Christina Gonzalez-Castañeda
Cottage Grove
Summary
My long-term goal is to create systems change in the education system. I am driven by my passion to prioritize equity and justice to accommodate the needs of the students who have been marginalized in the school system. My goal is to create a safe and inclusive space for all of the diverse and unique stories that enter the building, focusing in on Emergent Bilinguals, neurodivergent and racially minoritized families.
Overview
2
2
years of professional experience
Work History
School Psychology Practicum Student
South St. Paul Public Schools
South St. Paul, MN
08.2025 - Current
- Assist Emergent Bilingual students that receive services under the English Language Learner (ELL) label by engaging in translanguaging (translating content from English to Spanish, and expressing students knowledge by translating from Spanish to english)
- Creating academic interventions and applying learning theory to best serve Emergent Bilinguals
- Leading Social-Emotional-Behavioral (SEB) Interventions that support mental health and creation of coping strategies for stress, anxiety, depression, etc.
- Consulting with teachers to find evidence based practices to support students who have shown a discrepancy in academic performance or behavioral expectations
- Administering assessments from across grade levels (FastBridge screening) to individual testing (CBM's, IQ test's, evaluation questionnaires, etc.)
Build Residential Supervisor
Bethel University
Arden Hills, MN
07.2024 - 06.2025
- Teach courses that will help students form their identity and gain confidence in their living skills; i.e. cooking, laundry, organizational skills, etc. and Bible/Theology.
- Create a mediated space for students, families, student staff and facilitate conversations towards conflict resolution to foster a supportive community environment.
- Coordinated resident activities and events, enhancing engagement and community involvement.
- Lead Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) meetings, encouraging students to create goals that were challenging while also achievable during their time at Bethel.
Special Education Student Teacher
Hmong Prep Academy
St. Paul, MN
02.2024 - 05.2024
- Create Individual Education Plans, Lead IEP meetings that help create the Least Restrictive Environment (RE) for student student by creating appropriate accommodations and modifications
- Collaborate with educational staff to discuss progress toward a student goal and implement needed changes
- Find information to complete a Functional Behavioral Analysis (FBA) and a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)
- Working with students that are new to the country and come from immigrant families, connecting to their experience and providing culturally relevant curriculum
Education
Master of Science - School Psychology (Educational Psychology)
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN05-2026
Bachelor of Arts - Special Education K-12 (ABS)
Bethel University
Arden Hills05-2024
Skills
- Bilingual (Fluency & Literacy English and Spanish)
- Evidence Based Intervention Planning and Implementation
- Consultation with fellow Educators
- Multicultural competence
- Restorative justice practices
- Evaluation and Assessment planning
- Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) knowledge and foundation of practice
- Problem-solving abilities
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
School Psychology Practicum Student
South St. Paul Public Schools
08.2025 - Current
Build Residential Supervisor
Bethel University
07.2024 - 06.2025
Special Education Student Teacher
Hmong Prep Academy
02.2024 - 05.2024
Master of Science - School Psychology (Educational Psychology)
University of Minnesota
Bachelor of Arts - Special Education K-12 (ABS)
Bethel University