Blog No. 1

June 15/2025

My Journey to Building an portfolio: Frustrations, Joys, and Lessons Along the Way

When I first heard about creating an e Portfolio, I felt both curious and overwhelmed. I’ve used tools like Google Sites before for classroom projects, but building a more permanent, personal website felt like a big step. I wanted a space that wasn’t just functional but beautiful, inspiring, and truly mine. With this goal in mind, I decided to explore Hostinger and connect it with WordPress. This new journey taught me more than just how to create a site—it taught me how to face my tech fears with purpose and patience.

The first step I took was researching which platform to use. I chose Hostinger because I wanted full control over my site and the ability to grow it beyond the ADL program. Setting up my domain name was easier than expected, and I appreciated how Hostinger guided me through connecting to WordPress. Once WordPress was installed, I began customizing my theme, exploring widgets, and organizing the structure of my blog and reflection pages. It took me a couple of days to get used to the dashboard, but soon I learned how to publish a blog post, insert images, and create a navigation menu.

If I could give someone just starting out a piece of advice, it would be this: start simple. Don’t get caught up in choosing the perfect template or colors. Begin with the structure—your "About Me" page, one or two blogs, and maybe a resources page. Once those are in place, you can always go back and enhance the visuals. Another trick that helped me was watching short YouTube tutorials on customizing WordPress for education portfolios. I also kept a digital journal to document everything I was learning, which helped me when I got stuck and needed to retrace my steps.

What still frustrates me? Honestly, I’m still learning how to make my site as visually appealing as I imagine it. There are moments when I can't figure out how to fix a layout or why a plugin isn't working. I also struggle with formatting mobile views and making sure the site is user-friendly on different devices. However, despite these challenges, I feel incredibly proud of having a platform that is mine—a place where I can tell my story as an educator, share resources, and reflect on my growth. Seeing my first published post gave me a sense of accomplishment I didn’t expect.

What brings me the most joy is knowing that this site is more than a school assignment. It’s becoming a mirror of who I am as a bilingual kindergarten teacher, a learner, and someone passionate about education and innovation. I’m using this site not just for the course, but as a growing portfolio to share with families, colleagues, and potential future employers. And maybe, just maybe, another teacher starting her journey will find courage in reading mine.

• Ideas de diseño para portafolios educativos

• Ejemplo de ePortfolio para maestros

A helpful video tutorial that walks you through the step-by-step process of installing WordPress using Hostinger’s dashboard. Ideal for beginners setting up their first website.