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- BIOGRAPHY
- EDUCATION
- CLASSROOM PROGRAMS
- TECHNOLOGY
- LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES
- RECOGNITION
- GRANTS/AWARDS
BIOGRAPHY My first memories of a school setting were of my twin sister and
I, huddled in the corner of the classroom, curled up just like
little snails. Quite a few days were spent in that corner
because we were too shy to play with the other children.
Fortunately, my teacher refused to give up as she tempted us with
graham crackers and the dress-up corner. What a genius! There’s
nothing like a pink satin tutu to draw a four year old off of the
dingy old floor! That experience forever shaped me. From that
moment forward, I wanted to make a difference in the lives of
others regardless of what they had to overcome. However, it
wasn’t the snack bribery, dress-up center, or countless hours
playing school with my stuffed animals that most influenced me to
become a teacher. My preschool teacher was truly an inspiration,
but my passion for teaching was of a more personal nature as I
saw my twin sister struggling through junior and high school.
Tutoring my sister in her early academic years became the
platform that would eventually shape the teacher I would become.
Much like many of the children I later came to work with, my
sister learned differently than I. She had a stronger short-term
memory and a mild form of dyslexia. With lots of patience and
creativity, I learned to explain things in a variety of ways to
achieve the same overall result. I experimented with a variety
of teaching techniques, constantly taking note of the teachers I
enjoyed. How did they provide diverse explanations for the same
concept? How did they provide the environment that I excelled
in? What did they do to continuously stimulate the learner? What
did I look forward to as a student? These observations provided
the solid foundation for the teacher I wanted to become.
Upon receiving my first job assignment, I had to make a complete
adjustment as I entered an unknown new environment. Teaching in
an inner city junior high school setting with a full-time police
officer on campus was a unique experience. The principal took
one look at me and said, “If you can’t make it after two weeks, I
will have someone lined up for you.” Within two weeks I earned
the respect of all 150 of my students. I also applied and was
awarded a $16,000 grant from McDonald’s Charities. Infusion of
money and technology into an inner city classroom is a tremendous
contribution and leads to major accomplishments in education.
Soon after this experience, an opportunity presented itself to
teach in a third world country which placed me in Central America
for one year. Teaching in El Salvador forced me to immerse
myself in a completely different culture where I was in the
minority. This experience opened my eyes to cultural
differences and thought processes.
The following year, I accepted a position with St. Tammany Parish
Public Schools teaching in the seventh and eighth
grade “Emotionally Disturbed” classroom setting. During this
brief period I learned about the emotional hardships that made
learning difficult for this unique population. I quickly
realized environment, consistency, and patience were the factors
that motivated these students most. When the numbers for my
position dwindled, I accepted a position at Honey Island
Elementary teaching third grade.
In an effort to increase standardized test scores, while making
learning fun, I designed the “Busy Bee Postal Delivery”, funded
by one of many PTA grants I was awarded. The “Busy Bee Post
Office” was constructed in 2004 by the St. Tammany Parish
Maintenance Team. Parent volunteers gathered to paint and
decorate the building while others donated the student T-shirts.
This program concentrated on the basic concepts of handwriting,
letter writing, and spatial organization concepts to increase
standardized test scores. In addition, it added the real world
experience of personal communication. Although the entire school
was invited to participate, a team of teachers participated by
assigning their students to become secret pen pals. At the end
of the year, a “Pen Pal Party” was held where secret pals were
revealed. The Post Office delivered mail across the school,
which included my most recent fund raiser supporting Relay for
Life, donating all proceeds to the American Cancer Society. All
650 elementary students and staff members joined in the fun while
improving their writing and communication skills. I consider this
project to be one of my greatest accomplishments!
One of my greatest contributions to education has been the
writing process I developed entitled “Write on Time.” This
particular form of instruction builds on a variety of teaching
techniques that has been developed through the years. It teaches
young students how to compose written pieces of work within 45
minutes. On average, my students score much higher and some have
even achieved perfect scores -- an incredible accomplishment
considering so many of my students were unable to spell or
compose more than three coherent sentences when they initially
came to me. On several occasions I have been asked to share my
program with my faculty and various organizations, which is why I
consider my writing technique to be one of my greatest
contributions to education.
EDUCATION Education
• Masters Education classes, 6.0 hours
2006-2007
Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana
• Special Education classes, 12.0 hours
2000-2002
University of New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education
1992-1997
Loyola University, New Orleans, Louisiana
CLASSROOM PROGRAMS POWER OF RETELLING (Reading Comprehension Strategies)
STORY FORM (Story Plot Diagram of main components of a story)
FOLDABLES(Informational organizers for short and long-term memory)
ACCELERATED READER (Emergent to Independent reading program)
LITERACY WORK STATIONS (Independent/small group practice)
WRITE ON TIME (Writing workshop)
CLOCK CLIMBERS (Cursive Instruction)
DOL (Daily Oral Language proofreading practice)
POST OFFICE (Weekly Letter Writing)
CALENDAR MATH (Daily math concepts)
MATH WORK STATIONS (Independent/small group practice)
MATH 4 TODAY (Daily math concepts)
DRAMA (Christmas Play)
ARTS & CRAFTS (Daily art/craft instruction)
TECHNOLOGY PROMETHEAN board and promethean planet interactive flipcharts
ELMO - a more advance overhead with instant camera technology
READING RENAISSANCE - reading based program
COMPUTERS - 5 withing the classroom for student use
DIGITAL MICROSCOPE
LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES •READING RENAISSANCE SCHOOL WIDE COORIDNATOR 2008-Present
-Develop criteria and train new and experienced teachers on
implementation, monitoring, and setting student goals to instill
a hunger for learning in students.
-Coordinate and execute bimonthly, quarterly, and “Family Reading
Night” events that involve parents and students.
•ACCELERATED READING MENTOR 2003-Present
-Facilitate setting and monitoring classroom reading goals and
certifications.
-Provide additional support to children so they can achieve
realistic milestones.
•“WRITE ON TIME” Instructor 2000-Present
-Presenter for 2008 Honey Island Elementary Staff Development
-Presenter for 2008-2009 Northshore Reading Council
-LEAP Accelerated Tutoring Program Writing Instructor
-Plan, prepare, and present paragraph writing techniques building
on current practices
•“FOLDABLE” Presenter 2007
-Presenter for Honey Island Elementary Staff Development
-Instruct colleagues on three dimensional graphic organizers and
use in the classroom
•SHARE FAIR PRESENTER for St. Tammany Parish 2005
-Instruct professionals across the parish on teaching techniques
with edible tools
•PTA Teacher Liaison 2004-2005
-School representative actively coordinated teacher and PTA
activities while addressing interests or concerns to both PTA
members and teachers.
RECOGNITION •2009 to present HIE Reading Renaissance School
Coordinator
•2002 to present Master Reading Renaissance Teacher
•2002 to present Model Reading Renaissance Teacher
•2005 and 2007 Who’s Who Among American Teachers
GRANTS/AWARDS •MLC Café Carol Meyer Mathematics Grant (SEATM)
July 2009 Honey Island Elementary
•“ALL 4 ONE” ACTIVOTES - HIE Grant
2009 Honey Island Elementary
•“ELEMENTS” ELMO – PTA Mini Grant
2008 Honey Island Elementary
•“Time for Tech Talk” Promethean Board/Computer HIE Grant
2008 Honey Island Elementary
•“Comprehension Through Color” Manipulatives – PTA Mini Grant
2005 Honey Island Elementary
•“Busy Bee Postal Delivery” Post Office – PTA Mini Grant
2005 Honey Island Elementary
•McDonald’s Charities Mathematics Grant of $16,000
1998 – Stella Worley Junior
High
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