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Attached is a PDF file of my resume

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Here are PDF files of my college academic transcripts.

Fordham University: Attended during the 2016-2017 school year

UConn: Attended 2017-2021

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Attached below are PDF files of my results on the Praxis II 5039 and edTPA

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My Focus on Relevancy, Reflection, and Readjustment

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My Focus on Relevancy, Reflection, and Readjustment

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In a summary of three words, my teaching philosophy centers around relevancy, reflection, and readjustment. From my past three years as a preservice teacher, these are the ideas that have been the foundation of what I have learned in my studies and what I have seen to be the most effective in the classrooms I have been a part of.

However, before I jump straight into the three Rs I have decided to be the guiding points of my philosophy, I must first set the foundation of my philosophy. This foundation is built of a combination of passion for what I teach as well as the understanding that all of my future students are unique individuals who I will know nothing about at the start of every year. While my passion for the subject of English, and all that it pertains, is something that pushes me to continue my efforts in helping students understand it better, I believe that is not enough to get them to actually understand it. In order for me to do so, I need to know what drives them to learn. And not just "learn" as it is connected to school, but to life in general. Every student has different passions and interests that makes them engaged in one thing over another. It is up to me to get to know my students well enough to find the thing that will help get them, and keep them, engaged in English.

The age-old question that is a key sign of a student's disengagement is, "What is the point of this?" Well, it is part of my philosophy that I be the one to address this question in my classroom prior to my students feeling the need to ask it. Students ask this question not because they think it is unimportant to learn these skills but because they want to know why they should care about learning these skills. I want to provide my students with a reason to care from the start of a lesson and it is through that first R, relevancy, that I intend to do so.

In my studies, I have read many theories about the importance of relevancy, but even more importantly, I have seen the effects of ensuring its place in the classroom. I have seen students going from glazed eyes not sitting upright in their chairs and shooting their hands in the air simply because of connecting themes from a novel to a song by their favorite artist. It is no question that when a student is interested in the topic, they simultaneously learn and work better.

The second R, reflection, comes from my belief that as teacher I am meant to be a forever-student. There will always be new theories and practices I can research and learn about to make myself better. However, I can also make myself better through reflecting every day on my teaching. Asking myself which of my students were engaged and which were not. Theorizing how to make the material more relevant to the interest of my students. Analyzing my own words and actions to ensure they were the best ones to get the point of the lesson across. And then, learning from all of that reflection and going into the next school day ready to do it again, but better.

Finally, after my reflection, it is important that I am willing to readjust my style of teaching to better suit my students. It is also through this idea of readjustment that I recognize the importance of talking and listening to my students on the thoughts they have on my teaching and how they believe I can do better.

I am a teacher for my students. And it is through relevancy, reflection, and readjustment that I hope to put them and their needs first in my classroom.

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Showing My Students the Power of Words, Both Written and Read

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Showing My Students the Power of Words, Both Written and Read

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I hope to help my students discover what Rudine Sims-Bishop wrote to be true of books: “Books are sometimes windows, offering views of world that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created or recreated by the author. When lighting conditions are just right, however, a window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflect it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience” (“Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors”).
The English classroom offers a unique platform for students to engage with the world. It offers them a place to not only find texts that portray their own experiences and values, but also learn about perspectives that were formed out of different experiences and values. English is the place where the theoretical and the real can combine to discuss tough topics and bear witness to a multitude of situations one would never be able to experience completely in one lifetime. It is not just about books and argumentative essays, but about how to analyze the world through multiple lenses and portray one’s thoughts and ideas coherently.

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It all began with a blue frog

Yes, you heard that right

A blue frog

It hopped from the page

Into my mind

And I could not seem to let go

Of the way my papa

Made it come to life

With words so beautifully bound

together

I knew that was what I wanted to do

Forever

Yet, before I could, I apparently

Had to learn

How to read

To write
To build bridges from this world

To the ones that sat     behind my eyes

So, I dove into learning

Devoured sentence after    sentence

Until I ate so many, I had to spit out ones of my own

To keep from getting too full

To allow enough room for more sentences to come through

I listened to my English teachers

Talk about the way books move

And it was like that lyric in that song

“And the holy spirit was moving too”

And I asked my papa

When he first felt the words and the worlds move in him

And he said “When I decided I wanted to teach”

And I asked my grandma

Why she smiled whenever she read

And she said “Because when I do, I think of all my students who will love this story”

And for a while, I knew I wanted

To share with others

How the books moved

To give pieces of my passion

To students as seeds

And help them grow their own

But, then I learned there was more to English                                                      than just the words

There were student voices being left unheard

Voices that spoke of different experiences,                                                     treatments,                                                          harassments

Voices that could not find themselves in the words of

Fitzgerald,

Twain,

or Shakespeare

So, I began to work on how I could be a better teacher

to these students Thinking of ways to bridge the world they experience                                And the world they learn in

Hoping that

Somewhere along the way

I will support and aid the change that these students                                                           Will bring

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A letter from university program confirming that I will receive my Connecticut State Teaching Certification in Seconday English Education (Grades 7-12)

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Attached are two samples of high school level lesson plans I have created. Two are basic lesson plans, using my regular template, and the other is tailored and written to edTPA guidelines.

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Attached are two examples of lesson plans I have created for middle school level content

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Attached is a unit plan that I created during my senior year of college in my Instruction and Curriculum course

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Attached are examples of classwork worksheets and assessments I have created during my student teaching experience

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Attached are examples of student work from my student teaching experience along with my grading and written feedback to the students.

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Attached is the survey feedback from my college freshmen students, whom I taught during my Master's year, where they provide feedback on my teaching of their First Year Experience seminar course.

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Student Evaluation of Teaching UNIV 1800

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Journal/Notebook Time to Develop Student Autonomy and Voice in Writing

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Journal/Notebook Time to Develop Student Autonomy and Voice in Writing

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I plan to make daily journal/notebook time at the beginning of every class. I think that this provides students with a time at the start of class to center themselves as well as a moment to reflect on any aspect of their life. I also plan to give students the option of whether or not they want me to read their daily journals or not. For instance, if a student does want me to read it, it'll go in the pile to the right and if they do not want me to read it, it'll go in the pile to the left where I will simply check the date and see that they wrote something. This will build trust and establish that my classroom is a space for students to explore their thoughts in writing freely.

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First Week Ideas to Build Community and Trust

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First Week Ideas to Build Community and Trust

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I believe the first week sets the tone for the entire school year. This is why I hope to have my first week filled with activities and assignments that help me not only gage my students' abilities in reading, writing, and discussing, but also simply get to know them as the unique and interesting people that they are. I plan to do this through activities such as:
- Cover vs. Context: This activity lets students use their own creativity to create two pieces of paper. One shows what they believe people see them as, revealing the parts they portray to the world as well as the assumptions they assume people make of them and the other shows what they feel they are inside, revealing their personal views of themselves as well as their aspirations for the kind of person they hope to be.
- Six Word Memoirs: This activity is used as a way to understand my students' prior experiences that they have had before coming into my classroom. It reveals moments that they feel have been defining in their life so far.
- Artifacts: I plan to ask students to bring in artifacts that they feel expresses their personal culture. This will bring about the conversation of the importance student culture will have in my classroom as well as giving me a chance to know their home and personal culture.

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I hope to evoke the same kind of warm, calming atmosphere that a coffee shop surrounded by books evokes. These environments have always been a favorite of mine and I hope to share that feeling they evoke with my students. I also hope to ensure that they feel my classroom is always a safe space where they are free to share and explore any ideas they may have.

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1 to 5 Check In to Hear How Students Are Every Day

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1 to 5 Check In to Hear How Students Are Every Day

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Every day, I hope to start my future classes with a check in on how everyone is doing, a simple scale of 1 to 5, which they can express in a show of a hand. I want to do this to establish that first and foremost I care about where my students are mentally and physically. This way I can also differentiate how much I call on or engage with my students that day, depending on the number they show me. I want to be understanding of my students' mental places and know that some days a student may just not be able to engage as well as other days.

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Using Empathy and Joy to Manage a Classroom

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Using Empathy and Joy to Manage a Classroom

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Establishing classroom norms is something that I feel begins the process of classroom manangement. If students are not aware of the behavior and standards that are expected of them, then it is impossible to ensure everyone will participate in what is expected. However, I do not intend to set up these norms by myself; I hope to do so with my students in a collaborative process. I also hope that through establishing trusting relationships with my students and their families, students will feel comfortable coming to me or having me go to them if a shift in their behavior occurs. I feel that through showing my students consistent empathy and understanding then an open communication to resolve issues can be used. I also believe that through bringing my students' interests into the supplemental material I share with them will allow them to find joy and intrinsic engagement in my classroom. I would rather guide my classroom through these means than use negative reinforcement and punishment to create an environment where students do not wish to come to my class.

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A Guide to Increasing Diversity in the English Classroom

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A Guide to Increasing Diversity in the English Classroom

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In my Teacher Leadership class, taken in the fall of my Master's year, I created a guide for English teachers who were looking to diversify their curriculum and classroom library. I think that it is always important to keep improving the English classroom and the kind of material we give to our students to better engage and teach them.

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The main reason I was able to complete the above guide to increasing diversity in the English classroom was due to collaborating with multiple English teachers at my internship. There I worked with English teachers of all grade levels as well as a former English teacher who is now serving as a Curriculum Auditor for Diversity within the school. This opportunity showed me the power collaboration has within a school. Through talking with these teachers I was able to understand what kind of diverse and representative texts they were looking for and help them find ones that fit their curricula needs. For instance, I was able to help one 11th grade teacher who wanted to keep reading The Great Gatsby find a companion book that spoke about the Black experience during the same time period and in a similar location: Jazz by Toni Morrison. Without these teachers, I would have never been able to make such a guide for other teachers and I feel that it was through our collaboration and desire to develop our professional field that led to this outcome.

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A Dedication to Globalism and Intercultural Competence

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A Dedication to Globalism and Intercultural Competence

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I believe that the English classroom can provide a platform for students to engage with themselves, their local communities, their nation, and their world. The ability and opportunity to understand not only one's own culture better, but to also immerse oneself in another's culture is one that should be provided to young students.
This dedication comes from my own experiences and aspirations to be a better global citizen. My journey toward this begin the summer of 2017 when I went on a two week journey across Guatemala, learning about the history of the country, speaking and spending time with the communities, and immersing myself in a different culture than the one I grew up with. I also hoped to continue my journey as a global citizen through a study abroad opportunity in Cusco, Peru, but unfortunately COVID-19 kept that from happening. However, with the professor I was meant to go to Peru with, I learned about Intercultural Competence and its place within the subject of English. This framework focuses on the important attitudes and skills students must aquire in order to learn about different cultures with empathy and engagement. I aim to use ICC in my classroom to encourage my students to become active global citizens on the world.

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During the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to work for Duke's Talent Identification Program in North Carolina. This program allowed me to gain experience specifically in working with gifted middle school students. This program was the beginning of learning how to differentiate my lessons and teaching style toward gifted students. It also highlighted the importance of ensuring students are being adequately challenged in their studies so they can continue to grow as learners in English.

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Attached below is the research study I conducted at my internship. During my master's year, I was an intern at a suburban high school that has recently implemented a new unit called "Diverse Perspectives" into their English curriculum at all grade levels. I specifically looked into the effects of this unit on different 11th Grade classrooms. The goal of this unit is to introduce the students, 87% of whom are white, to differing perspectives in America, with the focus being on different racial and ethnic experiences. The study's focus is on whether or not this has an impact of student engagement in reading as well as the opinion of the purpose of reading in the English classroom.

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For my final semester, I worked on an independent study to specifically learn about the best practices to use when teaching struggling writers. This study is conducted through the reading of critical pedagogies and weekly discussions with my professor, Jason Courtmanche, in order to talk about how they can be applied to the issue of struggling writers. The outcome of this independent study will be a framework designed to help everyday classroom teachers with the steps they can take to better reach and engage their struggling writers. It is composed of a thesis detailing the pedagogical support behind these methods and specific steps teachers can take as well as three example units to show teachers how these methods can look in curriculum.

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During my junior year, I was an intern for the Connecticut Writing Project where I began my journey toward understanding and appreciating the power of writing in the classroom. While interning, I was charged with formatting and editing a Teacher-Writer Magazine as well as interviewing and writing articles on teachers who have done extraordinary things outside of their classrooms in hopes of expanding their own knowledge to help their students. It was during this internship that I was able to hear from teachers who inspired me then and now to go forth with what your passionate about in your field and you will be able to bring experiences unlike any other to your students to learn from. Below are two examples of the articles that I wrote during my time there.

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Broadening Perspectives and Diversity and Supporting Identity and Experiences in Classrooms

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Broadening Perspectives and Diversity and Supporting Identity and Experiences in Classrooms

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Between my student teaching during my senior year and internship during my Master's year, I had two very different experiences. For my student teaching, I was at an urban high school with students where a majority of them identified as a part of the BIPOC community while in my internship I was at a suburban high school where most of my students were white. Each school was also taking on the implementation of more diverse and representative material in the English classroom, however because of the demographic of the students this looked very different at each school.
At the urban school, I learned how to create lessons that were geared toward implementing my students' identities and cultures into the lessons as a way to better engage them through supplemental texts more into the anchor text. I did this by talking with my students and learning about who they are and what they cared about. Then, I searched for supplemental material that had similar themes or topics of the anchor text but featured characters and topics related to my students.
At the suburban school, I had a different experience where I still had to think about including my students' identities and experiences into the my lessons, but also was charged with guiding through learning about other cultures and perspectives with empathy and openmindedness. This meant creating lessons that broadened my students' minds to the experiences of others and facilitating important conversations about race and ethnicity.
Attached below are two lesson plans. The first was a Socratic Discussion on the relevancy of the themes from A Streetcar Named Desire that asked students to relate the themes to their own experiences. The second was a lesson on the perspective of Vietnamese people and soldiers during the Vietnam War during a unit on The Things They Carried.

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SIOP Model and Teaching English Language Learners

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SIOP Model and Teaching English Language Learners

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During the fall semester of my Master's year, I began my journey learning about how to be a teacher to students whose native language is not English. This area of teaching has always been one I've been interested in and is one that I plan to continue my education on once I graduate with my Master's. I hope to get certified as an ESL teacher within the next few years. Below is an example lesson that I created based on the SIOP model.