Bettina Sinclair
Wirtz,VA
Summary
Experienced English Department Head and educator with 20+ years of success in curriculum development, instructional leadership, and student-centered communication. Skilled in collaboration, classroom management, and mentoring teachers to strengthen literacy outcomes.
Overview
1
1
Certification
2027
2027
years of professional experience
Work History
English Teacher/Head of English Department
Franklin County Public Schools
Rocky Mount, Virginia
08.2016 - Current
- Led English department curriculum alignment with Franklin County Public Schools standards.
- Coordinated instructional planning for English teachers across grade levels.
- Mentored English teachers on instruction, assessment, and classroom strategies.
- Facilitated department meetings and shared literacy best practices.
- Collaborated with administrators on scheduling, staffing, and departmental goals.
- Communicated district expectations and updates to English faculty.
- Served as a liaison between college administration and faculty members within the English department.
- Managed the day-to-day operations of the English department.
- Ensured compliance with all relevant laws, regulations, policies and procedures concerning the department's operations.
- Advocated for resources necessary to improve instruction in the department.
- Collaborated with administrators on budgeting decisions related to the English department.
- Determined allocations of funds for staff, equipment and authorized purchases.
- Developed and implemented curriculum plans for English department courses.
- Reviewed course materials and textbooks for appropriateness and accuracy.
- Organized professional development activities for English instructors.
- Researched best practices in teaching methods for use by faculty members when instructing classes.
- Coordinated with other departments to ensure alignment of standards across the school.
- Planned English lessons aligned with Franklin County Public Schools curriculum standards.
- Supported students with reading, writing, grammar, and literary analysis instruction.
- Maintained classroom behavior through clear expectations and consistent routines.
- Adapted instruction for diverse learners in Franklin County Public Schools classrooms.
- Communicated student progress with parents and school staff.
- Collaborated with colleagues on lesson planning and instructional materials.
- Supported school literacy goals through writing workshops and reading activities.
- Created lesson plans, handouts, and other materials for teaching English grammar, reading comprehension, and creative writing skills.
- Adapted teaching methods based on each student's unique needs and abilities.
- Developed and implemented English curriculum to meet the needs of students.
- Conducted classroom activities to encourage student engagement in language learning.
- Assessed student performance through tests, quizzes, and other forms of assessment.
- Integrated media content in class to improve listening skill, speaking skill and vocabulary.
- Used online resources to complement traditional course materials and aid in student learning.
- Incorporated technology into daily lessons to enhance instruction.
- Organized extra-curricular activities, such as poetry writing competitions and debates related to the study of English literature.
- Developed class learning plans to meet district and statement requirements for instruction.
- Utilized multimedia resources such as videos and podcasts in class sessions.
- Used school and public library resources to provide extra educational opportunities for students.
- Built life-long learning skills and strong study habits in students to help each prepare for higher-level education.
- Promoted safe and clean classroom environment conducive to individualized and small group needs.
- Reviewed student writing data to guide curriculum adjustments.
Yearbook Advisor
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
Montgomery, AL
08.2013 - 05.2016
- Advised student yearbook staff at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
- Planned yearbook content with editors and school administrators
- Reviewed page layouts for accuracy, clarity, and visual balance
- Coordinated student photos, captions, and deadlines for publication
- Guided students in interviewing, writing, and editing yearbook stories
- Managed yearbook software and digital image files
- Communicated with faculty, parents, and vendors about publication needs
- Supervised proofing process for final school yearbook pages
- Encouraged creative ideas from students to ensure that their vision is represented in the final product.
- Supervised students while they worked on various aspects of the yearbook production process.
- Researched new techniques or technologies that could be used in future editions of the book.
- Communicated regularly with printer representative regarding delivery dates and any issues encountered during printing process.
- Coordinated efforts between faculty members, staff, parents, and students involved in the yearbook creation process.
- Worked with school administration to obtain permission to use submitted photos in the yearbook.
- Facilitated discussions about possible solutions when conflicts arose over content inclusion or exclusion from book.
- Supported students during the project to enhance their skills.
- Advised students on how best to utilize software programs like Adobe InDesign when creating layouts for pages.
- Developed timeline for completion of the yearbook project.
- Organized and led student meetings to discuss yearbook topics and progress.
- Established criteria for selecting appropriate awards or honors that will be included in book.
- Solicited feedback from stakeholders regarding their opinions on potential themes or designs for the yearbook cover page.
- Assisted in the selection of photos for yearbook layout and design.
- Edited student's writing submissions for accuracy and content quality.
- Conducted student interviews and assisted in photo shoot coordination and organization.
- Leveraged team members' strengths to enhance communication and meet deadlines. Leveraged personal strengths to establish strong communication lines and meet deadlines on time.
- Prepared and formulated edited material and created graphic designs to support production of academic texts.
- Collaborated with graphic designers to integrate copy with visual concepts and negotiate layout-driven revisions.
- Coordinated and developed theme and design concepts for annual yearbook.
- Determined appropriate text and photos to make for engaging read.
- Filmed and photographed school events with professional photography equipment.
- Uploaded digital images for editing, archiving and electronic transmission.
- Read, evaluated and edited manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication.
- Proofread copy to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation and syntax.
- Verified facts, dates and statistics using standard reference sources.
- Prepared, rewrote and edited copy to improve readability.
- Assigned topics, events and stories to individual writers or reporters for coverage.
- Edited digital images lightly or with advanced techniques to create desired effects.
- Conferred with authors regarding changes in content, style or publication.
- Managed digital archives of photographs, organized files and protected against loss.
English Teacher/9th Grade English
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
Montgomery , AL
08.2012 - 05.2016
- Instructed English courses within Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's college-prep curriculum.
- Developed engaging lesson plans that met Catholic school standards and promoted student achievement.
- Guided students through literature analysis, composition, and grammar instruction.
- Assessed student writing using classroom rubrics and timely feedback.
- Managed classroom discussions with respectful, faith-based student expectations.
- Communicated regularly with parents and school staff about student progress.
- Supported school events, advisement, and student enrichment activities.
- Adapted teaching methods based on each student's unique needs and abilities.
- Conducted classroom activities to encourage student engagement in language learning.
- Integrated multimedia resources to enhance listening, speaking, and vocabulary skills, increasing student participation and comprehension.
- Assessed student performance through tests, quizzes, and other forms of assessment.
- Required spoken and written student responses to contexts to increase reading comprehension.
- Facilitated critical thinking and discussion among students through diverse teaching techniques, fostering a deeper understanding of literature.
- Designed clear and creative learning materials to promote student engagement in pronunciation exercises.
- Provided feedback on written assignments submitted by students.
- Incorporated technology into daily lessons to enhance instruction.
- Established and enforced clear class objectives and requirements to promote consistent education for students.
- Planned and updated curricula and lesson plans to continuously improve subject coverage.
- Built life-long learning skills and strong study habits in students to help each prepare for higher-level education.
- Scheduled group and private tutoring sessions to assist students requiring extra help.
Assistant Manager
Books-a-Million
Montgomery, AL
2010 - 06.2012
- Supervised associates during book, gift, and café departments.
- Managed customer service inquiries and complaints in a timely manner.
- Supported Books-A-Million sales floor operations and customer service standards.
- Resolved customer concerns with clear communication and professional service.
- Trained staff on POS register procedures and cash handling.
- Enforced store policies and supported loss prevention procedures.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of company products and services.
- Coordinated merchandising displays using store planograms and seasonal promotions.
- Monitored inventory levels and organized stockroom replenishment tasks.
- Provided guidance and support to junior staff members on daily tasks, projects, and objectives.
- Collaborated with management on developing strategic plans for achieving business goals.
- Coordinated with other departments to ensure smooth flow of operations.
- Remained calm and professional in stressful circumstances and effectively diffused tense situations.
- Delegated work to staff, setting priorities and goals.
- Recruited and trained new employees to meet job requirements.
- Provided leadership, insight and mentoring to newly hired employees to supply knowledge of various company programs.
- Delegated tasks and tracked performance of project staff.
- Delegated tasks and tracked performance of project staff.
English/Photojournalism/Journalism Teacher
Franklin County Public Schools
Rocky Mount, Virginia
08.2000 - 06.2010
- Developed journalism lessons aligned with Franklin County Public Schools curriculum standards.
- Instructed students in reporting, interviewing, writing, and editing newsroom content.
- Guided yearbook and school newspaper production using Franklin County Public Schools resources.
- Managed classroom discussions on media ethics, copyright, and source verification.
- Supported students in producing broadcast segments and school announcements.
- Collaborated with staff to coordinate publishing schedules and student media activities.
- Advised students on journalism roles, project deadlines, and editorial responsibilities.
- Organized guest speakers from the field of Journalism who shared their experiences with students.
- Facilitated discussions about ethical considerations when reporting news stories.
- Advised student journalists on journalistic ethics and practices.
- Reviewed content submitted by student journalists for accuracy and fairness before it was published.
- Monitored emerging technologies used within the field of Journalism, such as virtual reality and drones, so that course materials could be kept up-to-date with industry standards.
- Developed and implemented lesson plans for teaching journalism classes.
- Created assessment tools to evaluate student performance in journalism courses.
- Assigned and graded writing assignments, tests, and projects related to Journalism topics.
- Cultivated relationships with local media outlets so that student work could be featured more prominently.
- Designed activities to promote critical thinking skills among students studying Journalism.
- Encouraged creativity among student journalists by providing them with opportunities to write their own articles or produce their own videos.
- Instructed students on the use of digital media for reporting purposes.
- Conducted research on current trends in Journalism and provided recommendations for curricula improvements accordingly.
- Fostered positive, student-centered classroom environment by encouraging opinion sharing.
- Promoted collaboration and problem-solving skills by facilitating group projects and class discussions.
- Created lesson plans to teach ethics, social media usage and communications.
- Interacted with students to foster a supportive learning environment and faculty at campus and community events.
Education
Some College (No Degree) - Gifted Education Add-On Endorsement (Earned)
Longwood University
Farmville, VA08-2024
Some College (No Degree) - Reading Specialist
University of Virgina (SCPS)
Charlottesville, VA01-2001
Bachelor of Arts - English
Roanoke College
Salem, VA05-2000
Skills
- Curriculum development
- Curriculum alignment
- Instructional design
- Lesson planning
- Student assessment
- Literacy instruction
- Educational technology
Certification
- Collegiate Professional License (VDOE) Endorsements-English, Gifted Education
Timeline
English Teacher/Head of English Department
Franklin County Public Schools
08.2016 - Current
Yearbook Advisor
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
08.2013 - 05.2016
English Teacher/9th Grade English
Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
08.2012 - 05.2016
English/Photojournalism/Journalism Teacher
Franklin County Public Schools
08.2000 - 06.2010
Assistant Manager
Books-a-Million
2010 - 06.2012
Some College (No Degree) - Gifted Education Add-On Endorsement (Earned)
Longwood University
Some College (No Degree) - Reading Specialist
University of Virgina (SCPS)
Bachelor of Arts - English
Roanoke College