Education
Bachelor of Science in Education, May 2014
Kent State University, Kent, Ohio
Major: Integrated Language Arts Education
Summa Cum Laude, Honors College Scholar
Master of Education, in progress
University of Houston, Houston, Texas
Curriculum and Instruction: Learning, Design, and Technology
Certifications
English Language Arts and Reading: 7 – 12
ESL supplemental
English Language Arts and Reading 4 – 8
Social Studies 4 – 8
Gifted and Talented 30-Hour Awareness
Teaching Experience
Classroom Teaching:
Pasadena Independent School District
Pasadena, Texas, Aug 2014 – Present
Taught English I, PreAP English I, and Academic Decathlon during the 2014-2015, 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years, as well as English I summer school 2016. Prepared students for the English I STAAR assessment, as well as Curriculum Based Assessments each 6-weeks. Followed the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English I. Students studied Romeo and Juliet or Much Ado about Nothing in addition to a wide range of literary and expository works. Worked closely with English Language Learners and Limited English Proficient students in three to five mixed level classes each year, utilizing the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). Successfully completed TELPAS each year, including collecting writing samples, calibrating, and rating students’ writing levels. Worked closely with a professional learning community and a Curriculum Content Specialist to craft and adjust collaborative lesson plans. PreAP students also studied Night, Anthem, and a variety of other classic literature through collaborative literature circles. Utilized student tablets to enhance learning through resources such as Schoology, Microsoft email, and Classroom OneNote. Attended Curriculum Writing meetings throughout the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 school years in order to work with teachers from the rest of the district in creating digital resources and adapting the curriculum to best suit student needs. Coached and taught Academic Decathlon, instructing students in essay-writing, speech writing and delivery, as well as study skills. Worked with students after school and on weekends to be prepared for district and regional meets.
Student Teaching:
Canfield High School, Canfield, Ohio
Student Teaching
Spring 2014
Completed full-time student teaching in the spring semester. Taught three blocks of College Prep 12th grade topics such as Hamlet, Catcher in the Rye, Beowulf and formal/informal writing. Students showed significant growth in understanding and appreciation of Shakespearean plays. Students also showed growth in writing ability through the writing of literary analysis papers and one research paper on a topic of their choosing. Collaborated with two cooperating teachers in two classrooms.
Practicum
Fall 2013
Taught a ten-day unit on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing to 11th grade honors students in the fall semester. Students showed significant growth in understanding of Shakespearean language and in writing ability. Observed 11th and 12th grade classes taught by two cooperating teachers. Exceeded required number of observation hours. Experience reinforced passion and ability to make a difference in student learning.
Field Experience:
Kent Roosevelt High School, Spring 2013
Worked in a high school writing center. Aided students 9th through 10th grade in their writing at various points in the writing process. Talked to students about college application essays. Went into a classroom and helped students organize research and create paper outlines. Exceeded required hours. Designed, created, and ran a monthly newsletter for students and parents with updates on the Writing Center and its tutors.
Maplewood Career Center, Spring 2013
Co-taught poetry writing to 12th graders for six weeks as a part of an elective class titled “Teaching Poetry in the Schools.” Helped students hone their poetry writing skills with the use of model poems. Learned valuable lessons in teaching with a partner. Gained experience in teaching in a technical career school. Class culminated in a poetry reading titled “Giving Voice” at Kent State University.
Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts, Spring 2013
Taught poetry writing to 7th graders as a part of an elective class titled “Teaching Poetry in the Schools” for six weeks. Helped students write beautiful poetry with the use of model poems. Gained experience at the middle school level. Gained experience in arts integration and teaching at a performing arts school. Class culminated in a poetry reading titled “Giving Voice” at Kent State University.
Warren G. Harding High School, Fall 2013
Observed five weeks in 9th and honors 10th classes. Taught one block period on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. Learned valuable lessons in being flexible in lesson plans. Gained experience at the high school level. Exceeded required observation hours.
Professional Development
ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) 2017 Convention, Summer 2017
Will attend ISTE 2017 sessions focused on integrated technology effectively into classroom curriculum.
English I Curriculum Writing, September 2015 – June 2017
Attended 5 meetings of Curriculum Writing per year in which Pasadena ISD teacher leaders worked with campus and district specialists to further revise and develop curriculum, create print and digital resources, and design assessments for high school English courses.
Strategies for helping high school ELLs master content through structured conversations, February 2017
Attended workshop for any high school SIOP or ESOL teacher. Participants explored and applied strategies for helping students process content through speaking. After this session, teachers of ELLs are be able to infuse structured conversation opportunities into any stage of the lesson cycle.
Equipping ELLs to Analyze Effectively, February 2017
Attended workshop for high school SIOP English teachers. Participants explored a sequenced, scaffolded protocol for helping ELLs build analytical autonomy when confronted with a complex text.
Proposed Changes to High School ELAR TEKS Training, January 2016
Attended a guided overview of the proposed changes and a discussion of the potential impact the revisions would have on instruction in Pasadena ISD.
GT Differentiation Training – Online, January 2016
Completed an online differentiation training through TGAT On Demand.
Pieces of the Puzzle: Assessment of the GT Student, September 2015
Attended a workshop in order to discover practical methods to uncover G/T students’ areas of strength and weakness to improve instruction.
Ways thru the Maze: Nature and Needs of the GT student, September 2015
Attended workshop in which teachers learn to recognize giftedness and potential giftedness in the classroom and explore the characteristics, procedures, and forms for identification.
Safe and Civil Training with Susan Isaacs: Preventing Misbehavior that Leads to Referrals/Suspension & Responding Consistently to Student Misbehavior, November 2014
Attended a workshop to learn about preventing misbehavior that leads to referrals and suspensions and responding consistently to student misbehavior by defining levels of infractions, using evidence-based correction procedures and defining procedures for responding to moderate and severe misbehavior.
Vocabulary Now! 44 Strategies for Secondary ESL Teachers, November 2014
Attended a workshop covering the 44 strategies in Vocabulary Now! for teaching newcomer ELL students. Strategies included: brick and mortar terms, word walls, children’s books, writing roulette, and formal/informal writing.
2-Day Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Workshop, September 2014
Attended a focused and intense training on the SIOP model of teaching English Language Learners presented by Karen Douglas. Explored and experienced numerous SIOP strategies for helping ELLs understand and learn any content.
AVID Critical Writing 2-Day Workshop, August 2014
Attended a two-day workshop presented by Patricia Cain. Learned about numerous AVID writing strategies from The Write Path English Language Arts: Exploring Texts with Strategic Reading. Strategies included: planning for reading, prereading, building vocabulary, interacting with the text, and extending beyond the text.
Degen 2-Day Introductory Workshop for English Teachers, August 2014
Attended a two-day workshop presented by Dr. Michael Degen. Learned about helping students form abstract associations and acknowledge emotional responses to visual or written texts and then identify concrete elements in the text to support them.
NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) 2013 Convention, November 2013
Presented in the session titled Apps to the Common Core, describing the use of smart phone and tablet apps in the classroom.
