Elizabeth Brus Email & Phone Number

I developed a Human Communications and Media syllabus for a university-level course.

I worked with a start-up to revise and develop an enrichment course for middle school students that focused on case-based (similar to a business school model) and project-based learning. Students developed important mathematics, writing, collaboration and planning skills in a simulated entrepreneurial environment.

I worked with upper leadership at KIPP Central to prepare a report in research-backed best practices for teacher training in content-specific pedagogy. I engaged in several months of academic research and interviews of leaders of various educational institutions. This work culminated in a 60-page report that was presented to KIPP leadership nation-wide.

Remote

I created communication and writing curricula for students at the Indian Institute of Engineering, with an emphasis on helping low-income students develop critical communication skills in a fast-paced university setting.

I developed several units of humanities-based curricula for NSSI. This included a five-week introduction course to American Studies, a hybrid high school history, literature, and writing course that offered students a glimpse into four formative periods in American history. This course was aligned to pre-AP and Common Core standards, with a focus on authentic discussion and analytical writing. I was responsible for the entirety of the course, including vision-setting, text-selection, unit design, and lesson design. The course centered around the following essential questions: "How does a nation shift its thinking and its core values in times of transition? How do art and literature reflect these changing values?" NSSI works with 42 partner schools and districts to serve 27,000 students in 21 states. 100% of NYC school leaders agreed that the NSSI curriculum was strong, and 85% of teachers nation-wide agreed that they were happy with the program. In literature, students made gains in all 18 targeted standards. Student scores in 12 of the 18 standards improved by over 10 points over the course of the program.

Remote

I revised high school pre-AP English units with a focus on the curriculum principles in Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching.

New York, United States

I designed and taught an intensive and unique curriculum that taught problem-solving and cognitive skills through writing and math (units on abstraction, on tolerating ambiguity, and on the science of procrastination, among others). Cognitive standards and learning goals developed in-house, with a focus on project-based learning.

I taught upper school English across a variety of grades.

I developed 3 middle school ELA units and lessons, which were chosen by KIPP teachers as their favorite and most effective units.

I taught 11th grade American Literature and 8th grade English.

Brooklyn, Ny

Brooklyn, Ny

I developed middle and high school ELA curricula, including 9-12 progressive writing rubric and standard bearers for analysis that drive high school writing curriculum across the network.

ESL and HIV-education secondary teacherNational HIV/AIDS volunteer liaison

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), English Language And Literature, General

Master Of Science (M.Sc.), Creative Writing

Activities and Societies: with honors

High School Diploma