Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Certification
Languages
Timeline
Professional Development
Generic

Abigayle Cohen

Ferndale

Summary

Experienced educator specializing in early childhood special education with a proven track record of fostering inclusive learning environments and achieving results. Strong collaboration skills enable effective teamwork and flexibility in meeting changing needs. Skilled in developing individualized education plans, implementing classroom management strategies, and adapting teaching approaches to support diverse learner needs.

Overview

10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

Troy School District
06.2021 - Current
  • Assessed student progress regularly through formative and summative assessments, adapting instruction accordingly to meet individual needs.
  • Maintained accurate records of student performance, using data analysis tools to inform ongoing instructional planning and decision making.
  • Engaged students with specialized play and educational activities to boost learning and promote neurodiversity-affirming practices.
  • Administered, interpreted and reported IEPs, progress reports, and evaluations to parents and guardians.
  • Implemented data-driven instructional practices, resulting in improved student performance on assessments and increased mastery of key concepts.
  • Coordinated with related service providers to ensure seamless delivery of supports for students requiring additional interventions or therapies.
  • Supported inclusion efforts by differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs of students with special needs.
  • Increased parent involvement in the learning process by maintaining open communication and providing regular updates on student progress.
  • Served as a member of the school improvement team, contributing ideas for program enhancement and increased student achievement.
  • Fostered a positive classroom environment by implementing effective behavior management strategies and promoting respect among students.
  • Initiated partnerships with community organizations, connecting students with valuable resources and learning opportunities outside the classroom setting.
  • Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.

Elementary Classroom Teacher- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Haviland Elementary
08.2019 - Current
  • Developed and implemented IEPs for caseload students.
  • Monitored and documented student progress toward IEP goals.
  • Incorporated a variety of learning and participation structures including whole group lessons, split lessons, student-centered group work and one-on-one lessons with students to meet their diverse needs.
  • Developed and implemented individual student schedules, lessons and both individual and group activities for remote learning during the Covid-19 shutdown and continued these services throughout remote learning in Fall 2020.
  • Collaborated with families to provide support and resources during the Covid-19 shutdown.
  • Coordinated with IEP team members (I.e; school social worker, speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and the school psychologist) general education teachers, and parents to review student progress toward goals and meet the needs of the students.
  • Collaborated with the special education team, administrators and general education teachers to implement a virtual peer-to-peer program during the 2020-21 school year.
  • Organized school-wide inclusion activities through staff training and t-shirt orders for Autism Awareness month.
  • Modified the general education curriculum for students with IEPs based on instructional techniques.
  • Assumed all classroom responsibilities including lesson planning, teaching, classroom management, and data management for a class of five students on the autism spectrum, grades ranging from Kindergarten to Second Grade.
  • Adapted the instructional and social-emotional materials to meet the needs of the students in order to create an effective and supportive learning environment.

Volunteer

Waterford School District
03.2020 - 06.2020
  • Assisted food service staff by bagging breakfasts and lunches for families in need in the school community during the Covid-19 shutdown.
  • Provided free meals to the families of the students in my classroom during the Covid-19 shutdown.

Year-long Teaching Intern

Endeavor Elementary, Kentwood Public Schools
08.2018 - 04.2019
  • Collaborated and worked closely with mentor teacher and fourth grade teaching team to plan, modify and teach high-quality lesson plans.
  • Incorporated a variety of learning and participation structures including whole group lessons, split lessons, student-centered group work and partner work.
  • Coordinated with special education teachers, speech pathologists, paraprofessionals, ELL teachers and other admin to plan differentiated instruction in order to meet the needs of a range of learning abilities.
  • Assumed all classroom responsibilities including lesson planning, teaching, classroom management, and data management for a class of 28 students for six weeks.
  • Practiced classroom management skills and created a productive learning environment.

Student Worker

Michigan State University Child Development Laboratories
05.2016 - 08.2018
  • Served as assistant to the head teacher in classrooms with ages 18 months to 60 months.
  • Led activities such as whole-group gathering times, free choice activities, and snack time.
  • Collaborated with co-teachers to plan meaningful and developmentally appropriate activities to implement in the classroom.

Preschool Intern

Michigan State University Child Development Laboratory, Wilkshire Elementary
01.2018 - 05.2018
  • Served as lead teacher in a classroom of 36-48 month olds for fifteen weeks.
  • Designed lesson overviews and lesson plans while leading the classroom to address the developmental needs of the children.
  • Evaluated children's skills using anecdotal records, checklists, and charts to review areas where children were meeting goals or needs additional support.
  • Created visuals and incorporated the use of sign language into the classroom to support children with special needs and bilingual children.
  • Attended weekly meetings with teachers, supervisors and other staff members to discuss classroom efficiency, quality and planning.

Kindergarten Intern

Wilkshire Elementary
10.2017 - 04.2018
  • Collaborated with mentor teacher to create age-appropriate, stimulating lessons.
  • Planned and taught four main lessons to the students for each core subject area using assessment data, Common Core State Standards, mentor teacher assistance and Michigan State University requirements as guidelines.
  • Adapted lessons for diverse learners to meet all student learning needs.

Teacher Aid

Donley Elementary
01.2017 - 05.2017
  • Assisted during the literacy block in a third grade classroom using a variety of assessment tools to better understand literacy instruction and assessment.
  • Participated in and facilitated interactive read-alouds with student to increase reading comprehension skills.

Volunteer

Hobart Elementary School
03.2016 - 03.2016
  • Assisted teacher with classroom management to help engage students in their learning.
  • Observed literacy lessons with modifications and accommodations for students with learning differences.

Volunteer

Michigan State University Alternative Spring Break Give Kids the World
03.2015 - 03.2015
  • Directed and facilitated activities for children with terminal illnesses and their families.
  • Raised money and awareness for the Give Kids the World foundation.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Elementary Education

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
01.2018

Bachelor of Arts - Language Arts

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
01.2018

Master of Education - Special Education

Oakland University
Rochester, Michigan
05-2022

Continuing Education Credits - Special Education

American College of Education
Indianapolis, IN
08-2024

Skills

  • Sensory integration techniques
  • Individualized education plans
  • Teamwork and cooperation
  • Inclusive teaching practices
  • Neurodiversity techniques and interventions
  • Parent-teacher collaboration
  • Assistive technology integration
  • Visual supports implementation
  • Positive reinforcement techniques
  • Transition planning

Accomplishments

  • Supervised team of five staff members.
  • Trained fellow teachers on neurodiversity-affirming practices to improve inclusion and understanding of student needs.
  • Served as Preschool Union Representative 2024-Current
  • Maintained a professional evaluation rating of Highly Effective for 4 years


Certification

  • Michigan Elementary Standard Certificate, 2019-05-01
  • K-5 All Subjects (K-8 All Subjects Self-Contained)
  • K-8 Language Arts
  • CPR/First Aid Certification
  • Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI) Certification
  • ZS Endorsement for Child Development

Languages

Spanish
Limited Working
English
Native or Bilingual

Timeline

Early Childhood Special Education Teacher

Troy School District
06.2021 - Current

Volunteer

Waterford School District
03.2020 - 06.2020

Elementary Classroom Teacher- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Haviland Elementary
08.2019 - Current

Year-long Teaching Intern

Endeavor Elementary, Kentwood Public Schools
08.2018 - 04.2019

Preschool Intern

Michigan State University Child Development Laboratory, Wilkshire Elementary
01.2018 - 05.2018

Kindergarten Intern

Wilkshire Elementary
10.2017 - 04.2018

Teacher Aid

Donley Elementary
01.2017 - 05.2017

Student Worker

Michigan State University Child Development Laboratories
05.2016 - 08.2018

Volunteer

Hobart Elementary School
03.2016 - 03.2016

Volunteer

Michigan State University Alternative Spring Break Give Kids the World
03.2015 - 03.2015

Bachelor of Arts - Language Arts

Michigan State University

Bachelor of Arts - Elementary Education

Michigan State University

Master of Education - Special Education

Oakland University

Continuing Education Credits - Special Education

American College of Education

Professional Development

  • Oakland Schools Neurodiversity Training, Oakland County, Michigan, 2024-25 School Year
  • Oakland Schools ECSE Conferences, Oakland County, Michigan, 2022-12, 2023-12, 2024-12
  • New to ASD Collaboration Conferences, Oakland County, Michigan, 2020-09-01, 2021-03-31
  • LexiaCore5 Training, Waterford, Michigan, 2020-09-01
  • Envisions Math Curriculum Training, Waterford, Michigan, 2020-09-01
  • Positivity Project Training, Waterford, Michigan, 2020-09-01
  • Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, 2019-09-01
  • NAEYC Conference, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2018-04-01
  • Fire-Up Conference, Allendale, Michigan, 2019-03-01
  • Trauma PD, Kentwood Public Schools, Kentwood, Michigan, 2018-11-01
  • Restorative Practices Training, Kentwood Public Schools, Kentwood, Michigan, 2018-10-01
  • LLI Training, Kentwood Public Schools, Kentwood, Michigan, 2018-09-01

Similar Profiles

CREATE PROFILE