Alanna Russ
Marianna,FL
Summary
Professional with strong background in counseling and deep commitment to student development. Demonstrates effective communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills to support student well-being. Collaborative team player, adaptable to changing needs, and focused on achieving positive outcomes. Ready to contribute to fostering supportive and productive educational environment. Innovative professional with expertise in promoting academic, career and social development programs. Possesses excellent communication, problem-solving and organizational skills. Trusted advisor goes extra mile to help individuals succeed. Positive, empathetic, and dedicated to fostering student well-being and academic success. Possesses deep understanding of child psychology and effective communication skills, combined with ability to design and implement supportive counseling programs. Committed to creating nurturing environment to help students achieve personal and academic growth.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
School Counselor
Cottondale Elementary School
11.2024 - Current
- Enhanced student emotional well-being by providing individual counseling sessions.
- Collaborated with teachers and administrators to address the social, emotional, and academic needs of all students.
- Developed a safe and supportive school environment by promoting positive behavior and addressing issues such as bullying and harassment.
- Provided crisis intervention in response to emergencies, employing existing trust, and rapport to deescalate situations.
- Maintained positive relationships with students, faculty, alumni, and administration.
- Partnered with parents and guardians to promote student success in school environment.
- Implemented data-driven strategies to identify areas of need within the school population, leading to targeted interventions and support services.
- Coordinated with outside agencies to determine students receive appropriate services and resources.
- Developed and implemented individualized behavior plans to assist students with achieving academic and behavioral goals.
- Facilitated parent engagement through regular communication, informational sessions, and collaborative meetings to address student concerns.
- Identified and addressed concerns of incoming students and parents.
- Collaborated with teachers and other school personnel to create individualized education plans for students with special needs.
- Advocated for student needs, resulting in adaptation of school policies to better support student well-being.
- Enhanced student emotional well-being by providing individual and group counseling sessions.
Media Specialist
Cottondale Elementary School
08.2020 - 11.2024
- Developed multimedia assets including videos, graphics, and articles for maximum engagement.
- Maintained relevant, organized and correctly catalogued library and technology collection based on careful analysis of student needs.
- Negotiated contracts with vendors for advertising placements and other promotional activities at competitive rates.
- Instructed students and staff in research processes and understanding copyright, fair use and licensing of intellectual property.
- Promoted library through public relations avenues such as library website and newsletter.
- Collected and analyzed data to periodically evaluate school library media programs for continuous improvement against measurable goals.
- Developed and executed yearly budgets to purchase yearly acquisition of books, periodicals, supplies and computer software and hardware.
- Motivated students to use instructional technology to promote achievement of learning objectives.
- Updated library collection to include multicultural titles to fit student population.
- Collaborated with teachers by scheduling library activities and procuring resources.
5th Grade Science Teacher
Cottondale Elementary School
08.2014 - 08.2020
- Fostered a positive learning environment by maintaining open communication with students, parents, and colleagues.
- Collaborated with other teachers to create interdisciplinary units of study that connected science concepts to real-world applications.
- Developed and implemented science lesson plans that fulfilled requirements of district's instruction curriculum program and showed written evidence of preparation.
- Identified pupil needs, cooperated with other professional staff members and assessed and helped students resolve health, attitude and learning problems.
- Established clear expectations for behavior and academic performance while maintaining consistent routines within the classroom setting.
- Evaluated student progress regularly through formative assessments, adjusting instructional techniques as needed to ensure optimal learning experiences for all students.
- Provided support for struggling learners through targeted interventions and additional resources, leading to improved academic outcomes.
- Participated in professional development workshops focused on best practices in science education, applying new techniques to enhance classroom instruction effectively.
- Developed critical thinking skills in students by incorporating inquiry-based assignments into the curriculum.
2nd Grade Classroom Teacher
Golson Elementary School
08.2012 - 08.2014
- Developed strong parent-teacher partnerships by maintaining open communication lines and involving parents in their children''s learning process.
- Served as a mentor for new teachers, providing guidance and support throughout their first year in the profession.
- Met staff development guidelines set forth by school administration.
- Maintained work schedule that maximized availability to students, parents, colleagues and administration.
- Increased student engagement through the incorporation of hands-on, experiential learning activities that connected content to real-world experiences.
- Monitored student progress and adjusted instructional strategies as needed, ensuring continuous growth for each learner.
- Enhanced students'' critical thinking skills through the use of inquiry-based learning activities and group projects.
- Cultivated a love of learning within students by creating an inviting atmosphere that encouraged curiosity and exploration.
Educational Technology Coordinator
Jackson County School Board
08.2001 - 08.2012
- Evaluated emerging technologies for potential adoption within the educational environment, maximizing return on investment.
- Provided ongoing technical support to educators, ensuring seamless integration of technology into daily instruction.
- Designed custom applications or tools tailored specifically for individual classroom needs or curricular objectives.
- Recommended external training material and technologies and worked with vendors in development and presentation of training.
- Managed the selection, procurement, and installation of hardware and software for school-wide use.
- Coordinated professional development workshops on educational technology topics, increasing teacher competency and confidence in using technological tools.
- Monitored network security protocols to safeguard sensitive information while maintaining accessibility for authorized users.
- Kept up to date on latest trends and innovations in adult learning theory, management, leadership development and development technologies.
- Served as a liaison between administrators, teachers, and IT staff to ensure successful coordination of technology projects.
Classroom Teacher
Sneads Elementary School
08.1997 - 08.2001
- Implemented differentiated instruction strategies, ensuring all students were able to access the curriculum and make progress in their learning.
- Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities, staying current on best practices in education and refining instructional techniques accordingly.
- Established clear expectations for behavior and classroom management, creating a respectful and productive learning atmosphere.
- Boosted student confidence through consistent encouragement and positive reinforcement, fostering a supportive learning environment.
- Developed strong relationships with parents through regular communication, promoting involvement in their child''s education.
- Conducted small group interventions for struggling learners, providing targeted support that led to increased academic achievement.
- Assessed student progress using various assessment tools, adjusting instruction as needed to address identified areas of need.
- Planned lessons, activities and trips to cover all required course material.
- Enhanced student comprehension by utilizing diverse teaching methods and adapting to individual learning styles.
- Provided timely feedback on assignments, allowing students to learn from mistakes and improve their performance.
- Collaborated with colleagues to develop cross-curricular lesson plans, increasing students'' understanding of how subjects interconnect.
Education
Educational Specialist - Educational Administration
The University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL12.2011
Master of Science - Curriculum And Instruction
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ05.2002
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
Troy University
Troy, AL05.1997
Skills
- Parent-teacher collaboration
- Classroom management
- Relationship building
- Critical thinking
- Motivating students
- Behavior management
- Growth mindset
- Curriculum implementation
- Educational research
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Problem-solving abilities
- Multitasking
Accomplishments
- Used Microsoft Excel to develop inventory tracking spreadsheets.
- Supervised several interning teachers.
- Targeted Development - Met with parents and guardians to discuss children's progress and to determine priorities and resource needs.
- Designed and conducted a well-received professional development workshops.
- Administration - Managed the Elementary Beta program that resulted in numerous students advancing to competitions at nationals and holding the highest number of volunteer hours in the nation.
- Curriculum Development - Tailored educational curriculum to students with range of learning styles, disabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Developed innovative semester lesson plans and practical application exercises for classroom, reversing scores on Science tests from below 65% average to above 87% average.
- Won “Teacher of the Year” award at Golson Elementary School.
- Won “Rookie Teacher of the Year” award at Sneads Elementary and for Jackson County.
- Curriculum Design - Designed, developed and implemented daily lessons for 90+ students.
- Technology Integration - Participated in technology training courses and trained colleagues in new technology concepts and practices applicable for the classroom.
Timeline
School Counselor
Cottondale Elementary School
11.2024 - Current
Media Specialist
Cottondale Elementary School
08.2020 - 11.2024
5th Grade Science Teacher
Cottondale Elementary School
08.2014 - 08.2020
2nd Grade Classroom Teacher
Golson Elementary School
08.2012 - 08.2014
Educational Technology Coordinator
Jackson County School Board
08.2001 - 08.2012
Classroom Teacher
Sneads Elementary School
08.1997 - 08.2001
Educational Specialist - Educational Administration
The University of West Florida
Master of Science - Curriculum And Instruction
Grand Canyon University
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
Troy University
Similar Profiles
Lindsey EngstromLindsey Engstrom
1st Grade Teacher at Trenton Elementary School1st Grade Teacher at Trenton Elementary School
Madyson KimbroughMadyson Kimbrough
Secretary at Cottondale Mobile Home MoversSecretary at Cottondale Mobile Home Movers
Eric BowensEric Bowens
Machine Operator at Cottondale Wood ProductMachine Operator at Cottondale Wood Product