As the Clear Language Lab Program Manager, I support mission-driven organizations in creating written communications that work for their audience. My responsibilities include creating and facilitating regular trainings, coordinating our bi-monthly Community of Practice, and writing our blog, The Lab Report.I support organizations more individually through coaching, consulting, and materials development.My work at Clear Language Lab is grounded in Cultural Humility, Trauma-Informed Design, and principles of Popular Education.

In this role, I managed the daily operations of the Center for Literacy's adult ESL program. I also recruited, trained, and supervised instructors, graduate assistants, AmeriCorps members, and tutors as an instructional coach. I oversaw the development of our in-house ESL curriculum, student registration and program organization, as well as monitored student enrollment, data collection, and student progress.Concurrent with my supervisory role, I co-taught in-person and virtual ESL classes. In order to successfully support students, I routinely collaborated within Adult Ed and Career Transitions team to provide student-centered services and plan staff professional development.

In this position, I ran RefugeeOne's Adult Education services. The primary function of the program is providing English language instruction to recently resettled refugees in Chicago. As the Adult Education Coordinator, I instructed ESL classes, while also managing the daily operations of the program.I coordinated 20+ volunteers to provide group and individual tutoring, supervised teaching interns, and oversaw curriculum design for the department. As support for interns and volunteers, I provided targeted feedback and group training opportunities. I conducted regular program evaluations and provided monthly reports to our funding agencies.

I taught English language and literacy skills to adults who recently resettled in the United States. Most of my students had little to no previous English education. This role required a lot of patience and creativity when communicating with students. In addition to teaching classes, I collaborated with case managers to ensure clients' needs were being met, assessed clients' language abilities for course placement, and made referrals to outside agencies when necessary.

I taught four sections of differentiated English Language Arts, made up of 6th through 8th grade students. The average growth for students on the NWEA MAP Reading Assessment was twice what is considered typical for students at their level. To achieve this, I optimized classroom time for small group instruction and activities based on independent reading levels. These decisions were informed by frequent data collection. Most of my students began the year reading between a 3rd through 6th grade level. Therefore, I revised the 7th grade curriculum in order to maintain rigorous, but achievable standards. My responsibilities also included leading a daily advisory for 6th grade girls to address academic, social, and emotional issues. We set both individual and group goals, and reflected weekly in their progress. In the afternoons, I co-taught the Dance enrichment course, which was designed to expose scholars to new forms of dance, encourage creative movement and teamwork, and develop spatial awareness.

Prior to graduating from the University of Illinois, I was selected from approximately 48,000 applicants nationwide to join Teacher for America. Teach for America is a national teacher corps of recent college graduates who commit two years to teach in under-resourced public schools.For three years, I taught 7th and 8th grade English Language Arts, one reading intervention class, and one math intervention class. During this time, over 60% of students met or exceeded their MAPS Reading Test Growth Goal.I regularly contacted parents to discuss student behavior and progress. In order to maximize student achievement, I had quarterly parent meetings, during which we discussed student progress, and activities parents could use to encourage reading growth for their children. In this role, I collaborated closely with other teachers, administrators, parents, and students to develop engaging lesson plans and manage student behavior. Working in a Native American community, I was intentional about reflecting the communities values and traditions in the classroom. Outside of the classroom, I co-coached the middle school cheerleading squad of 20 5-8th grade girls. I founded middle school Drama and Community Service Clubs. Finally, I served as a co-leader of the Frequency of Monitoring Correlate. As part of our School Improvement Plan, I participated in monthlyBuilding Leadership Team meetings and conducted meetings to discuss data collection and evaluation. I initiated a survey process to investigate how closely school practices aligned with our mission statement.

» Fostered a sense of community and maintained supportive relationships with over 50 residents.» Mediated conflicts between residents and designed monthly programs and bulletin boards that targetedthe community’s interests and needs.» Educated residents on social justice issues and facilitated related discussions.