Olympia, Washington, United States
I believe that one of my biggest strengths is my background in working with young people who don't take their learning seriously and supporting their transformation into students that take can succeed academically and continue to be motivated after they leave the classroom. I come to school every day with a positive attitude and I believe this models to my students that learning can be an enjoyable experience. My military service also conditioned me to handle stress with grace. By leading by example, I support each student to view their education as a ‘work in progress’ and that nothing is irreversible, from poor grades to attendance issues. My time in the service and subsequent time spent in social justice activism also provided first hand knowledge about many of the concepts involved in teaching humanities. Witnessing first hand the implications of US history allowed me to draw parallels that make my history lessons relevant to how we have told and continue to tell history. One of the most important aspects of learning history is knowing how, and by whom, history is told. This perspective encourages students to think critically about how different stories in their lives can be told and understood based on who is telling it.
Educational Specialist · Teach a daily class to 9th-12th grade students that increase their academic performance and college readiness · Manage the after school enrichment operations of the Upward Bound program at Lincoln High School including oversee afterschool tutors, volunteers, temporary employees, and interns · Monitor and track all 12th graders to ensure a successful transition into college · Work closely with school personnel and other Upward Bound staff to design and implement effective academic intervention strategies for participants · Utilize the appropriate district databases, assess, monitor, and report participant progress through: testing; individual consultation; collecting and evaluating test scores, grades and progress reports · Plan and coordinate community service learning activities for participants throughout the year and in summer program · Teach and lead in the development of Summer/Saturday School curriculum, college campus visits, college fairs, workshops, career explorations, and cultural events
Planned and executed lessons for high school and middle school social studies classes: Washington State tribal sovereignty, US history, world history, civics, and current world issues · Assessed students’ academic performance and tracked grades to conduct parent-teacher conferences · Attended regular meetings with administration and faculty to discuss how to better assist the academic achievement of native students
· Developed and taught a unit on the Arab Spring for a 6th grade humanities class · Monitored student progress through observation and assessments of their independent projects on related subject matter · Worked with other teachers to conduct academic interventions with students
Developed and taught a unit for a 9th grade Pacific Northwest history class on regional labor history · Monitored student progress through observation and assessments of their independent projects on related subject matter · Collaborated with other teachers in the social studies department to adapt and implement my unit in other classes · Taught a college prep class for sophomores and oversaw peer mentoring
· Tutored and mentored 9th-12th grade students in all subjects · Assist Education Specialists in teaching self-advocacy to 12th grade students · Assist Education Specialists find and develop new opportunities for students to expand in their pre-college experiences and performance