience. The purpose of the portfolio throughout all of these stages is to demonstrate evidence of professional competence in both education and/or the content area as well as to meet national and state professional teacher preparation standards.

1. Table of contents
2. Resume
3. Introduction to portfolio (letter to the reader)
4. Personal educational philosophy (may include a classroom management plan)
5. Autobiography/narrative
6. Artifacts and reflections
   1. At least one artifact to document each of the eight categories developed from the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (see table). For "instruction," the candidate must include evidence of his or her students' learning. This evidence may be in addition to other artifacts demonstrating his or her instructional expertise.
   2. A reflective piece (1-3 pages) accompanying each artifact explaining what the artifact is, why it is evidence of that standard, and how the artifact relates to the candidate's current experience, and how it relates to the candidate's future teaching experience.
   3. Note: All of the Illinois professional teaching standards are addressed in most, if not all, courses in the teacher preparation program. For example, to demonstrate standard three (instruction), you could use a lesson plan from CIEP 362, M13, M6_, or any other methods course.
7. A conclusion/ending reflective statement which includes aspects of the Loyola University Chicago School of Education's conceptual framework addressing areas of knowledge, skills, ethics and service in the candidate's personal understanding and acquisition of teacher education

Members of the teacher education faculty will evaluate the portfolio and its presentation in order to approve the candidate for certification.