I am constantly reading more history and incorporating it into my teaching
Alexis Pontecorvo
Social Studies Teacher
San Francisco,CA
Summary
Passionate Social Studies teacher, dedicated to bringing my expertise as an historian to the classroom. I enjoy collaboration with colleagues and working with a team to best support students. I hold a high standard for classroom behavior and work completion, while also providing differentiated instruction to support all students. I believe in modeling consistency and a good work ethic for my students.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
School Social Studies Teacher
Oakland School for the Arts
08.2015 - Current
- Taught 6th,7th, and 8th grade Social Studies and have facilitated a former student in teaching a student lead elective for high school students called Conflict in Context
- Created most of my own materials including lectures and guided notes, geography assignments, primary source analysis, hands on activities, projects, and assessments
- Developed many projects integrating various art disciplines
- Students explore the subject of history through their art
- I try to have a project incorporating the arts in each unit
- Egularly collaborated with colleagues to build curriculum and strategize how to guide and support student across a grade level
- We are fortunate at OSA to have collaboration built into our scheduled prep time and PD time
- I have often found collaboration productive and rewarding and very beneficial to the students
- Mentored several teachers less familiar with the subject
- Often teachers in middle school are hired to teach “cored” English and Social Studies but due to lack of knowledge of History they tend to either teach Social Studies from a textbook or deemphasis that subject in favor of English, I have spent a great deal of time helping colleagues gain the knowledge they need to deliver more in-depth Social Studies lessons
- At the beginning of the pandemic OSA went remote with only 1 day of preparation and I adapted my self-made curriculum to be delivered remotely.
Substitute Teacher
Teachers On Reserve
08.2014 - 01.2015
- Quickly review and interpret lesson plans or create them on the spot
- Ome preparation of lessons for longer assignments that need extra planning
- Heerful but firm classroom management
- Elpful feedback to regular teachers
Teacher’s Assistant
College Teaching of, SFSU
01.2013 - 05.2013
- Prepared and presented lectures in Atlantic World
- Ed reading discussions based on class readings and essay prompts
- Raded essays
- Eld office hours
Student Teacher
- I observed and taught both Modern World History and United States history
- I have had experience with shadowing and adapting curriculum, as well as creating units and closely following California Standards
- Y work here has also allowed me to learn how to incorporate a highly creative component into the class, my students were encouraged to use their artistic and other talents to write songs or create artwork or come up with sketches, to reflect the topics we studied
- I also tried to vary my lesson plans to include some lecture, some primary source document exploration and analysis and other experiential learning activities to aid my students retention of material
- While observing and teaching history classes I used lunch periods to provide tutoring to an ELL student
- I also chaperoned Prom during my time student teaching.
Assistant
Star Dance Studio
01.2005 - 06.2014
- Supervise and assist children ages 3-18 years old during transitions between classes and at performances
- Ssist parents, both on the phone and at the studio
- Ork in the office of the studio answering phones, working with student records, and taking inventory of costume orders
- This job also includes the secondary annual duties associated with the studio’s annual dance recital
- I serve as an assistant to the backstage manager for rehearsals, and head of back stage security during the recitals.
Teacher’s assistant
ASI Early Childhood Education Center
08.2005 - 05.2009
- Worked with head teachers and children in a play-based curriculum preschool, and I was in charge of the outdoor classroom with 3-5 year olds.
Corps member
Jumpstart
San Francisco
09.2003 - 05.2004
- I worked in small groups and one on one with preschool aged children to help them develop a firm foundation of reading and writing that they can hold on to throughout their life as they navigate the difficulties of growing up in urban environments geared more to television etc.
Education
Master of Arts - Social Studies, World History
SFSU, San Francisco State University
Bachelor of Arts - History& subject matter, Social Science
Skills
Curriculum Development
Experiential learning
Notetaking
Individualized support
Interests
Art
I often develop projects for my students that incorporate various art forms. As a kid I was a dancer and vocalist however in my college years I moved toward visual arts. Inspired my my students I have been teaching myself to paint, and create more mixed media art. I have also started writing short stories. All of my art incorporates history in some way. I have occasionally shared historical art with students and they have shared theirs with me.
Timeline
School Social Studies Teacher
Oakland School for the Arts
08.2015 - Current
Substitute Teacher
Teachers On Reserve
08.2014 - 01.2015
Teacher’s Assistant
College Teaching of, SFSU
01.2013 - 05.2013
Teacher’s assistant
ASI Early Childhood Education Center
08.2005 - 05.2009
Assistant
Star Dance Studio
01.2005 - 06.2014
Corps member
Jumpstart
09.2003 - 05.2004
Student Teacher
Master of Arts - Social Studies, World History
SFSU, San Francisco State University