A Winning Art Teacher's Teaching Portfolio: What to Put Inside

You got the job interview because your resume stood out from the crowd. Now you must wow the principal in person... and your teaching portfolio can help you do that!

When you get the call for the interview, you may not be asked to bring a portfolio with you, however, taking the time to share your portfolio during an interview can be the exact "wow" that will put you ahead of everyone else. Construct something you are proud of and do find a moment to share it ... the hiring committee (even if in retrospect) will be glad to learn a little more about you.

Your winning portfolio will contain information that the busy principal can quickly scan over to get a glimpse of your professionalism; there will be no time to read research papers, lengthy teaching philosophies or other mounds of typed essays. The principal wants to see what your ideas for the classroom are, what the quality of your artwork is, and evidence that you are professional in what you do and offer.

The portfolio must be pleasant to look at, easy to navigate, and stand out from the other portfolios - but it should not be "cute" or too "artsy." The bulk of the great information should be up front to grab (and keep) attention. The last page should be something that the principal will remember - maybe an artwork, a quote or an image of you and a student (with the parent's permission).

I suggest that the following information should be included in a winning portfolio:

• The portfolio itself should be a hard cover binder with a front image that captures attention.
• Section breaks inside the portfolio should be tabbed. Categories might include: Credentials, Professional Recommendations, Teacher Artwork, Student Artwork, Lesson Plans, Supporting Materials.
• Your one page resume (on linen paper).
• A one page teaching statement that is formatted to match your resume. The statement is a short and concise summary about what your ideal classroom will look like, what you will teach and why.
• Official or unofficial transcripts.
• Copy of your teacher certification.
• Letters of references.
• Awards, photos of bulletin boards or student art displays that you made.
• Your artwork. Images should be crisp and cropped so only the art is visible. Label images with title, medium, date and size.
• Images of your student's artwork -- also cropped and presentable.
• Lesson plans, worksheets, rubrics, PowerPoints that you made.
• Cards or thank you notes from students, parents or supervisors.
• Newspaper articles, website screen shots or other things that shows your involvement in the arts.

After taking the time to put together a stellar portfolio, you will have an artifact to be proud of - and you will then surely enter an interview with confidence. Your portfolio will grow as you career does. So even after you land your dream job, continue to clip and save information. Such details will be important if you try for national certification or decide to change schools or positions later in life. As odd as it seems, you are in charge of stating your accomplishments - people won't know how great you are unless you show them. Good luck!

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