THE UTEACH PRELIMINARY PORTFOLIO
Mathematics/Science/Computer Science
The UTeach Portfolio is an assignment through which UTeach
students demonstrate specific teaching proficiencies and exhibit mastery in subject matter knowledge.
In building a portfolio, a UTeach student selects specific artifacts that demonstrate the student's
experiences, reflects on and analyzes those experiences, and articulates important concepts in
secondary math and science education.
A passing score on the preliminary version of the portfolio is one of the pre-requisite for admission to
Project Based Instruction (EDC 365E). The final portfolio, produced during the Apprentice Teaching
semester, further develops the skills of the preliminary portfolio. Requirements for the final portfolio
are more extensive than for the preliminary portfolio and there is an expectation of greater depth,
maturity, and competence at this level, as students are preparing to launch their careers as
professionals.
Many kinds of material can be used as evidence for the preliminary portfolio: lesson plans, reflection
assignments, observation feedback forms, video of your teaching, copies or photographs of student
work (with any identifying information redacted), exams, papers, homework assignments, lab reports.
You may also find that experiences from outside the university are helpful in addressing certain
proficiencies: work you have done through an internship, a tutoring job, or a coaching position.
A single piece of evidence may be used in more than one proficiency. For example, a single lesson plan
may provide evidence of technology and collaborative learning.
Artifacts from UTeach courses can include specific assignments, like a generative lesson plan from
Knowing and Learning or responses to a forum prompt from Classroom Interactions. Think about drafts
of assignments, too. For example, proficiency 4.a asks you to describe the process of developing a
learning experience that promotes student learning through inquiry. A lesson plan from Step 2 in draft
form with instructor comments, then in final form can be a solid example of that process. Courses with
material relevant to specific proficiencies are identified at the end of each Section, but other coursework
may also apply. Always keep course work with instructor grade and comments as this is the best
evidence to use.
Artifacts from Apprentice Teaching are used in the final portfolio, which is generated in UTS 170, the
student teaching seminar. While Apprentice Teaching is not identified in the proficiencies below, it
should be understood that documents from this experience will contribute significantly to the final
portfolio.
Material from content courses can also be used. In particular, think about lab courses, both lower- and
upper-division and any research methods course (UTeach, Dean’s Scholars, Freshman Research
Initiative, etc.). Or think about a particularly challenging proof or the kind of problem solving you did in
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any Moore Method course. Save documents that seem to fit into proficiencies, especially ones with
instructor comments and grades.
UTeach faculty, content faculty, and mentor teachers are all resources to help you develop your
portfolio. Talk to them about the proficiencies, about writing reflections and possibilities for evidence.
The College of Natural Sciences Career Services is also available to help you with your cover letter and
résumé. The Undergraduate Writing Center can help with the reflections.
Proficiencies that are grayed out are NOT required for the preliminary portfolio. You will complete
these sections for the final portfolio, submitted during the Apprentice Teaching semester. Keep these
sections in mind as you build the preliminary portfolio and be sure to keep any items that you think
might be useful later.
To meet the requirements of the preliminary portfolio, you must earn a score of at least 1 (out of 4) on
each of the required sections, except section 1.d (which simply requires you to include an academic
summary). A complete description of the rubric is available under the Resources tab on the portfolio
site.
SECTION 1 --- PERSONAL PROFILE INFORMATION
In this section, you will provide the portfolio evaluator with a context for you as a student and preservice teacher.
In this section of your portfolio, you will include…
a) Teaching Philosophy
 State the major concepts and guiding principles that shape your views on being a
successful teacher. You might choose to address such questions as: What led you to
become a teacher? What do you hope to accomplish as a teacher? What educational
experiences (either as a student or pre-service teacher) have had the greatest impact on
you, and why?
 Your teaching philosophy must be at least 350 words, in clear, expository prose. Please
be sure to proof-read this document (and all other portfolio submissions). Misspellings
and grammar or punctuation errors show a lack of professionalism.
 Consider work you may have done in: Knowing and Learning, Perspectives, Project
Based Instruction.
b) Cover letter for employment
 State your future goals for employment in a letter that accompanies a résumé to a
potential employer.
 This letter should be tailored to the job you seek, demonstrating to a future employer
that you are a good fit for the school. Your cover letter may be addressed to a school at
which you have had a field experience or a school where you would like to seek future
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employment. Even if you are unsure about whether or not you want to teach, the cover
letter should be as professional as possible.
 As with other portfolio submissions, be sure to proof read this document for spelling,
grammar, and punctuation errors.
c) Résumé
 This documents presents your work and educational background. The audience is a
principal or other professional who hires teachers.
 Your résumé should be up-to-date and include your UTeach field experiences at all
levels (with an indication that these were short term, not full-time employment),
UTeach internship experience, and team-work experiences.
 As with other portfolio submissions, be sure to proof read this document for spelling,
grammar, and punctuation errors.
d) Academic Record
 You academic record should include all UT coursework, all transfer course work, and all
grades. Do not include an advising audit in this section; a free copy of your entire record
is available from Registrar’s Office in the Main Building (ask for an "academic
summary").
 This proficiency is scored as "included or not included". Your portfolio will not be
evaluated based on your academic record.
SECTION 2 --- SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE
In this section, you demonstrate your knowledge in the subject matter you will be teaching. Your
reflections should describe broad and current knowledge which is used to develop appropriate learning
goals with students. Include how you create opportunities for students to examine a variety of contexts
of the subject matter, including its history, relationship with technology, ties to other disciplines, and
impacts on society.
IMPORTANT: For the preliminary portfolio, students are required to respond to 2 of the proficiencies
below. For the final portfolio, students must respond to all sections. In addition, final portfolio students
must respond to sections a) and b) in each area in which they are certifying. For example, Apprentice
Teachers certifying in math and science must submit a reflection for a) and b) in mathematics and a) and
b) in science, for a total of 7 reflections.
The UTeach Teacher will…
a) -- SCIENCE: State a question about the natural world and outline how to develop it into a
specific inquiry that answers the question in whole or in part.
-- MATHEMATICS: State a mathematical theorem or conjecture and apply both informal and
formal mathematical reasoning to the same conjecture.
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b)
c)
d)
e)
-- COMPUTER SCIENCE: State a computational problem and an algorithm for solving it. Apply
both informal and formal techniques to evaluate the algorithm in terms of its clarity, efficiency,
and correctness. Describe the benefit of being able to apply both formal and informal reasoning
to the same problem.
 Evidence should include instructor assessment where available.
 Consider work you have done in: Research Methods, Functions and Modeling, or
content courses.
-- SCIENCE: Evaluate the strength of a scientific explanation or hypothesis using scientific
evidence and methodology and articulate that evaluation in clear, expository prose.
-- MATHEMATICS: Describe a mathematical concept that can be represented in multiple ways
and articulate the connections between its representations in clear, expository prose.
-- COMPUTER SCIENCE: Describe a scenario or problem that can be improved or solved by the
creation of a software system, and formalize that system using multiple representations,
including: descriptive prose, a graphical representation (UML, flowchart, etc.), code or pseudocode.
 Evidence should include instructor assessment where available.
 Consider work you have done in: Research Methods, Functions and Modeling,
Perspectives, Project Based Instruction, or content courses.
ALL SUBJECT AREAS: Generate a model of a natural phenomenon or describe an already existing
model and evaluate how well the model represents the situation.
 Evidence should include instructor assessment where available.
 Consider work you have done in: Research Methods, Functions and Modeling, Project
Based Instruction, or content courses.
ALL SUBJECT AREAS: Describe a topic in the subject area and describe the connections with
prerequisite topics, future topics, and other subjects.
 Evidence should include instructor assessment where available.
 Consider work you have done in: Classroom Interactions, Project Based Instruction, or
content courses.
ALL SUBJECT AREAS: Show how you bring out the historical importance of your subject material,
its contribution to large ideas, and its significance in today’s society. Refer to a specific lesson
plan that incorporates the general history of modern science as called for in national standards.
 Evidence should include instructor assessment where available.
 In your reflection, you should discuss the importance of helping your students
understand the context of the information you present.
 Consider work you have done in: Classroom Interactions or Perspectives.
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SECTION 3 --- EQUITY AND INCLUSIVE DESIGN
In this section, you describe the steps taken to ensure that all of the students you teach have engaging
and meaningful learning opportunities. Demonstrate your awareness of the needs of diverse groups of
learners and provide evidence that you consider these needs throughout the entire process of
developing a learning experience.
The UTeach Teacher will…
a) Demonstrate an awareness of student diversity while preparing lessons, presenting lessons, and
assessing students.
 Include a discussion of how you create an inclusive and assessable learning environment
for students: from various backgrounds, who have different interests, ability levels,
genders, students for whom English is not a first language, or students who legally
require accommodations and/or modifications.
 Consider work you have done in: Knowing and Learning, Classroom Interactions, or
Project Based Instruction
b) Include an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP) from your teaching experience.
 Evidence should include associated work sheets, assessments, samples of student work,
an explanation of the development of the plan and a description of how the students
responded to the experience.
SECTION 4 --- TEACHING PREPARATION
Inquiry is an approach to teaching that involves students exploring concepts or ideas in order to create
new understandings. The purpose of this section is for you to describe and document your process for
developing lessons that promote student learning through inquiry. Your reflections should explain how
your inquiry lesson is connected to the state and national standards. You should also discuss the ways in
which your lesson design uses the experiences and perspectives of the learner to support students
taking an active role in the construction of their own knowledge.
a) Document your process for planning and developing a learning experience designed to promote
student learning through inquiry. (You will discuss the implementation of this plan in the
Instruction and Delivery section of the portfolio.)
 In your reflection, explain how you develop assessments to evaluate and demonstrate
the student’s grasp of the lesson material in relation to state or national standards.
 Explain how you assessed the validity of the selected resources and student activities for
this lesson.
 Consider the work you have done in: Classroom Interactions.
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b) Explain how you design lessons that encourage all students to participate, that connect the
content to the interests and experiences of your students, and that make learning assessable
and meaningful for students of all ability levels.
 Consider work you have done in: Knowing and Learning, Classroom Interactions, and
Project Based Instruction.
SECTION 5 --- CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT
In this section, you will demonstrate how you create a safe and supportive learning environment that
fosters high expectations for the success of all students.
The UTeach Teacher will…
a) Present your overall classroom management plan.
 Evidence may include rules, policies, procedures, time management strategies, rewards,
and consequences.
 Consider strategies that you have implemented or observed, including getting students’
attention, grouping students effectively, redirecting behavior.
 In your reflection, describe the experiences that have contributed to this plan.
b) Describe how you create rapport with and among your students to maintain an effective and
respectful culture of learning in your classroom.
 Consider work you have done in: Step 2, Classroom Interactions.
c) State explicitly how you consistently maintain a safe learning environment for students, both
emotionally and physically.
 Evidence should include a lesson plan in which you specifically discuss safety with your
students.
 Consider work you have done in: Step 2 or Classroom Interactions.
SECTION 6 --- INSTRUCTION AND DELIVERY
In this section, you will demonstrate how you stimulate interest in science, math, or computer science
and elicit students' sustained participation in learning activities, through inquiry and the use of
technology.
The UTeach Teacher will…
a) Describe an inquiry based lesson that you have implemented. Provide evidence showing all
students engaged in meaningful learning experiences, such as: making predictions, gathering
data, creating their own explanations or models from data, and communicating those
explanations.
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
Consider work you have done in: Step 1, Step 2, Classroom Interactions, Project Based
Instruction.
b) Describe and provide evidence of your questioning and assessment techniques. Include
evidence of how you use assessment to respond flexibly to students during instruction.
 In your reflection, include a discussion of how your assessment strategy or instrument
effectively measured the learning objectives and how you used assessment data to
revise and improve the lesson.
 Consider work you have done in: Step 2, Classroom Interactions or Project Based
Instruction.
c) Discuss how you have used or plan to use technology to create and enhance the learning
environment.
 Include in your reflection an assessment of the appropriateness of that technology in
reaching your instructional goals.
 Consider work you have done in: Step 2, Knowing and Learning, Project Based
Instruction
SECTION 7 --- PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
In this section, you will demonstrate your participation in the larger educational community that
extends well beyond the boundaries of the classroom. You will describe your proactive work with
families, communities, and colleagues to serve the best interests of your students.
The UTeach Teacher will…
a) Describe your professional develop plan for remaining current in your subject and best teaching
practices. Explain and give evidence about how you will continually grow professionally and
how you will use your expertise to contribute to your school, your district, and your community.
b) Include evaluation feedback you received from an observer (mid-semester evaluation/final
evaluation), from your students or both. Explain what you learned about your teaching from this
feedback and how you adjusted and enhanced your teaching based on it.
c) Present your overall plan for communicating with parents and caregivers of your students and
describe your plan for including them in the education of their child. Include a description and
state the outcome of any interaction you have had with parents and caregivers of your students.
d) Reflect on a specific ethical standard. Describe the ways in which this standard might apply in
your future classroom.
 Refer to a specific standard from the "Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas
Educators."
 Consider work you have done in: Classroom Interactions.
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