Teacher, Trainer, and Writer- Skilled in composing informal learning experiences
Greater Seattle Area
Teacher, Trainer, and Writer- Skilled in composing informal learning experiences
Greater Seattle Area
Career summary:
Experienced teacher seeking to change fields. Brings to the table strong skills in: teaching diverse skills to diverse groups, developing educational units, developing teaching guides, strong communication skills, strong people skills, strong organizational skills, leadership-capable over groups of varying demographics and sizes, training.
Professional skills summary:
12 years teaching in informal settings
10 years curriculum research/development
9 years creating resource/process documents
8 years management and training (1-15 employees/volunteers)
Ccertifications:
Texas Provisional Elementary Self-Contained (1-8)
Texas Provisional Elementary Mathematics (1-8)
Professional Profile:
Dedicated informal educator with 12 years of experience developing, implementing, and presenting curricula and special programs on a variety of topics to diverse populations. Skilled at improvising and facilitating activities on short notice.
Successful writer with 10 years of experience creating educational materials. Extensive experience creating and editing resource guides and process documents. Passion for creating curriculum materials.
Respected leader with 8 years of experience managing people and resources. Delegational leadership style. Specializes in training employees and volunteers within a very short deadline.
Career goals:
My fascination with informal learning, interactive media, and educational gaming are pushing me to try to get my foot in the door in one of those industries. My past experience as a curriculum developer in the museum world leaves me poised and ready to tackle any K-12 project that might cross my desk.
Current projects:
A video tutorial on combining like terms (my first attempt at creating media, aided only by a book and some online resources)
A process handbook for my current workplace (which covers nearly every non-director, non-admin job in the center)
Technical knowledge:
Internet, Research, HTML, XHTML, CSS, Microsoft Office, OpenOffice; Photoshop (basic familiarity), GIMP, Google Apps, Tech support, Adobe Acrobat Electronic Markup (basic familiarity), Editing, Proofreading, Technical writing, Teaching, Training
Other useful knowledge:
Event planning, Volunteer management, Coaching
Personal traits:
Quick learner, Problem solver, Self-starter, Team player, Flexible, Adaptable, Analytical Thinker, Great at seeing patterns
(Public Company; 11-50 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
March 2005 — Present (3 years 6 months)
# Taught nearly every subject available (math, writing, study skills, reading, test prep) to students ranging from kindergarten through high school
# Maintained students' binders by assigning lessons from students' individualized program
# Tested incoming students for accurate placement in their chosen program
# Developed and implemented the training notes used in my own center for math and writing program training
# In process of developing a handbook that covers most of the roles in the center
# Assist teachers who need an extra set of hands
# Promoted to Lead Instructor seven months after starting
# Started being left in charge of center fourteen months after starting
# Teacher of the Month- November 2005, June 2006
# Teacher of the Year- 2006
(Non-Profit; 1-10 employees; Writing and Editing industry)
October 2003 — November 2005 (2 years 2 months)
(This position only works in October and November of each year.)
# Organized pre- and post- activities for San Antonio participants (2003)
# Organized weekly Write-Ins for local participants in San Antonio and Seattle
# Moderated online forum for local participants
# Increased participation from 25 to 60 participants in San Antonio (2003)
# Increased winners from 2 to 11 participants through encouragement and support in San Antonio (2003)
(Public Company; 11-50 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
April 2005 — August 2005 (5 months)
Instructor
# Presented hands-on science programs to elementary school children in after-school club and summer day camp settings.
Site Coordinator (June 2005-July 2005)
# Maintain safety at the day camp site.
# Maintained open lines of communication with my regional manager and with parents.
# Receive and distribute supplies to instructor.
# Assign classes to instructor each week.
# Collect and approve weekly payroll from instructor before sending it on to regional manager.
(Public Company; 11-50 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
April 2005 — June 2005 (3 months)
# Conducted class in place of regular teacher, mostly in team-teaching settings
# Subjects covered: preschool, kindergarten, life science
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
July 2004 — August 2004 (2 months)
# Arrived mid-summer at one camp, last week at another camp.
# Responsible for cabin of 6-9 girls between ages 7-13.
# Worked with another counselor to manage a group of 13-16 girls.
# Facilitated games, songs, and activities with groups of 6-120 girls.
# Taught small impromptu classes in crafts and astronomy.
(Public Company; 501-1000 employees; Education Management industry)
October 2003 — June 2004 (9 months)
# Proofread test forms for technical and procedural errors
# Created a spreadsheet to track test forms through editorial rounds.
# Was team reference for software questions
# Beta tester for upgrade of Smartforce interface
(Public Company; 501-1000 employees; Staffing and Recruiting industry)
April 2002 — September 2003 (1 year 6 months)
# Scored open-ended responses on computers according to a given rubric
# Proofread test forms for technical and procedural errors
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Museums and Institutions industry)
August 2000 — December 2001 (1 year 5 months)
# Developed and presented classes and weekend workshops in conjunction with current planetarium shows and museum exhibitions.
# Developed teaching guides for various exhibits and programs in the museum.
# Developed or assisted with various special events hosted by the Education Department.
# Developed a Halloween special event that drew nearly 1,000 visitors in a year when museum attendance was low.
# Researched and wrote a five-minute introduction to a summer planetarium show that was attended by hundreds of school children and local residents.
# Presented planetarium shows to the general public and school groups.
# Technical Assistant for Astronomy labs each semester.
(Educational Institution; 1-10 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
January 2001 — May 2001 (5 months)
# Facilitated classes at a charter high school in place of normal teacher.
# Subjects facilitated: Science, English
(Educational Institution; 201-500 employees; Higher Education industry)
February 2000 — July 2000 (6 months)
# Basic office duties- Email, Word processing, Phone, Fax, Copier
# Assisted with Annual Report
# Assisted various professors in their editorial tasks for refereed publications
(Non-Profit; 11-50 employees; Museums and Institutions industry)
January 1998 — December 1998 (1 year)
# Taught classes on various topics to first graders in the museum through object-oriented lessons.
# Created booklets that became the basis for a Museum program allowing Junior Girl Scouts to earn certain science badges at the Museum.
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
August 1998 — December 1998 (5 months)
# Spent one semester teaching a third grade gifted and talented class, the highest section of third grade math, and the third grade theater class
# Developed and taught a class on music and movement as part of the schools enrichment program.
# Developed and taught a theater unit allowing students to explore various roles involved in a performance.
# Gradually assumed total responsibility for the class.
(Educational Institution; 51-200 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
August 1996 — May 1998 (1 year 10 months)
# Spent one morning a week in a local elementary school working with students in whole-class groups, small groups, and individually.
# Grades/Subjects covered: Kindergarten Science Lab, First Grade Reading, Second Grade First Day Experience, Day Care normal-day activities
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
September 1997 — May 1998 (9 months)
# Conducted classes in place of normal teacher.
# Grades/Subjects covered: Preschool, Second Grade, Middle School Math, Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II, English I, Physical Education
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Primary/Secondary Education industry)
January 1998 — May 1998 (5 months)
# Conducted classes in place of normal teacher.
# Grades/Subjects covered: Preschool, Middle School-level American History
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Museums and Institutions industry)
September 1996 — December 1996 (4 months)
# Created this position
# Welcomed School groups to the Aquarium.
# Familiarized school groups with the Aquariums rules.
# Facilitated school groups movement through the Aquarium.
(Non-Profit; 51-200 employees; Museums and Institutions industry)
June 1995 — March 1996 (10 months)
# Performed demonstrations based on exhibit topics.
# Assisted visitors in interacting with exhibits.
# Facilitated school group movement around museum.
(Government Agency; 51-200 employees; Libraries industry)
June 1995 — January 1996 (8 months)
# Placed books back on their shelves in childrens library section
# Solely responsible for maintaining Childrens Media section
# Worked with other childrens area Shelver to maintain New Books section
# Assisted visitors in locating materials
# Checked materials back into library system
# Part of small team that determined the actual status of missing books
# Engaged missing children in activities so their parents could locate them
(Educational Institution; 11-50 employees; Museums and Institutions industry)
September 1993 — December 1995 (2 years 4 months)
# Presented planetarium shows to both school groups and the general public.
# Gave brief star talks on request.
# Assisted in various stages of show production.
# Repaired a special effect so it would correctly display
# Created 85% of the slides for a storytelling program.
# Assisted in creating slides to help outline Native American/ Indian constellations.
# Assisted with routine maintenance tasks.
# Assisted with labs offered by the planetarium.
Museum Science, Secondary Education August 2000 — May 2003
worked in the education department of the museum every semester I was on campus
volunteered off-campus at a game shop
various officer positions- Amtgard
BSIS, Elementary Education, Mathematics, August 1996 — December 1998
trained in the pre-pilot stage of TAMU-CC's field experience program
junior company member, stage tech- Corpus Christi Concert Ballet
volunteer- Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History
internship- Museum School Summer Program, Witte Museum
Open Option August 1993 — May 1995
volunteered or worked at: Fiske Planetarium, Moody Auditorium, University Theater
Honors/AP September 1986 — May 1993
informal education, learning real world skills through gaming, e-Learning, design, creativity, motivation, management, changing careers, resume writing, blogging, training, creating documentation and resources
Sylvan Learning Center- Teacher of the Year 2006
Sylvan Learning Center- Teacher of the Month- November 2005, June 2006