I have had the opportunity to teach and observe in many different schools across the state. I was also able to work in unique classrooms that weren’t the typical English class environment. During my year of student teaching, I taught a Journalism and Sports Media class at the Sports and Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford, CT. This was a unique experience because I was with students hands-on in the media center, working with various types of camera and production equipment. This year, I am interning at Smith Middle School in Glastonbury, CT. I am working as a Reading and Writing Intervention Specialist for grades 7 and 8. This incredible opportunity has allowed me to work one-on-one with struggling students, consistently track progress through Progress Monitoring, and design lessons to best fit each student. I have exited 50% of students from this program after the first two months. Students are steadily increasing their scores, and I hope to graduate many others before this semester ends. These two experiences have not only expanded my knowledge on teaching methods and the use of technology, but they taught me the importance of patience, creativity, and student voice in the classroom. A huge focus of mine is Culturally Responsive Teaching. I have had the pleasure of building relationships with students from all backgrounds, cultures, religions, ethnicities, etc. Despite the global Pandemic and virtual learning curveballs we were all thrown this year, I was able to build meaningful student relationships and improve both their reading and writing scores. 

Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to this opportunity to speak with you directly about how I can contribute to the (Insert School Name) family. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at @samantha.laviero@uconn.edu