Portfolio

Advice that I give to students is to Start with Why (thanks to Simon Sinek), Don’t Tell when You Can Show (thanks to my friend and teacher-coach Michael MacKay) and Tell a Story (you can say no to a number, but not to a story). I hope that I can live up to these expectations with this portfolio.

Let me show you my journey from Teacher to Assistant Curriculum Leader to Instructional Leader by taking you on a tour of my school, Leaside High School. I will be walking you through the steps I started taking years ago and along the path I walked this summer in the course.

Table of Contents

Why I Teach

Ccoaching was my introduction to building relationships. It has helped me define the values of a philosophy that I use at school and at home. I have been able to mentor and inspire student-athletes to do great things. I have connected with colleagues from around the world to learn and grow.

Coaching with Team Ontario, Canada Basketball and other elite teams improves my teaching practices. Just like any coach believes a player can achieve any goals with the right strategies, teachers believe that any student can succeed.

Instructional Leaders should model and encourage ongoing professional learning. Coaching has been a joy and an education for me.

Artifacts

Extra-curricular activities bring students, staff & the community together.

Ontario Business Educators Association

I present annually at the Ontario Business Educators Association conference. It is a chance to meet other teachers and interact with others. I want to help others improve their instructional program but these conferences also ensure my accountability so I can provide the best experiences to students in my class.

In 2024, I won the O.B.E.A. Award of Merit for Innovation and Leadership in Business Education due to gracious nominations for colleagues and student.

Artifacts

Obtaining grants so resources can be allocated to engaging classroom environments – like Thinking Classroom at Leaside and an Innovations Lab at Northview – fostered Optimal Learning Environments for students.
The Culture Wall respects all student voices.
Doug – a comic book artist – mentors a special education student in the Innovation Lab to create their own superheroes.

Managements & Administration

Over the years, I have become involved in diverse leadership activities at the department, school-wide and board levels. Some evidence of my administration skills were organizing a board-wide Professional Activity Day for the new Entrepreneurship Curriculum, maintaining comprehensive parent contacts (over one hundred significant entries annually) and annual Girls and Boys Basketball Tournaments that bring T.D.S.B., T.C.D.S.B. and Independent Schools together.

I am asked to manage ticket sales for our prom and other school events because the administration knows that I can Secure Accountability for logistics and finances.

I’ve proposed adding a new Grade 9 Entrepreneurship Course (BEM1O), applied for Community-Connected Experiential Learning and Experiential Education Grants and completed a detailed pitch to acquire a 3D Printer which enabled School Council to raise three thousand dollars in donations in a week.

The Innovation Lab at Northview Heights was a complicated project involving budgeting, logistics and cooperation between departments. It left a significant legacy at for diverse students in a variety of classes, clubs and programs.

I have spent hours supporting teachers at Leaside and beyond with their courses, including helping to launch Special Education Co-Op and Marketing courses. I  have shared detailed lessons and assessments to assist teachers with the rollout of the new Entrepreneurship curriculum. People rely on me for help, trust me to get the job done and know that I make things happen that benefit all students and staff.

Artifacts

Business Department Equity Statement

We will foster equity within the Business Studies/Information & Communication curriculum by raising awareness of socio-cultural issues (i.e. discussion of critical issues such as minimum wage, migrant workers, equal pay for equal work, etc.), delivering culturally responsive teaching practices (i.e. units & assignments featuring in equity, inclusive design, creating an environment highlighting student voice), and promoting diversity in business (i.e. diverse role models & case studies, discussion of systematic barriers in business,).

Marketing students appreciated the Friday Night Lights basketball game because “it threw them into the fire” and “made them apply their skills” from the start of the course.
The Maker Space is where students practice brainstorming, iteration and prototyping to hone their Design Thinking skills.
Artifacts that represent Student Choice and Voice, Securing Accountability and Reflective Practice.
Many alumni attend the annual Student-Alumni basketball game because they value mentoring current students.
An EEP grants allows students to participate in a cafe simulation, creating marketing concepts and sell their own lemonade.
I’ve place photos of my colleagues throughout the portfolio because I they are the pillars of the communities we are building for students.
I’ve had great colleagues who have made me think and helped me become a better teacher.
I will continue to forge these positive relationships in order to gain support for department goals and school-wide initiatives.
I commit to working with administrators who will mentor me so I can become an inspirational Instructional Leader.
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Brock Bourgase