As a lead teacher for the 2 year old classroom, I utilize the Creative Curriculum as a guide to create developmentally appropriate lesson plans that foster creativity, independence, and hands-on exploration. Jewish customs, values, holidays, and Hebrew language are integrated in lessons. Children participate in both large and small group activities to help gain confidence, learn how to share, take turns, be a friend, and begin developing a Jewish identity.Parent-teacher conferences are held twice a year. Teachers use Teaching Strategies Gold to mark accomplishments and track progress for each student. I track accomplishments regularly and use that information to prepare reports for each child's conferences.

I provide one-on-one applied behavior analysis therapy to a child with autism to improve a variety of skills including: receptive/expressive language, imitative/parallel play, gross/fine motor imitation, and several others. In order to track progress, we record data on each program and which targets were mastered at the end of each session. I have trained several therapists how to run programs and record data.

I help create and teach lessons for the pre-kindergarten class at Beit Sefer Shalom, the Des Moines area Jewish Federation Community School. Activities are focused around holidays, culture, Hebrew texts, prayer practice, and Jewish identity. Previously I taught 5th, 6th, 8th, and kindergarten grades. I have also worked one-on-one with students in grades 2 through 6 to further develop their Hebrew reading and writing skills.

At Camp Rainbow, a camp for kids with cancer and blood-related disorder, counselors and other staff members undergo extensive training for the week-long camp. In the Day Camp Program Director position, I contribute to the conference call programming meetings with other program directors and unit heads. For nearly 6 months prior to camp, I am in communication with program directors and staff to coordinate camp guests, donations, and supplies. In this time, I support the unit head by providing feedback on the daily activities for campers. I also organize daily logistics and programming for the Day Camp schedule. While at camp, I help lead the counselor orientation and support the Day Camp counselors/volunteers in order to have a successful week with the campers. I also get the chance to welcome visitors to our program and build meaningful relationships with the campers and their families.

At Tifereth Israel Synagogue, I work with the school-aged children in different facets. I create Junior Congegation services and lessons that supplement the curriculum at Beit Sefer Shalom, the Jewish Federation Community School. This program for 4th-6th grade students is intended to help aid studies and understanding of the service for children preparing for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah.I also plan and organize monthly events for Tifereth Israel Synagogue's 6th-8th grade students. These social events take place both in the synagogue and locations around Des Moines. We also partner with other synagogue/temple youth groups for joint programs a couple times per year. We strive to enjoy fun programs while strengthening each child's Jewish identity.

This NIH research grant looks at how changes in multiple psychotropic medications affect behavior of adults with intellectual disabilities. As a research assistant, my jobs include: recording information from functional assessment interviews, administering questionnaires (ABC-C and QABF) to participants' staff members, assess problematic behaviors, prepare and record analogue functional analyses, record weekly direct observations, code direct observation videos, and write reports analyzing the results from our assessments. We prepared data and created posters to submit at conferences including AAIDD. In 2014, we presented a poster at ABAI.

Throughout the summer I worked closely with the staff to prepare for the international Dreamer Conference hosted in Des Moines that year. Some jobs included: create and organize social and team-building activities for the Dreamers, lead group discussions/panels about being a college student, and prepare materials for the college fair. I also assisted with the Dreamers' summer school by working with them individually on book reports, math activities, reading, chess, and blogging. In the office, I created a "fast facts" sheet about the "I Have a Dream" Foundation and update the eTapestry on-line database.