Deja Gardner
Gainesville,Florida
Summary
Dedicated and compassionate professional with 6+ years of experience working with children, families, and the public in childcare and educational settings. Skilled in behavior management, de-escalation techniques, crisis intervention, customer service, and front desk operations. Experienced greeting visitors, answering phones, maintaining records, coordinating schedules, and providing administrative support while delivering exceptional customer service. Proven ability to manage challenging behaviors, including elopement and emotional outbursts, while maintaining a safe, structured, and positive environment. Strong organizational, communication, documentation, and multitasking skills with a passion for supporting children, families, and clients in fast-paced environments. CPR, First Aid, and AED certified.
Overview
4
4
years of professional experience
Work History
Counselor
Girl’s Place Inc
03.2026 - Current
- Managed challenging behaviors, including elopement, emotional outbursts, and disruptive behaviors, while maintaining a safe and supportive environment for all children.
- Implemented positive behavior management strategies to support children with varying social, emotional, and behavioral needs.
- Responded calmly and effectively to behavioral incidents, helping children develop self-regulation and conflict-resolution skills.
- Supervised and ensured the safety of elementary-aged children in a summer camp setting.
- Planned and led educational, recreational, and social-emotional learning activities.
- Facilitated arts and crafts, games, group projects, and outdoor activities.
- Managed classroom behavior using positive guidance and conflict-resolution techniques.
- Maintained attendance records and communicated important information to staff and parents.
- Supported children’s social, emotional, and developmental growth in a positive environment.
- Collaborated with fellow counselors to create engaging daily schedules and special events.
Babysitter/Nanny
Care.com Inc
08.2022 - 01.2026
- Assisting with meals, snacks, and bedtime routines for the children.
- Greeting parents upon arrival home from work and providing updates on the day's events.
- Completing light housekeeping tasks such as tidying up toys and books.
- Providing a safe environment for children to explore their curiosity and creativity.
- Engaging in age-appropriate activities like reading stories or playing games.
- Tailoring activities based on the individual needs of each child under care.
- Teaching good manners by setting clear expectations for behavior in various settings.
- Establishing trust through consistent communication with both parents and kids.
- Helping older children with homework assignments as directed by parents.
- Monitored children's safety and well-being to prevent accidents and falls.
- Responsibly watched children while parents were out.
- Supervised and cared for children ages infant to 13.
- Enforced rules to teach good manners and maintain safe environment.
- Created safe environment for children by removing hazards and developing appropriate boundaries and rules.
- Used organization and time management skills to multitask and keep children on set schedules.
- Communicated with parents about daily activities and any concerning behaviors.
- Organized creative activities to develop children's physical, emotional and social growth.
- Helped prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals and snacks for children.
- Ensured physical and social well-being of each child.
- Organized creative and fun activities, enhancing children's physical, emotional and social well-being.
- Instructed and assisted children in eating, toileting and resting to help develop healthy personal habits.
2nd/3rd Grade Enrichment Teacher
Odyssey Charter School
08.2025 - 12.2025
- Developed and implemented engaging enrichment activities aligned with curriculum standards.
- Collaborated with teachers to integrate enrichment programs into classroom instruction.
- Monitored student progress and provided tailored support to enhance learning outcomes.
- Organized and facilitated workshops to encourage student creativity and critical thinking skills.
- Supported students in identifying, setting and achieving personal goals.
- Helped students meet course goals by establishing clear objectives for lessons, units and projects.
- Worked closely with students and parents to increase positive feedback from parents and boost overall student success.
- Observed students to assess abilities, interests and learning objectives for personalized lesson planning.
Kindergarten Enrichment Teacher
Odyssey Charter School
12.2024 - 05.2025
- Designed engaging lesson plans to promote creativity and critical thinking among kindergarten students.
- Fostered a positive learning environment through effective classroom management strategies and individualized support.
- Facilitated collaboration with educators to synchronize enrichment activities with curriculum objectives.
- Implemented hands-on projects that stimulated curiosity and encouraged exploration in various subject areas.
- Mentored new staff on best practices for enrichment programming, fostering a collaborative team atmosphere.
Daycare Teacher
Coral Reef Academy
04.2023 - 07.2024
- Created a safe, engaging environment that promoted social interaction and learning.
- Sanitized toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
- Provided a safe and nurturing environment for children, regularly monitoring indoor and outdoor spaces for potential hazards.
- Maintained tidy environment to comply with cleanliness and sanitation standards.
- Assisted in preparation of meals and snacks to provide children with proper nutrition.
- Oversaw daily transitions between various activities such as snack time, outdoor playtime, naptime ensuring smooth operation of daily schedule.
- Instructed children in health and personal habits, such as eating, resting, and toileting.
- Enhanced children''s emotional development through empathetic communication and active listening techniques.
- Documented behavior, development and learning of children to enable tracking history and maintain accurate records.
- Intervened in disruptive behavior, using positive reinforcement strategies to redirect and calm children.
Education
Some College (No Degree) - Early Childhood Education
Eastern Florida State College
Palm BayHigh School Diploma -
Heritage High School
Palm Bay, FL05.2023
Skills
- Schedule Management
- Child Supervision
- Homework Assistance
- Activity Planning
- Light Housekeeping
- Age-Appropriate Routines
- Discipline Understanding
- Exercise and Outdoor Activities
- Child Development
- Keeping Children Safe
- Meal and Snack Preparation
- Housekeeping
- Emotional and Physical Development Assessment
- Responsible Driver
- Early Childhood Development(still working on it)
- Positive and Professional
- Puzzle and Game Play
- Conflict Resolution
- Follows Directions
- Following Directions
- Time Management
- Age-Appropriate Activities
- Behavior Management
- Behavior Intervention Strategies
- De-escalation Techniques
- Crisis Prevention & Intervention
- Data Collection & Documentation
- Positive Reinforcement
- Child Development Knowledge
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)
- Functional Communication Support
- Elopement Prevention & Response
- Observation & Assessment
- Individualized Support
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Conflict Resolution
- Patience & Adaptability
- Relationship Building
- Team Collaboration
- CPR & First Aid Certified
- Data Entry
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Google Slides/Docs
- Organization
- Time Management
- Attention to Detail
- Record Keeping
- Problem Solving
- Front Desk Operations
- Confidentiality & Professionalism
- Multitasking
- Customer Service
- Professional Communication
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Counselor
Girl’s Place Inc
03.2026 - Current
2nd/3rd Grade Enrichment Teacher
Odyssey Charter School
08.2025 - 12.2025
Kindergarten Enrichment Teacher
Odyssey Charter School
12.2024 - 05.2025
Daycare Teacher
Coral Reef Academy
04.2023 - 07.2024
Babysitter/Nanny
Care.com Inc
08.2022 - 01.2026
High School Diploma -
Heritage High School
Some College (No Degree) - Early Childhood Education
Eastern Florida State College