Self-contained ECE teacher from 2013 to 2017
Collaborated with various stakeholders to support and implement IEPs to develop the social and learning needs of my students
Disabilities taught included Mild Mental Disability, Autism, Specific Learning Disability, Down Syndrome, ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida
Trained and supported three instructional assistants to progress monitor students and provide specific modifications and accommodations
Participated in and facilitated EMPT work since 2019.
Conducted REAPs as an SBDM member and with grade-level teams.
Participated in PLCs and the ARE Tool.
Co-led MAP data analysis that included looking at disaggregated data, identifying glows/ grows, instructional practices that contributed to the data, and support teachers need to raise achievement.
In 2018, I read For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood by Christopher Edmin with our administration team. Key Takeaways:
A team of teachers led the book study with the staff after I read it with our administration.
Reality pedagogy is bringing the experiences of the children we teach into the classroom and engaging them in a way that requires teachers to develop relationships with their students.
Unfortunately, it was apparent the bias our teachers hold and how they struggle to address bias. We had teachers who could not understand the difference between race and poverty. This led us to work with LaManda Moore on the Implicit Bias training.
In 2020, I worked with the leadership team as we read and discussed So You Want to Talk About Race. Key Takeaways:
Our team had an honest conversation about our experiences with race from childhood to adulthood. I shared a story with my team about how a student I was providing interventions for was crying one day and asked me why his teacher only works with the smart, white kids.
We then addressed privilege within our own lives and the role privilege plays in schools. The author offers a suggestion of checking your privilege by asking yourself what advantages have we had that contribute to our opinions and actions and that same privilege contributes to our lack of disadvantages which can prevent us from seeing the struggles others face. One strategy would be to model this in front of staff whether at a staff development or spontaneously within the day.
Building a culture of courageous conversations.
Attended the Racial Equity Institute in 2020
In 2023, I attended a webinar with Zaretta Hammond on Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain.
Currently reading Cultivating Genius by Ghouldy Muhammed.