Creating Dynamic Achievement Statements for Elementary Educators

Introductory overviews of a student teaching/teaching experience.

Elementary Teacher (student teaching practicum)

Teach fourth grade class of 30 students in an urban community, with total classroom responsibility for five weeks.  Plan educational objectives and lessons for various ability levels including non-English speakers, special needs, and academically accelerated students. Utilize a wide variety of teaching strategies including cooperative learning and technology integration, with emphasis on goal-setting and student responsibility.

Special Education Teacher

Teach special education at the second and fourth grade level utilizing a multidisciplinary team approach.  Co-develop and utilize IE plans for students with various emotional disturbances, behavioral issues, and learning disabilities, including autism, ADD/ADHD, and Asperger’s Syndrome.  Organize and implement lesson plans emphasizing concept development, language, communication, motor, and self-help skills.

Teaching Experiences

Elementary Ed – Grade 5

Taught in a collaborative setting with 18 professionals.  Designed curriculum materials to reflect a student-centered approach, incorporating cross-curricular components into lesson plans and units.  Created, planned, and presented in-depth lessons on cities, money, measurement, and Native American customs.  Conceptualized and integrated a unit on Earth Day to help students understand and appreciate their global environment through hands-on experiments and project-oriented exercises in all subject areas.  Successfully used enrichment activities and behavior modification techniques as a motivator for completing homework/projects, and for improving overall class conduct.

Elementary/Special Ed – Grade 2

Successfully integrated special education and inclusion students into classroom; prepared individual lesson plans for autistic student and participated in IEP sessions.  Piloted reading series and prepared action report contributing to district’s decision to adopt program.  Coordinated school-wide fund-raiser for “Seeing Eye Dogs” program in conjunction with multi-disciplinary unit on Helen Keller.   Co-organized biannual career exploration program “Student Career Day”.  Tutored at-risk students during non-instruction hours after school.

SIR (Situation/Input/Result)

• Designed self-learning and small-group cooperative learning activities as well as hands-on science activities, such as the Clifton House archeological excavation.  These formats provided opportunities to engage students with varying levels of skill, learning styles, and academic motivation.  Received feedback from parents regarding impact via enhanced student enthusiasm and skill development.
• Developed lesson plans in Social Studies utilizing a variety of educational tools including games, team-building exercises, dramatic arts, use of video, lectures, and alternative activities.  Varied lesson plan delivery served to stimulate student interest in the subject and resulted in a student initiated reenactment of “life in rural America during the 1840’s”.

Extracurricular

Advisor, K-Kids Club - Grades 1-5

Advised a 15 member student-led service club, sponsored by the local Kiwanis Club. Offered support to students in organizing a yard sale fund raiser, which involved soliciting and collecting items from local community members and raising funds towards purchasing playground equipment for the school.  Students developed leadership skills and a sense of service to the school and community.

After School Volunteer Tutor Program Coordinator

Supervised 10 after school program tutors with responsibilities of working one-on-one with children and assisting them with their homework.  Placed tutors according to the individual needs of students.  Trained tutors to foster positive attitudes towards learning, build positive self-concepts, and improve the quality of students’ academic performance.  Received “School Volunteer of the Year” award for success of program.

Special Projects

• Wrote paper on preparing teachers for dealing with issues on mainstreaming, classroom behavior, perceived ability to teach special needs, classroom management, and academic development of the special needs child.

• Completed a review of the literature on student learning styles to ascertain the prevalence of oral and visual learners and their related study habits.  Upon completion of literature review, developed English lesson plan incorporating various student learning style considerations.

Other Work Experiences with Children

Camp Counselor

Worked with students with severe physical disabilities ranging in age from 5 to 25 years.  Activities included horseback riding, boating and water activities, and crafts.  Lived in cabin with campers and provided a comfortable, encouraging, and safe environment.

Summer Associate/VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)

Researched several literacy assessment tools in order to select appropriate literacy experiences for 10^th grade students considered to be at-risk. Assessed impact of total summer school experience on these students and proposed program modifications accordingly.  Served as resource person for paraprofessionals and helped prepare resource materials for other tutors.