Crafted daily lesson plans based on the Common Core Standards for thirty-three students among all curricular areas, utilizing the Responsive Classroom approach to incorporate students’ social and emotional growth into their academic learning, resulting in a well-rounded education reaching every aspect of their lives. Challenged above-level readers through the development of literature circles, strengthening their ability to identify important story elements such as character development, main ideas, and cause and effect while participating in rich conversations about at-level shared readings.Developed and taught multiple units such as structures of life in science, African American History in Chicago in Social Studies, writing and adapting fairy tales, and a narrative text unit. Utilized students’ RIT band goal projections from spring and winter scores of the Northwestern Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress test to tailor instruction, addressing areas in mathematics such as identifying prisms, rounding, adding and subtracting mixed fractions, and solving multi-step word problems, and areas in reading including identifying types of narrative texts, story structure, and using meanings of prefixes, suffixes and root words to decode unknown words. Maintained classroom management through the use of high but attainable expectations, positive praise and reinforcement, and “bucket fillers” to promote self-confidence and strengthen classroom climate. Collaborated with community members such as faculty through participation in Professional Development days, and parents in observing IEP meetings and parent-teacher conferences, often serving as a Spanish translator to communicate with parents about student behavior and progress. Assisted nine special needs students one-on-one during and after school with specific mathematical concepts

Expanded the use of the seven critical reading strategies including determining importance, visualizing, making connections, questioning, inferring, synthesizing, and monitoring using several at-level books. Prepared student for the Illinois Standards Achievement Test by using the Buckle Down for ISAT book to address struggling areas of mathematics such as perimeter, area, fractions, and strategies for solving word problems.

Integrated transitioning bilingual students into the classroom by engaging them in social activities as well as working on language skills to decode bilingual picture books. Observed and participated in preparation for the Illinois Standard Achievement Test using grade-appropriate testing strategies including determining author’s purpose, extended response, and making text to self, text to text, and text to world connections.

Worked individually with students on spelling, strengthening phonemic awareness and phonics skills to guide in initial invented spelling. Evaluated students’ reading levels using a Fountas and Pinnell Running Record as well as the Retelling Analysis.