Tip: Keep It Simple!
Don't overload your portfolio with page after page of lengthy text or repetitive photos. Imagine viewing a friend's home video....would you rather see two hours of wedding footage or five minutes of highlights?

There are no fixed rules regarding the nature of artifacts to be included. The only simple answer to the question, "What should I include?" is, "It depends". It depends upon the educator, the purpose and the audience.

When choosing artifacts, it is well to consider the four classes of evidence Collins (1991) found in his study of high school teachers' portfolios: artifacts, reproductions, attestations, and productions:

Artifacts are documents produced during the normal course of work or during courses taken. For example, lesson or unit plans, a webquest or a paper written concerning cooperative learning. Artifacts may also be student exemplars, evaluation plans, rubrics, pictures, and tokens.

Reproductions are documents about typical events in the work of the person developing the portfolio, but include events which usually are not captured. For example, a video tape of you teaching a lesson, delivering a workshop, etc.

Attestations are documents about your work prepared by someone else. For example, principal observations or letters from parents or students. This may include formal evaluations, practicum evaluations (new teachers), letters of reference, and letters of commendation or recognition.

Productions are documents prepared especially for your portfolio. For example, goal statements, statements of beliefs about teaching, rationales, captions.

When selecting entries for your portfolio, bear in mind that each piece is part of a much larger whole and that together, the artifacts and rationale make a powerful statement about your individual professional development. Asking the following questions may help with the decision making:

1. What do I want my portfolio to show about me? What are my attributes as an educator?
2. What do I want my portfolio to demonstrate about me as a learner? How and what have I learned?
3. What directions for my future growth and development does my self-evaluation suggest? How can I show them in my portfolio?
4. What points have been made by others about me as an educator and learner? How can I show them in my portfolio?
5. What overall impression do I want my portfolio to give a reviewer about me?

When decision-making about what to include becomes a challenge, it may be helpful to re-examine your artifacts and ask yourself, "What would including this item add that has not already been said or shown?"

Remember, portfolios create representative records of your professional development, they are not intended to be comprehensive. This is a crucial point to remember about teacher portfolios: if the portfolio contains "everything I have ever done", it will be very weak and will generally be evaluated negatively. In other words, more may prove to be less because judicious selection and commentary are critical to creating an effective portfolio.

Avoid deluging the reader with too much information. Instead, present representative examples of your work with clear, concise, yet reflective explanations of what the examples mean to you professionally. Secondly, avoid presenting a hodge podge of information that is impossible to interpret. Instead, you should organize your examples and reflections to make it clear and easy to read, while at the same time making sure that each item is a valid and representative sample of your abilities and accomplishments.

Be realistic. Portfolios are only one form of authentic assessment. As such, they should be used as a part of the assessment process, in conjunction with other measures.

What Could Be Included in A Portfolio?
This list is intended to be suggestive rather than exhaustive!

• resume/qualifications/academic background
• evaluations
• pictures (i.e. classroom activities, displays, trips, etc.)
• letters of support from parents, students, principals
• philosophy of teaching
• certificates of courses taken (e.g., leadership, computers)
• in-service/professional development workshops (attended and/or conducted)
• community involvement
• extra-curricular activities/interests/special events
• lesson plans
• professional literature
• student work samples highlighting good teaching practice
• goals
• areas of growth
• things that went wrong that you learned from
• special accomplishments with students
• graduation invitations
• contributions to committees/clubs
• organizational activities (e.g., play day, speech contests, etc.)
• notes from the principal/vice-principal
• videotapes
• assessment tools, self-assessment
• medical background
• professional writing samples
• other related jobs
• mission statement
• previous experience (e.g., counseling, research, etc.)
• weekly motivational certificates
• newsletters (e.g., classroom)/letters sent by you (e.g., fundraising)
• unit plan including a rubric
• timetable
• trips (include correspondence)
• cards, notes from students/parents/co-workers/principal
• classroom management theory
  Please note: It is the responsibility of the educator to attain permission for inclusion of any items generated by other persons, including students.

All entries must include a reflective comment of learning.