Diane Popeo
Framingham,MA
Summary
Enthusiastic Middle School leader with 20+ years of experience as a teacher and instructional coach collaborating with educators and administrators to elevate teaching strategies and student engagement. Proven track record of designing and delivering effective professional development workshops, utilizing data-driven insights to inform instructional decisions, and cultivating a positive, collaborative, growth-oriented educational environment while capitalizing on the strengths and relationships of each teacher.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
Lead Science Teacher
Dexter Southfield School
08.2021 - 06.2022
- Collaborated with teachers to observe and analyze classroom practices, identify areas for improvement, and develop actionable strategies to enhance teaching effectiveness and student engagement, confidence, and success.
- Provided personalized sessions to educators, offering constructive, strengths-based feedback, modeled effective teaching techniques, and guided professional development and growth.
- Designed and delivered engaging training sessions focused on best practices in pedagogy, effective assessment strategies, culturally responsive teaching and supporting neurodiverse learners through differentiated instruction.
- Analyzed student performance data and utilized insights to assess performance and instructional outcomes, adapting teaching strategies to address evolving needs.
- Fostered culture of continuous learning by facilitating peer collaboration, lesson observations, and reflective practice among teachers.
- Managed and mentored a department of experience-diverse teachers to identify individual and collective instructional goals, providing guidance on curriculum development, assessment design, and classroom management techniques.
- Governed the Middle School Science Budget
Director of Middle School Students
Newton Country Day School
08.2001 - 06.2021
- Mentored all Middle School faculty, especially those new to Middle School in particular to onboard them to Middle School culture and to educate them to developmental milestones of Middle School students.
- Collaborated with administrators to align mentoring efforts with school improvement goals and participate in ongoing strategic planning.
- Participated in Administration Team which met weekly to create overarching plans for grades 5-12.
- Created positive Middle School faculty culture of teamwork, collaboration, respect, and support through actively building relationships. Designed messaging and warm environment of Middle School space to reflect and communicate goals and culture.
- Provided social, emotional, and learning support to all Middle School students, including offering extra help in academics and executive function. Triaged student concerns and coordinated with school nurse and school psychologist when warranted.
- Communicated with parents and families about student concerns (academic, social, emotional, psychological). Oversaw student discipline responses. Initiated weekly parent letter that captured learning and social highlights of week and previewed upcoming events.
- Led weekly grade-level meetings for faculty focused on instructional strategies, student engagement and success, and cultivating healthy, positive, transformative relationships with students.
- Designed curriculum for Middle School Advisory program (TAG team) focusing on developing self-awareness and resiliency, identifying learning styles, taking responsible risks, and expanding capacity for empathy.
- Coordinated and planned all extracurricular aspects of Middle School students' experience, including field trips, Washington, D.C. trip, overnight leadership retreats, and weekly assembly programming focused on Social and Emotional Learning.
- Established and executed all Middle School scheduling, including devising alternate schedules during pandemic and determining every Middle School grouping (class sections, homerooms, advisee groups, mixed grade partner groups). Assigned optimum advisor roles.
- Oversaw Middle School Student Government program. Met daily with Middle School co-presidents to empower them to become their best selves as leaders. Helped plan student programming consistent with school mission.
- Served as liaison to Admissions Department by communicating about prospective families. Mentored, cultivated, and ran student panel for Open House. Ran New Family Welcome Event.
- Coordinated with our DEI Coordinator to develop age-appropriate programming for Middle School students.
- Developed and fostered relationships with local organizations to create meaningful, reciprocal service projects for students.
- Helped develop Middle School website, Goal Four Forum, which served as an online platform for student connection and community building during pandemic and remote learning.
- Created "Wellness Day" to promote Mental Health during 2020-2021 school year.
- Manage Middle School Budget
Science Teacher
Dexter Southfield School & Newton Country Day
08.1996 - 06.2020
- Developed and maintained a positive classroom culture that promoted growth, responsible risk-taking, confidence and a love of learning.
- Diversified my assessment approaches to challenge all of the learners in my classroom and support neurodiversity.
- Fostered a love and appreciation for the scientific method and all of its nuance to promote and support collaboration, innovation, defending claims with evidence, and creative problem solving.
- Engendered a sense of stewardship of the earth by teaching students about ecology and the interconnectedness of all living things, in hopes that they respond to the natural world with a sense of wonder and responsibility.
- Supported metacognition by challenging students to constantly reflect on their learning and how they learn best, in hopes to empower them to work smarter, not harder.
- Taught students adolescent brain science so that they can understand the why of how they learn and what is being asked of them in the classroom.
- Built strong relationships with my students grounded in trust, compassion, and understanding in order to help them learn and grow socially, emotionally, and academically.
- Organized the yearly Middle School Science Fair to prepare students for the annual MSEF.
Religion Teacher
Newton Country Day School
08.1996 - 06.2020
- Promoted an atmosphere of trust where students could safely explore and discuss their beliefs and values.
- Cultivated a common language for discussing personal belief and ethics.
- Established guidelines for how to respect others’ beliefs and viewpoints in conversations replete with various perspectives.
- Created curriculum and projects that promoted self-reflection, critical thinking, questioning, and listening with empathy.
- Developed an expansive 5-8 curriculum and retreat program that fostered an understanding of and appreciation for diversity, social justice, equity, and inclusion promoting reflective self-understanding.
- Encouraged students to connect morals with their own experiences as a means of uniting them in a human experience.
- Supported students in their learning and in their faith journey through consistent, meaningful feedback (both written and verbal).
- Educated students about developmental norms and how those norms shape identity and sense of self in the world.
- Made the scripture accessible to all students by helping them see the human experience and religious truth in the Bible stories.
Education
Master of Education - Teaching And Learning: Instructional Coaching
Clemson University
Clemson, SC12.2023
Bachelor of Science - Biology and Theology
Georgetown University
Washington, DC05.1996
Skills
- Teacher Mentoring (One-on-one and Group coaching)
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Developing Affirming, Authentic Relationships
- Community Building Among Diverse Constituents
- Differentiated Instruction
- Strengths-based feedback
- Course Materials Development
- STEM Project-Based Learning (PBL)
- Classroom Management
- Discussion Facilitation
- Positive Learning Environment
- Data-Driven Approaches
- Student Support
- Constructive Student Feedback
- Emotional Development
- Implementing Effective Instructional Practices and Modifications (Differentiated Instruction)
- Learning Strategies
- Instruction and Leadership
- Emotional Development
- Parent Communication
Timeline
Lead Science Teacher
Dexter Southfield School
08.2021 - 06.2022
Director of Middle School Students
Newton Country Day School
08.2001 - 06.2021
Science Teacher
Dexter Southfield School & Newton Country Day
08.1996 - 06.2020
Religion Teacher
Newton Country Day School
08.1996 - 06.2020
Master of Education - Teaching And Learning: Instructional Coaching
Clemson University
Bachelor of Science - Biology and Theology
Georgetown University
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