Shayna Lyle

EDUC 452
Dr. Norris
December 11, 2013
Portfolio Cover Letter
For Methods of Teaching English, I am required to submit a final showcase portfolio of the assignments I
have done that demonstrate my best achievements in the class. In the final showcase portfolio, I have
included the following: the lesson that I taught along with a book talk entitled Multiple Perspectives,
my Lord of the Flies project, and my Lord of the Flies unit plan.
For one of our assignments, we were given a book to read and present a book talk to our peers; we were
also required to create a mini-lesson based off of the book we read. The book I was responsible for was
Critical Encounters in High School English by Deborah Appleman. In this book, Appleman discusses
how we can effectively include theories in our classroom. For my lesson, I chose to do a mini-lesson
introducing students to the idea of multiple perspectives. I chose this document to include in the portfolio
because I effectively incorporated a theory into a lesson while making it fun and enjoyable for students.
This document proves that I was able to take a book regarding a topic that I was unfamiliar with
incorporating it in a classroom, but I was able to pick out a theory or main point of the book and translate
it into a fun lesson for the students.
For the next item in the portfolio, I chose to display my project for the book Lord of the Flies. For the
project, I would have the students create a mock trial for one of the main characters in the book, Jack. I
would require the students to take on different roles that are found in a real courtroom; they would be
responsible for researching and analyzing in order to come up with facts, ideas, questions, or anything
that would support their side. I chose to display this project because I felt that I was able to create a final
activity that the students would enjoy, along with requiring them to use research and leadership skills.
Students would also have to analyze the characters behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, so it is teaching
them analyzing skills. I think this is a fun, yet thorough and beneficial project, and I think that this
demonstrates my creativity.
As for the last item in the portfolio, I chose to include my unit plan for the novel Lord of the Flies. Some
of the activities that I would have the students complete in this unit would be the responsibility of keeping
a journal and holding valuable discussions. I also chose this assignment to incorporate into my portfolio
because I have never written a unit plan on a specific novel before, and even though it was my first time I
feel that it was a successful, thorough unit plan that teaches the students important skills and ideas.
I am very confident in my final portfolio and I believe it demonstrates the work I have done for the course
and my best achievements well.


Shayna Lyle