Photography, Drawing, Painting, Weaving, Mixed Medium, Storytelling
Elizabeth Heffernan
Education Specialist/ Special Education Teacher
San Rafael,CA
Summary
I am an accomplished Education Specialist with 11 years of expertise in guiding children's development. I am an expert in leading and supporting children overcoming challenges by continually assessing students formally and informally, identifying behavior issues before they happen, and adapting lessons in creative ways to highlight learning strengths. I strive to provide an orderly atmosphere, with a calm environment, in a safe and structured classroom.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
Education Specialist
Sonoma Valley Unified School District/Sassarini
Sonoma, United States
09.2010 - Current
- Met with parents and guardians to assist in understanding and supporting educational objectives, learning expectations and behavior standards.
- Conducted conferences with parents and students to review progress, adjust academic plans and renew enrollments.
- Assessed individual student needs to create lesson plans addressing academic strengths and interests of students, while fostering development and growth.
- Modified general education curriculum for special-needs students using various instructional techniques and technologies.
- Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
- Taught reading, language arts and social sciences in self-contained ED and LD classroom.
- Cultivated connections and strong student rapport to foster classroom engagement, in addition to recording student progress to inform parents and school administration.
- Taught students across multiple classifications and degrees of special needs.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Art
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 05.2001 -
Master of Arts - Education
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA 05.2001 -
No Degree - Teacher Preparation, Multiple Subjects/Special Ed.
Dominican University of California
San Rafael, CA 05.2001 -
No Degree - Education of Individuals With Autism Authorization
UC Davis
05.2001 -
Skills
Specialized Academic Instruction/ Group and Individual
IEP expertise, Academic Assessment Reports, Progress Reports
Parent Friendly Test Results Interpretation of WIAT4; Core Phonics Survey
Explicit Intensive Instruction for General Educationn students needing Tier 2 supports and students with IEPs using Phonics for Reading
Background in Arts Education
Interests
To encourage student engagement and helps curtail behavior problem before they occur.
I've learned that problem behaviors usually occur when students are off task. Sometimes students are off task because of focus challenges that are inherent to their disability, but sometimes it's just that the teacher has forgotten the 10/2 rule. Some behaviors could occur because they need extra help to understand content or instructions, or they need a break. In any case, behaviors signal to me that the student has some kind of a need that needs to be addressed.
Timeline
Education Specialist
Sonoma Valley Unified School District/Sassarini
09.2010 - Current
Bachelor of Arts - Art
University of Delaware
05.2001 -
Master of Arts - Education
Sonoma State University
05.2001 -
No Degree - Teacher Preparation, Multiple Subjects/Special Ed.
Dominican University of California
05.2001 -
No Degree - Education of Individuals With Autism Authorization
UC Davis
05.2001 -