Resume
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About me
Dedicated and resourceful social studies teacher and department chair with 9 years classroom experience in Chicago. Foster an inquiry-based academic environment that emphasizes student agency. Develop student-centered lessons that promote critical thinking and cooperative learning skills. Candidate for National Board Certification. Areas of expertise include
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Where i've worked
NORTH LAWNDALE COLLEGE PREP – CHICAGO, IL AUG. 2012-PRESENT
High School Social Studies Department Chair and Teacher
Classes include AP US Government & Politics, US History, and World Studies
High School Social Studies Department Chair and Teacher
Classes include AP US Government & Politics, US History, and World Studies
- Social Studies Department Chair.
- Support teacher improvement through regular observation and individual support. Identify and design professional development opportunities to build staff competencies.
- Lead department efforts to analyze SAT data, promote student achievement, and vertically align assessments with Illinois Social Science Learning Standards.
- Ensure accountability for curricular alignment and submission of unit and lesson plans.
- Conduct interviews and make recommendations to admin to fill staff positions.
- Collaborate with other department heads on Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) to develop school curriculum and policies.
- Manage allocated budget, including purchase of instructional resources, training for teachers, student field trips, and technology.
- Interdisciplinary Team Leader, Grade 9. Lead integration of subject area classes under umbrella of grade level project, targeting higher order thinking skills. Build grade level norms based on restorative justice principles.
- Create and utilize authentic assessments that enable students to learn in real world contexts, thereby improving their engagement and achievement. Past projects enabled students to work alongside community members, attorneys, green architects, and political figures.
- Lead Community Connections partnership with Francis W. Parker School. Facilitate cooperative team-building exercises between 60 Grade 9 and Grade 12 students from two schools.
- Direct Civic Engagement opportunities such as Mikva Challenge Student Election Judge program, town hall with former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Facing History and Ourselves programs, and Student Government.
- Encourage student growth and reflection on their learning process using video-based protocol.
- Develop student speaking and listening skills during regular Socratic Seminars and participation in outside projects like the Hamilton Education Program, which encouraged students to present performance pieces based on historic events.
- Incorporate Understanding By Design (UBD) framework into instructional planning to help students identify the ultimate goal and process of their learning.
- Increase student engagement using online content such as blogs, Google Apps.
PROVIDENCE ST. MEL SCHOOL – CHICAGO, IL AUG. 2008-AUG. 2012
High School Social Studies and Middle School English
Classes included World Geography, Journalism, Political Science, Law & Government, and Philosophy
High School Social Studies and Middle School English
Classes included World Geography, Journalism, Political Science, Law & Government, and Philosophy
- Created and led faculty professional development sessions.
- Implemented classroom management plan modeled after Jere Brophy’s motivational studies.
- Directed Mock Trial team’s participation at regional and statewide competitions, resulting in four students being named among the top student-attorneys in Illinois as recognized by ISBA.
- Developed environmental law curriculum alongside US EPA attorneys.
- Coached high school cross country and middle school track teams.
- Faculty adviser for school yearbook. Oversaw student management team. Facilitated transition to full-color publication.
- Faculty adviser for school newspaper. Maintained rigorous journalistic standards and promoted student leadership. Monitored overall production, prepared budgets and distribution.
- Worked with Pulitzer Center to implement curriculum, coordinate speakers for Journalism class.
- Organized school picture days and served as primary point of contact.
Where i've studied
DEPAUL UNIVERSITY – CHICAGO, IL
- Master of Education, Secondary Education with a focus on Social Sciences.
- Bachelor of Arts. Double Major in Philosophy and Classical Studies. Minor in Theology.
- Study Abroad: Italian culture and history.
certification
Type 09 Illinois Teaching Certificate (IEIN #830095)
Endorsements:
Endorsements:
- High School: Social Science – History
- Middle School: Social Science
Selected professional development
NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION (Anticipated Completion Date: Fall 2017)
AP US Government and Politics
Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Caribbean
- Completed Components 1 (Written Assessment of Content Knowledge) and 3 (Video and Analysis of Teaching Practice) during first part of two-year process.
- Anticipate completion of Components 2 and 4 during 2016-2017 academic year.
AP US Government and Politics
- Developed course content and teaching methodology in cooperative learning environment.
- Structured student feedback and reflection opportunities into course framework.
Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Caribbean
- Researched and selected primary source documents related to the Caribbean slave trade.
- Created teaching strategies for classroom instruction and inclusion in Gilder Lehrman publication.
- Transferred research techniques demonstrated at conference (Library of Congress, National Archives, Google Apps) to school Social Science curriculum.
publication
Loyola University Chicago: Off the Record
Paperback, December 2005. Published by College Prowler, Inc.
Paperback, December 2005. Published by College Prowler, Inc.
- Wrote a 160-page book about Loyola University Chicago.
- Conducted interviews, completed extensive research to show student life in city and on campus.
technical skills
Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel); Google Apps; Microsoft Movie Maker; Photography; PowerTeacher and related apps; Apple and Android education apps (Class Dojo, Weebly, Socrative, etc.); Classroom Social Media (Twitter, blogs, wikis); SMART Board