Elisa Castro
Huntington Park,CA
Summary
Caring and patient with all students of different learning levels and backgrounds. Supports faculty and classroom needs with proactive and diligent approach. Passionate about helping students and offers proven skills developed over 17 years of related experience. Versed in school standards and strategies to optimize learning for all students.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate
Work History
Instructional Assistant- Special Education
Schurr High School
Montebello, CA
02.2024 - Current
- Works with and tutors individual and small groups of students in assigned special education programs in various subject matter areas to reinforce class lessons
- Assists students in completing class and homework assignments
- Supervises students working in classroom
- Assists in observing, moderating, mitigating, and tempering disruptive or problematic behavior and providing conflict resolution strategies
- Under teacher guidance and direction, prepares classwork assignments for class or individual student needs
- Distributes and collects papers
- Performs general clerical duties in support of the teacher and in the classroom; takes messages for the teacher; organizes file cabinets; delivers mail, ensures that there are enough supplies for students
- Implements Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies, as necessary.
- Participated in professional development opportunities, staying current on best practices in education and instructional support.
- Supported student learning objectives through personalized and small group assistance.
Instructional Assistant- Special Education
Montebello Park Elementary School
09.2023 - 02.2024
- Worked with individual and small groups of students.
- Assisted students in completing classroom assignments.
- Supervised students working in classroom .
- Assisted in observing, moderating, mitigating, and tempering disruptive or problematic behavior and providing conflict resolution strategies
- Under teacher guidance and direction, prepared classwork assignments for class or individual student needs
- Performed general clerical duties in support of teacher and in classroom; took messages for teacher; organized file cabinets; delivered mail, ensured that there were enough supplies for students
- Implemented Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies, as necessary
- Assisted with student toileting, eating, changing diapers and clothes when accidents happened.
- Participated in professional development opportunities, staying current on best practices in education and instructional support
Daycare Lead Teacher
Condit Elementary School
Claremont, CA
12.2016 - 11.2022
- Provided leadership and assistance to staff and volunteers
- Lead and supervised functions and activities of Child Development staff to ensure operational standards were maintained and that instructional activities were well planned and appropriately structured
- Prepared weekly lesson plans and kept appropriate assessment and conference records for all children supervised
- Supervised all staff on site and collaborated with site principal
- Practiced theory of Early Childhood development, including observation techniques
- Held individual conferences and group meetings with parents to interpret school program and individual's progress
- Provided daily communication with school administrators, staff, parents and other district correspondence via email, phone calls, and message return
- Completed and sent program communication through district mail including: Daily/weekly attendance tally forms, snack counts, purchase order requests, facilities work order requests, parent payments, ouch/incident reports, late pick-up forms, staff & substitute time-sheets.
- Maintained sign-in & out attendance binders daily
- Created and maintained weekly excel attendance rosters & forms to accommodate all enrollment & contract changes
- Nurtured and built strong relationships daily with parents, staff and volunteers to develop & ensure good communication for accountability and long-term commitment to program.
- Designed & Implemented site schedules and calendars (i.e
- Weekly lesson plans & snack calendars)
- Prepared daily activities that often included; gathering and distributing needed &/or requested materials, making copies, secure, arrange & accommodate for homework &/or small group space
- Additional activity planning, preparation, and execution for early dismissal days (weekly Wednesdays, Conference Schedule 2-3 weeks annually)
- Planned, organized, executed field trips and special events for enrichment of program (i.e
- Lights on After School, themed events, early dismissal conference weeks, program performances, guest speakers)
- Maintained a safe, clean & productive environment including; sanitizing toys, tables, chairs; washing of dishes from snack or other food related activities; restocking materials & supplies for staff and program overall
- Shopped for program supplies and materials as needed (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
- Supervised, managed, and became available for all staff, students, and volunteers in the program to ensure adequate supervision, proper adult to student ratio and coverage for staff breaks
- Provided assistance with finding and/or adjusting for coverage in staff members absence
- Ensured time is provided for proper training procedures to be implemented for new staff
- Provided assistance and strategies to staff in regard to student management & behavior
- Created and implemented student behavior contract procedures & meetings (as needed)
- Managed site budget
- Supervised and provided assistance with student homework
- Supervised & provided instruction for program enrichment activities (i.e
- Tennis Program, ArtStart Program)
- Prepared agenda and executed program site staff meetings (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly)
- Administered first aid as needed (including bathroom accident assistance) and contacted parents and emergency assistance agencies in cases of serious illness or injury
- Prepared & became available for New student & Kindergarten orientation, Back to School Night, Open House
- Planned, organized, and executed bulletin boards (weekly, monthly)
- Attended monthly meetings and training as required.
- Increased parent satisfaction by providing regular updates on child progress through conferences and written reports
- Maintained group discipline through positive reinforcement, behavior modeling, and collaboration with parents
- Managed budgets for classroom supplies efficiently while ensuring adequate resources were available for high-quality educational experiences
- Coordinated with colleagues on curriculum planning efforts, aligning content across classrooms to ensure consistency in learning objectives
- Engaged with children on individual basis to build positive relationships and promote learning
- Enhanced child development by implementing age-appropriate learning activities and playtime experiences
Teacher
Montessori Schools of Irvine
07.2008 - 12.2016
- Taught 30 children ages 2.5 to 5 years of age
- Led weekly teacher planning meetings, which include academic lesson planning and reflection
- Planned and implemented appropriate individualized lesson, for every child
- Established positive relationships with students, parents, fellow teachers and school administrators/staff across multiple school sites
- Built a sense of community through strong communication
- Communicated in the form of daily notes, weekly schedule of classroom activities, classroom bulletin board, parent conferences, e-mails, phone conversations, and face-to-face conversations
- Carefully demonstrated activities during large circle time, small group or individual lessons and chart the progress of each child
- Promoted collaboration with family to assess their needs and expectations regarding opportunities the school provides
- Identified, selected and modified work in the room to meet the needs of children with varying backgrounds, learning styles and special needs
- Classroom was designed to suit the needs of the young child in size, pace and interest
- A full range of rich and attractive learning materials and activities were arranged for children to select
- Provided every child the opportunity to explore and learn through experiences in the areas of everyday living, sensorial education, language development, math, and the cultural areas of geography, music, and art
- Filled the role of acting Director when Director was not on campus
- Made sure every classroom is in ratio, assisted parents, volunteers and staff with any questions or concerns they had.
Americorps, California State University, Fullerton
08.2006 - 05.2008
- Conducted sessions between coworkers and at-risk child
- Coordinated group planning meetings, which included academic planning, reflection, and / or training
- Communicated with at-risk children families and offered strategies for increasing student engagement
- Improved academic achievement amongst children by providing one-on-one time with the concerned and involved adult.
- Gained extensive knowledge in data entry, analysis and reporting.
Periodical Services: Student Assistant
California State University, Fullerton- Pollack Library
08.2003 - 05.2008
- Cataloged journals, magazines, microform's, newspapers, and reference materials
- Processed newspapers and various periodicals and reference materials
- Provided assistance in research and information on online databases for patrons
- Managed phone lines to support patron inquiries
- Facilitated technical support and troubleshooting when patrons had issues using library provided computers.
Education
Master of Arts - Early Childhood Education
California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA05.2014
Bachelor of Science - Child And Adolescent Studies
California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA05.2008
Skills
- Special Education Support
- Dance Choreography
- Student Learning Support
- Individualized Educational Plans
- Organizational Skills
- Classroom Behavior Management
- Excellent Communication
- Multitasking Abilities
- Problem-Solving
- [Spanish] Fluency
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Parent-teacher collaboration
Certification
- Child Development Program Director Permit:
- Expires November 1, 2026.
Timeline
Instructional Assistant- Special Education
Schurr High School
02.2024 - Current
Instructional Assistant- Special Education
Montebello Park Elementary School
09.2023 - 02.2024
Daycare Lead Teacher
Condit Elementary School
12.2016 - 11.2022
Teacher
Montessori Schools of Irvine
07.2008 - 12.2016
Americorps, California State University, Fullerton
08.2006 - 05.2008
Periodical Services: Student Assistant
California State University, Fullerton- Pollack Library
08.2003 - 05.2008
Master of Arts - Early Childhood Education
California State University - Long Beach
Bachelor of Science - Child And Adolescent Studies
California State University - Fullerton
- Child Development Program Director Permit:
- Expires November 1, 2026.
Education Credentials
- Child Development Program Director Permit, 11/01/26
- California State University, Long Beach, Master's in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, 2014
- California State University, Fullerton, Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Studies, 2008
Employment Objective
As an ambitious person, I'm seeking a position that helps me build on my prior experience and education. I'm looking for a position which encourages professional advancement and offers opportunities to demonstrate my organizational, management, and people skills.
Education Credentials
- Child Development Program Director Permit, 11/01/26, California State University, Long Beach, Master's in Education with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, 2014
- California State University, Fullerton, Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Studies, 2008
Employment Objective
As an ambitious person, I'm seeking a position that helps me build on my prior experience and education. I'm looking for a position which encourages professional advancement and offers opportunities to demonstrate my organizational, management, and people skills.
Similar Profiles
Ana HernandezAna Hernandez
Security Officer at Mather High SchoolSecurity Officer at Mather High School
Maria RodriguezMaria Rodriguez
Legal Assistant at Law Offices of Kenneth B. Schurr, P.ALegal Assistant at Law Offices of Kenneth B. Schurr, P.A
Frank VecchioFrank Vecchio
Assistant Principal at Exeter Twp High School, Exeter Township High SchoolAssistant Principal at Exeter Twp High School, Exeter Township High School