Carolyn Byrd Dwyer
Atlanta,GA
Summary
Results-focused educator with strengths in curriculum design, literacy instruction, collaborative planning and building relationships with colleagues, families and schools. Passionate about high-quality educational experiences for students and teachers.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Curriculum Developer and Instructor
Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency
Atlanta, GA
06.2015 - Current
- Provide curriculum design and instruction services for the Georgia TAPP alternative teacher certification program.
- Co-teach Strategies for Teaching Diverse Student Populations – ESOL and Gifted Modules, seminars required for all k-12 teacher candidates.
- Co-teach the three-day Early Literacy Seminar and the ten-week Early Childhood Theory and Practice Seminar, required seminars for all Georgia TAPP elementary candidates.
- Created and implemented the three-day Reflective Practices in Teaching Seminar, a writing course designed to prepare candidates for their culminating project in the Georgia TAPP program.
- Provided training and support for participants in The Essentials of Effective Teaching, a thirteen-day blended prerequisite course for entering Metro RESA’s Georgia TAPP program.
- Collaborated with a team of instructors to revise instruction for online and face-to-face seminars as part of the the State of Georgia's Professional Service Commission's review process.
Early Intervention Teacher
Cobb County Schools, Garrison Mill Elementary
Marietta, Georgia
07.2023 - Present
- One of four teachers in the Cobb County School District chosen to serve on the 2024 Georgia State Standards roll-out team for first grade teachers in Cobb. This team will be tasked with designing professional learning for the 2025 literacy standards roll-out in Cobb County.
- Provided Structured Literacy Instruction for Early Intervention Program students in kindergarten through second grade classrooms.
- Provided small group math instruction for second grade EIP students.
- Completed REAP Structured Literacy one-year training.
- Collaborated with teachers and administrators across grade levels to provide MTSS support for EIP reading and math students.
Early Intervention Teacher
Cobb County Schools, Smyrna Elementary School
Smyrna, GA
07.2015 - Current
- Served as team leader for Smyrna Elementary's Early Intervention Program while providing small group reading and math support for kindergarten through fifth grade EIP students.
- Designed, obtained funding for, and implemented the Our Family Reads program, a reading initiative designed to encourage a culture of family reading.
- Presented district level literacy training for teachers from across Cobb County during Professional Learning days.
- Supported teachers, students, and parents as a reading liaison for the Response to Intervention process as part of the school’s Multi-tiered System of Support team.
- Partnered with school academic coach to design and implement Smyrna University, an induction program for students new to Smyrna Elementary that focused on year-long reading analysis training.
School Instructional Specialist
Cobb County Schools District Office
Marietta, GA
06.2012 - 07.2015
- Invited to serve as the first elementary School Instructional Specialist in the Cobb County District Office.
- Supported Cobb’s digital transformation process by creating and implementing DOK: A Four Act Play, an online course for k-12 teachers striving to increasing assessment rigor.
- Provided local school in-person and online learning support by creating and implementing Falling In Love with Close Reading, a local school book study designed to facilitate team collaboration.
- Provided face-to-face training to local school teachers and administrators to support implementation of Common Core Standards in all subject areas.
- Collaborated with local elementary, middle, and high schools to design and implement training that supported their School Strategic Plans.
- Maintained professional learning blogs for eight local schools providing professional learning information specific to the local schools’ needs.
- Facilitated Creating Common Formative Performance Assessments training at eight local elementary schools resulting in the creation of over eighty common performance assessments.
Early Intervention Teacher and Classroom Teacher
Cobb County Schools, Rocky Mount Elementary
Marietta, GA
07.2009 - 06.2012
- Selected to serve as the elementary teacher representative to the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council.
- Invited to participated in Cobb’s Assessment Academy for 2011-2012 school year, an academy created to develop assessment leaders in local schools.
- Created and delivered Six Traits of Writing and Formative Assessment training for staff as part of on-going staff development.
Area Lead Teacher
Cobb County Schools District Office
Marietta, GA
07.2006 - 07.2009
- Collaborated with k-12 school administrators to identify professional learning needs of staff members and design professional learning opportunities to meet those needs.
- Collaborated with a team of twelve other Area Lead Teachers to create k-12 training materials for a variety of topics including unit design, effective writing instruction, and efficient data management strategies.
- Provided initial training and follow-up support on a variety of topics relevant to a first-year teachers based on local school needs assessments.
- Co-created Unit Design in a Performance-Based Classroom, an online Blackboard supported course that guided kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers through the (unit) backward design format.
- Trained teachers in the effective use of Web resources as instructional tools through the on-line course, Web Tools for Educators.
Education
Educational Specialist Degree -
Piedmont College
01.2017
Master of Early Childhood Education -
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia06.1994
Bachelor of Business Administration -
Huntingdon College
08.1989
Skills
- Positive Relationship Focused
- Emphasize on Collaboration
- Highly Organized
- Life-long Learner
- Data Driven Decision Maker
- Course design
- Curriculum Design
- Content Development
Professional Affiliations and Activities
Professional Development
REAP Structured Literacy Instruction Teacher Certification, 2024
Orton-Gillingham Classroom Teacher Certification, 2022
Syllables Structured Literacy Certification
Teachers College, Columbia University Writing 1 and Writing 2 Institute
International Literacy Association National Conference
Teachers College, Columbia University Reading Institute
Teachers College, Columbia University Social Studies Institute
ASCD Differentiation Institute
ASCD National Conference
Affiliations
NBCT member, National Board Certified Teacher
ISTE, International Society of Technology Integration
ASCD, Association for Supervision of Curriculum and Development
Learning Forward, Professional Learning Association
Timeline
Early Intervention Teacher
Cobb County Schools, Garrison Mill Elementary
07.2023 - Present
Early Intervention Teacher
Cobb County Schools, Smyrna Elementary School
07.2015 - Current
Curriculum Developer and Instructor
Metropolitan Regional Educational Service Agency
06.2015 - Current
School Instructional Specialist
Cobb County Schools District Office
06.2012 - 07.2015
Early Intervention Teacher and Classroom Teacher
Cobb County Schools, Rocky Mount Elementary
07.2009 - 06.2012
Area Lead Teacher
Cobb County Schools District Office
07.2006 - 07.2009
Educational Specialist Degree -
Piedmont College
Master of Early Childhood Education -
Georgia State University
Bachelor of Business Administration -
Huntingdon College
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