Mrs. Melvin's Teaching Portfolio

About Me

In 2001, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Appalachian State University where I majored in Graphic Design and minored in Communications. The following five years of pre-press and graphic design afforded me real-world experience in the visual arts field. I then took time to raise my children and provide childcare for other parents. My volunteer experience teaching two-year old Sunday School at Leesburg United Methodist Church continues ten years and counting. However, my greatest life lessons come from having a son with special needs. I coordinate with his therapists, special education teachers and health care professionals, and I attend special education seminars. The perseverance and empathy gained from this ongoing journey puts me at a special advantage to benefit all learners within your school population.

Three years ago, I shifted gears and joined the Loudoun County Public Schools pool of substitute teachers. While I step into every teaching role with professionalism, patience and zeal, the visual arts remain my true passion. As an art teacher, I am confident that my knowledge of art (practices and principles) and joy of encouraging creativity would make me an asset to your school and community.

As a long-term substitute, I taught elementary visual art at Rosa Lee Carter Elementary for the first 90 days of the 2017 school year. I brought flexibility and teamwork: practiced Universal Design for Learning by planning flexible strategies to teach student-centered lessons, and traded locations with the itinerant art teacher, starting in the art room one quarter and traveled room to room on the art cart the next. I brought my love of learning to my work by collaborating techniques for classroom management, curriculum development and technology. I support Project Based Learning initiatives, One to the World projects, and Student-centered learning ideas.

In the Spring of 2018, I completed the Career Switcher program at Shenandoah University and earned my teaching license with an endorsement in Art Education. Use the links above to see my Certifications, Lesson Plans and Practicum student teaching.

I started out the first five weeks of the 2018-19 school year teaching 6th-8th grade art at Brambleton Middle School. I also stepped in as the lead art teacher at Discovery Elementary during the month of November. I modified my classroom management rules and motivational activities to better suit the older student population and for portions of classes with emotional and behavioral disorders. I strive to successfully engage all students in active learning, to encourage them to develop their ideas through planning and observation, and to see those ideas through to production by experimenting appropriately with tools, mediums and techniques. I finished the 2018-19 school year teaching art at Eagle Ridge Middle School for a month. I show my art students how to reflect on their choices with self-assessments during and ending each project, and we celebrate hard work for academic success. Students achieve higher order thinking by reflecting and personally connecting to the artistic process and the cultural impact that art has on us.

I taught Art I, Art II and Digital Photography at Heritage High School for the first couple months of the 2019-2020 school year. I developed my lessons on the curriculum and syllabus shared by Ron Fabin and Lindsay Combs. My classroom management was based on mutual respect.

In addition to teaching, I develop relationships with my colleagues, my students and their parents by engaging them during class, school activities and pre/post-school duties. I get to know students with ice breakers and other activities at the start of each assignment. I often ask to observe teachers with more experience and welcome feedback to improve on my teaching techniques.

Below, please see my resume containing my expertise, experience and references, as well as my philosophy of education. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss upcoming openings with you and to provide further information on my candidacy. Thanks!

Resume