Embedded Files
RANI WALKER-GROSS
RANI WALKER-GROSS
My name is Rani Walker-Gross, and I work at Marion High School. My digital portfolio includes my Educational Leadership internship with Eastern Illinois University. In addition, the portfolio highlights community relations, vision, mission, social-emotional learning, instructional strategies, research, students with exceptionalities, promotion of school services, recognition and awards, teacher mentorship, professional reflection, resume, and recommendation letters.
I am a Family Consumer Science Teacher with endorsements in culinary arts, interior design, and child care. Currently, I specialize in Early Childhood Education as a lab director of our school district's private preschool, Kiddie City. In addition, I co-teach for John A Logan in Early Childhood Education courses. I serve on the Board of Early Childhood Educations, the Family Consumer Science department representative, and the Career and Technical Education Representative in a leadership role for Gateways to Opportunity. Committees include PBIS, RtI, and School Improvement. In my professional committee, I serve as a keynote speaker, provide private preschool assessments for improvement for two junior colleges, and serve as a presenter in technology education.
Communication, curriculum and instruction, data, public relations, and parent involvement are critical to creating a thriving school culture and climate. A school's vision is a crucial tool, and its driving force is to enhance the next generation's quality of life. Leaders are visionaries who cultivate a culture of innovation. Each stakeholder is an essential partner in fulfilling the mission to develop all students to their maximum potential as active lifelong learners. An excellent administrator at the heart of high-quality instruction supports a dynamic learning environment with passion and purpose. The digital portfolio provides artifacts within community partnerships, social-emotional learning, teaching strategies—the portfolio highlights my work within teacher mentorship, culture, and climate-building activities. The digital portfolio communicates my philosophy on an excellent administrator's characteristics, supporting and promoting high-quality instruction, my background within educational diversity, my resume, and letters of reference.
Community Review Booklet- R. Walker-Gross.pdfCommunity Partnerships
Community Partnerships
Community relations are essential to building a successful program. Our partnerships include Mayor Mike Absher, who plays an active role in Kiddie City and the Marion Civic Center, Marion Carnegie Library, The Teacher Store at Pieces of Learning, and Stevens Floral Gifts & Framing.
Vision and Mission
Vision and Mission
Marion High School (MHS) faces numerous challenges and opportunities for the 2020-2021 school year. The educational mission of MHS has centered around our students' individualized success academically, socially, physically, and emotionally. The faculty and administration remain committed to the vision and mission of the school. Please view the video explaining the implementation of our vision and mission.
Social-Emotional Learning
Social-Emotional Learning
Conducting a meta-analysis over seven studies, the researcher focuses on implementing social-emotional learning programs to enhance school climate, academic gains, and elevate existing behavior monitoring systems. A collection of analyzed studies, literary reviews, meta-analysis, and policy briefs agreed that SEL programs promote academics while bridging the gap between social and emotional competencies. Conclusions from the literature present that social-emotional learning can provide a road to students' academic and personal success while empowering teachers in classroom control. A requirement of additional professional development, training, and time to incorporate SEL into the school mission, vision, and cultural climate is imperative to success. Incorporating social-emotional learning programs into existing universal interventions while utilizing state policies creates a seamless correlation between context and social-emotional competencies in the classroom. The meta-analysis data highlights the imperative need for extensive studies on the long-term effects of social-emotional learning programs in the school systems.
In 2019 Mrs. Walker and Mrs. Gordon created the High Potential Individuals (HPIs) club for Marion High School. High Potential Individuals (HPIs) are natural-born "doers." Energetic, analytical, and naturally driven to succeed. HPI's possess an innate drive to create and achieve. They love exciting challenges that allow them to work hard while expressing themselves. They're natural entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, creators, and developers. The anxiety and struggles of life, school, and personal achievement linked with a culture of insecurities leave an opening for emotional and physical insecurities. The drive to achieve so much that no one could question our value or worth leads to private burn out in a fiery explosion. You are not alone. Success does not resolve everything. Youth need an outlet and coaching to assist with the initial shift away from anxiety and into the confidence of "you are enough." With over a hundred members, the club allows the student to seek help and other driven and determined individuals' comfort.
Holiday "Cheers" Cart: Mrs. Walker and Mr. Addison delivered various treats to the teachers on the last day of finals week.
Crown Brew Break: Mrs. Walker and Mr. Addison created a festive welcome for the staff to enjoy the donation from Farmers State Bank of Crown Brew coffee.
The interactive bulletin board enables staff to post small notes of appreciation on the staff members' photos. I collected pictures of the team and the colleagues, families, and previous clubs.
Within my internship, we are focusing on creating a positive climate through staff centered appreciation activities.
Within my internship, we are focusing on creating a positive climate through staff centered appreciation activities.
Art is essential to the development of a calm and centered mind. In the current environment, everyone requires a creative outlet. I partnered with the art department to create a safe event for the faculty and staff.
Powerful Learning Experiences
Powerful Learning Experiences
Stay, Play, and Talk is a highly effective strategy utilizing peer-mediated intervention strategies to support students' social skills development. Peer-mediated interventions are beneficial for students of all ages and learning levels and children with social communication challenges such as Autism Spectrum Disorder. This candidate-led discussion aims to inform educators on the practice of Stay, Play, & Talk for children in an inclusive school setting. From an administrator's viewpoint, the study presents pre-and post-intervention data, including social skills, the decreased negative exhibited behaviors, increased communication skills, and reduced bullying behaviors. The activity demonstrates that peer-mediated intervention supports social skills development, focusing on young preschool-aged children while showing a flexible strategy to various classrooms.
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning
The vision statement of Marion Community School District 2 (Marion CUSD #2) states, one will provide all students the opportunities to develop to their maximum potential, to become active lifelong learners, and to participate actively in our democracy and society. The UDL strategy enhances and focuses the educational system on reaching Marion High School (MHS) students in a meaningful direction to improve absenteeism, minimize the IEP student achievement gap, and support the 9th-grade on-track rate efforts creating a unified curriculum approach.
Administrative Roles
Administrative Roles
Elementary Education Administration Presentation- R. Walker Gross.pptxBeing a Principal is more than paperwork and politics. They change lives. The success of the school is built upon relationships. It is a collective effort among the school staff, parents, and community. Marion Unit 2 hosts phenomenal educators and administrators. Interviews include Mr. John Fletcher, Mr. Tommy Colboth, Mrs. Ashley Benson, and Mrs. Kim Brave.
Students with Exceptionalities
Students with Exceptionalities
An education leader promotes every student's success by acting with integrity, fairness, and ethics. By embracing and involving myself in the process, I discovered a thriving learning environment is essential. Collaboration is key to meeting the needs of a diverse population within the community, including specialists, parents, and faculty. Students with exceptionalities are an all-encompassing topic. It is essential to developing a proficient educator and administrator to promote every student's success by facilitating a vision of learning shared and supported by all stakeholders. Advocating for students to receive appropriate instruction tailored to meet their needs is essential to every student's growth and development. An education leader promotes every student's success by understanding, responding to, and influencing the political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
Distinguished Graduate Student Award at EIU in Educational Leadership
Distinguished Graduate Student Award at EIU in Educational Leadership
Section 618.com Most Valuable Teacher Award, 2020- VIDEO
“Tag-A-Teacher” Appreciation Awards by Klein Orthodontics, 2020
Teacher Leadership Awards
Teacher Leadership Awards
This week’s Orthopaedic Center of Southern Illinois MVT–Most Valuable Teacher Award goes to Mrs. Rani Walker, a Family Consumer Science teacher at Marion High School.
In addition to teaching childcare, child development, adult living and parenting classes, Mrs. Walker is also the director of the Early Childhood Education Lab and Kiddie City. To be able to continue their direct work with young children during the pandemic, Walker and her students have had to make many adjustments to their daily protocols.
Mrs. Walker is quite familiar with Kiddie City. Her mom, Linda, started the program and ran it for more than three decades. Rani was part of the program as a preschooler, helped in the program as a high schooler, and took over the program in 2011 when her mom retired.
Normally Kiddie City has 30 or more preschoolers and 40 high school students. To keep numbers down, they’ve taken only half the normal preschoolers this semester. The high school students are divided into two groups–with one group staying to help at Kiddie City, while the second group visits other schools in the district to work with kids in different age groups.
Students that complete the program receive seven hours of college credit through John A. Logan. They are CPR certified and receive a level one early childhood education teaching certificate along with a portfolio if they choose to go into teacher education.
As student Gabriella Cox told us in her nomination, “While being in this whole pandemic, our Child Care teachers feared not having Kiddie City. Mrs. Walker-Gross spent long exhausting hours pulling strings to give us the best in-person learning. Not only does she run child care, but she also has many valuable classes like parenting, adult living, and child development. I truly believe Mrs. Walker-Gross is one of the best and most valuable teachers at Marion High School.”
Teacher Mentoring Program
Teacher Mentoring Program
Marion School District offers a comprehensive mentorship model for beginning teachers in their first two years of teaching. Everyone in the school community needs to understand their responsibility for reaching out to new teachers and providing them with the encouragement, resources, beliefs, and attitudes to contribute to their classroom success. The Mentoring Program provides teachers with formal and informal support during their first two years at School District through mentors and teacher guides. The program's goal is to improve new teachers' effectiveness in the district through an increased understanding of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. The mentor focuses on the improvement and development of classroom management, instructional strategies, and student learning.
MHS Teacher Mentor
MHS Teacher Mentor
I play an active role in the teacher mentoring program within technology issues and essential questions. Above features our goodies table for our welcome meeting.
Professional Reflection: What makes an excellent administrator?
Professional Reflection: What makes an excellent administrator?
Excellent administrators model passion and dedication while exuding positivity, motivating a thriving educational community. Authentic leadership requires transparent and collaborative communication skills transcending beyond the barriers of diversity. Admirable administrators are staples of the classroom, participants of the playground, champions of the child, and a trusted partner to all. Leaders are visionaries who actively embody the mission to develop all students to their maximum potential as active lifelong learners. I am a product of Marion's mission. I strive every day to lead by example to ignite student motivational mindsets by embodying passion, strength, dedication, and commitment to my goal: student success. Exceptional administrators are deeply rooted in their commitment to promote and support high-quality curriculum and instruction by cultivating a dynamic learning environment through the collaborative creation of a living curriculum with endless growth possibilities.
Student success is a communal effort. Each stakeholder is fundamental to producing high-quality education through a holistic approach to student engagement. My community's educational leaders ingrained upon mindset and actions that we remain loyal and rise in the face of adversity to success within victory or defeat. I am an active member of the community with deep investments and commitment to teaching tomorrow's leaders today.
Effective communication skills are vital to developing transparent, unbiased, and collaborative relationships. A leader balances power with exceptional listening, reflective reactions, and motivational support to build a solid rapport with teachers. An excellent administrator is a cultivator of talent and recognizes potential while supporting and invigorating educators throughout each professional phase. A successful administrator has a keen sense of appropriate response to any situation with a delicate grace while efficiently communicating expectations. In the wake of a crisis, administrators must take decisive and bold actions to ensure safety while remaining calm and collective.
Supportive administrators fulfill their legal and logistical responsibilities through proactive planning, effective delegation, and committed grit. The administrator must be well versed in the evaluation system, crafting individualized constructive feedback, and engage in formal and informal teaching and learning discussions without hesitation or resistance. At the heart of high-quality instruction is an administrator who supports a dynamic learning environment with passion and purpose by actively pursuing professional development to enhance the educational climate. Leaders support endeavors with excitement and inspiration while exuding professionalism.
With an unwavering commitment to the students, instructional leaders place the child's mental, physical, social, and emotional well-being at the forefront of every decision. Exceptional administrators fearlessly commit to fulfilling the school's long-term mission and focuses on achieving a strategic vision through proactive professional development. Instructional leaders charismatically thrive and showcase their creativity to solve unique challenges and rise to exceed expectations.
Supporting and Promoting High-Quality Instruction
Supporting and Promoting High-Quality Instruction
Instructional leaders must possess essential qualities to promote and support high-quality instruction. As a Career and Technical Education (CTE) instructor, authentic teaching is fundamental by allowing students to explore, discuss, and meaningfully construct concepts and relationships through real-world problems and projects that are relevant to the learner. CTE creates a bridge to connect core subjects to professional experience in practical and energized instruction, implementation, and innovative strategies to display students' knowledge. Promoting a high-quality instruction foundation rests within the minds of one's students.
Students thrive when educators consistently deliver effective, focused, and professional instruction. The educator must be aware of available resources, meaningful technology integration, and a keen understanding of the student's social and emotional health. Learners must feel a sense of support, authenticity, empathy, and love. The instructional leader's goal is to create a sense of family within each course by cultivating a culture of commitment to learning. The learner must develop a sense of trust within the educational community to thrive.
Leaders must be transparent with instructions and expectations and flexible, considerate, and fair to allow the learner to display contextual knowledge through a wide array of possibilities. Promoting high-quality education rests upon the professional possessing the strength to become a visionary. Professionalism results from training, seeking wisdom, and constant evolution to pursue effective educational strategies. We learn best from those who exude passion and joy. The fundamental elements of producing high-quality instruction are connections, culture, and creating a thriving climate for each to succeed.
Educational Diversity
Educational Diversity
Educational diversity provides the opportunity to influence and receive knowledge and understanding from various cultures and communities. In thirteen years in the classroom, I embarked upon educational travel through eighteen countries and donating my time and resources to understand their academic community better. Sponsoring classrooms in Thailand, Cambodia, Belize, Guatemala, and Preu, I can take elements of my journey into classroom experiences, allowing the student to develop cultural diversity while enhancing my cultural professionalism. I began my career in Carbondale, a mecca for cultural diversity, and slowly began to understand how to reach a student living and trying to succeed in a drastically different environment than my small town. Joining teams such as PBIS, RtI, and ThinkTech Educators, allowed me to evolve beyond my classroom walls and into the groundwork for making an at-risk school successful. Coaching and volunteering opened new doors to developing strong relationships with families. The experience at Carbondale laid the foundation for my career at Marion High School. I serve as the Early Childhood Education Director, running a Child Development Center for community children ages two through five with junior and senior student teachers. I work closely with the sixty families of the children in the program. Many of the parents are educators, business owners, and community leaders. I then work closely with four elementary schools’ administration to place my student teachers when the lab is not in session to work as student assistants. I often access my resources by hosting community leaders such as our town Mayor, director of the civic center, and various department chairs as guest speakers in the lab. I feel comfortable working beside individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds, economic status, and learning abilities. Each individual possesses excellent value in the evolving process of education.
Rani Walker-Gross, Educational Leadership Resume.pdfLetter of Recommendation Rani Walker-Gross.pdfAssistant Professor, EIU Department of Educational Leadership
Mr. Joey Ohnesorge, Letter.pdf
Staff Appreciation Activities
News Media Promotion- WSILTV, Marion Star, and MHS
Gift Card Fridays- I am assisting in my mentor's staff appreciation activities.
Workin' It Wildcats- Assisted in mentors student and staff "shout-out" activities.
Scheduling
Scheduling
Scheduling plays a significant role within an administrator's daily function. Throughout this challenging school, scheduling, distributing information, and collecting applications require attention to detail and create media management. I created media to advertise MHS Night School and an active role in administrative supervision to assist with credit recovery. For Summer School, I made the application forms and media advertisements to help my Principal. For Summer School, I assisted in the creation of the application form and media advertisements to assist my Principal and guidance during the unique school year.
CTE Research
CTE Research
CTE breaks the magical barriers of the classroom walls and connects the student studies to the outside world. To contribute and benefit from America's socioeconomic systems, students must possess the skills to obtain, apply, and explore academics through CTE to increase their chances of succeeding professionally, privately, and participating as active, thriving citizens.
Severe Weather Drill
Severe Weather Drill
Fire Drill
Fire Drill
RANI WALKER-GROSS
RANI WALKER-GROSS
Early Childhood Education Instructor
Teaching Experience
Carbondale Middle School 2007-2011, Culinary Arts Instructor
Marion High School 2011-Present, Early Childhood Education Lab Director and Dual Credit Instructor- Family Consumer Sciences, Career and Technical Education
Eastern Illinois University Principal Endorsement Program (PEP)
PEP Internship: 120 Hours of assistance to MHS Principal, Vice Principal, Guidance Department, and Social Worker. August 2020- March 2021
MHS Night School Administrative Assistant, Digital Media, 2021
School Improvement Team Leader, 2020-2021
PBIS Administrative Assistant, Digital Media, 2020-2021
Department Chair Transcriptionist, 2020-2021
Handbook Committee, 2020-2021
MHS Summer Administrative and Guidance Assistant, Digital Media, 2021
Administrative Assistant Teacher Mentorship Program, 2020-2021
Administrative Assistant: 57 hours of volunteer assistance to MHS principal and social worker. August 2019- December 2019
Vision and Mission Research Paper, Digital Media, 2020
School-Community Resource Booklet, Digital Media, 2019
Social-Emotional Action Research, Creator of HPI Girls Social Club, 2019-2021
Marion High School Profile Informational Pamphlet, Digital Media, Vision and Goals, Mission Statement, Educational Philosophy, and School Overview, 2019
Certificates
Gateway/ INCCRRA Early Childhood Education Level One Instructor
CTE Dual Credit Certifications with John A. Logan
Early Childhood Education/ Human Interpersonal Relations: Over 2,000 Working hours include Child Development Lab Directors Assistant, Brehm Preparatory School Tutor, First Presbyterian Toddler Teacher
Fashion Merchandising/ Clothing and Textiles: 2,000 Working hours include New York and Company floor designer and retail manager, and housing construction
Culinary Arts: 2,000 Working hours include Child Development Lab Food preparation cook, a line cook at Newell House, food designer and head chef at Fusion, a professional caterer
Dual Credit Instructor
ECE 155 Early Childhood Education, Health and Safety
ECE 160 Early Childhood Education, Child Development
ECE 161 Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education Lab Observations
Committees Served
PBIS Team Member- Carbondale Middle School 2007-2011, Marion High School 2019-2021
Tier One, Two, and Three Training
Tier Three Intervention Specialist
Check-In and Check-Out Coordinator
Carbondale Community Relations and Fundraising
PBIS Rewards Events
Marion PBIS Assistant
RtI Team Member Carbondale Middle School 2008-2011
Drug Intervention Task Force- Carbondale Middle School 2009-2011
ENCORE- Vocational Team Leader Carbondale Middle School 2010-2011
Attended/Lead Team Planning Meeting
Scheduling and RtI Interventions for grade 6th-8th
RtI Homeroom Teacher
Class Sponsor- Marion High School 2012-2016
Float Construction, Fundraisers, Prom
Donation to MHS of $3,000 to benefit the programs of MHS
School Improvement Team Member- Marion High School 2017-2019
Early Childhood Education Lab Host- Carbondale High School, SIC, SIUC, John A. Logan. The Kiddie City Lab hosts students with working experience to demonstrate the lab environment to assist the school with program development. Marion High School 2017-Present
FCS Curriculum and Instruction Map Creator for NATFACS, 2015-Present
Awards and Professional Recognition
Think Technology Fusion Grant Recipient, Carbondale Middle School 2010
Southeastern Illinois College, ECE Restructuring Specialist, 2017
Dual Credit Alignment with Gateway, Keynote Speaker, John A Logan College, 2017
Mentor ECE Lab Director, John A. Logan, and SIUC, 2017- Present
Marion School Board, Example of Excellence Presentation 2018
Top Educators of America 2019-2020 edition
Section 618.com Most Valuable Teacher Award, 2020
“Tag-A-Teacher” Appreciation Awards by Klein Orthodontics, 2020
Distinguished Graduate Student Award within Educational Leadership, EIU, 2021
Teaching Leadership Roles
Family Consumer Science Club Sponsor, Carbondale Middle School 2008-2011 and Marion High School 2011-Present
Family Consumer Science ISBE Common Core Standards Lesson Plan Writer Carbondale Middle School 2009-2011. Marion High School 2015- Present
Technology Infusion Keynote Speaker to Carbondale Elementary District 95, 2010
“Beyond the Walls” Connecting Career and Education, Keynote Speaker, 2010
Organization and placement of 40 Child Care students at four grade schools, Marion High School 2011-Present
Student Teacher Mentor, Carbondale Middle School 2011/ Marion High School 2012, 2015
Kiddie City Lab Director, Marion High School 2011-Present
Organization of 90 children and their parents with 30-40 staff members
Maintain Professional Website and Social Media Page
Career and Technical Education Representative to Freshmen Class Meeting
Promote the CTE classes available to 10th-12th grade. Marion High School 2015-Present
Family Consumer Science Department Leader, Marion High School 2016- 2019
Hiring Committee Representative, Marion High School 2016
Mentor Teacher, Marion High School 2016-2018
CTE grant writer, Pre-Post Test organizer, SIUC coordinator
Assistant Presenter for School Improvement Team: Common Assessments, 2018
Lead Presenter to MHS Faculty on Google Sites, 2018
Google Sites Manager for the Vocational Department
Professional Organizations
NATFACS - National Association Teachers of Family and Consumer Sciences, Teachers organization 2007- Present
John A. Logan Early Childhood Education Board Member, Marion High School 2014-Present
ICE, Illinois Computing Educators, Marion High School 2016- Present
IDEA - Illinois Digital Educators Alliance, Teachers organization 2019- Present
Ed Leaders Network, Teachers organization 2019- Present
Illinois Principals Association, 2020- Present
Professional/Coaching Experience
International Universal Dance Team Illinois Representative- France Tour 2006-2007
Saluki Shaker National Dance Team, 2007-2010
Cheerleading Coach- Carbondale Middle School 2008-2011
Cross Country Volunteer Assistant Coach- Carbondale Middle School 2009-2011
Alumni Saluki Shaker Public Relations Representative, 2010
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