Gigi Graffagnini
New Orleans,LA
Summary
Compassionate, creative and effective Teacher with valuable experience in classroom administration, professional development and project planning. Equipped with extensive background in versatile education environments. Student-centric instructor, academic facilitator and motivational coach. Competent at performing independently or as member of teaching team. Well-versed in classroom and online technologies.
Overview
40
40
years of professional experience
Work History
Cake Designer, Cake Decorator, Cake Artist Teacher
Great American Cookies
New Orleans, Louisiana
03.2020 - Current
- Designed specialty cakes for weddings, birthdays and graduations.
- Decorated up to 30 fondant and soft-frosted style cakes daily.
- Verified accuracy of orders while meeting strict deadlines on producing completed products.
- Provided exemplary customer service to hundreds of patrons daily in high-volume shopping center location.
- Increased business sales by 50% by influencing purchases and attracting customers with displays and professional service.
- Operated cash register and handled cash, credit card and check transactions.
- Handled phone calls regarding inquiries, cancelled orders and ordering conflicts.
- Precisely arranged display cases throughout workday to highlight finished products.
- Followed daily opening and closing procedures of brick and mortar bakery location.
- Carefully sculpted figurines, decorations and floral designs using fondant icing and hardened sugar.
- Implemented creative ways to foster curiosity for complex principles through hands-on learning and planned activities.
Substiute Teacher
The Academy Of The Sacred Heart
New Orleans, Louisiana
08.2008 - Current
- Followed classroom plans left by class teacher to continue student education and reinforce core concepts.
- Upheld classroom routines to support student environments and maintain consistent schedules.
- Repeatedly requested as substitute teacher by teachers based on excellent past referrals and trusted performance.
- Kept students on-task with proactive behavior modification and positive reinforcement strategies.
- Took over class for regular classroom teacher, managing assignments, student needs and recordkeeping.
- Maintained day-to-day classroom management and discipline to promote learning initiatives.
- Provided instruction for students in core subject areas.
Portrait Photographer
Self Employed
New Orleans, LA
06.2005 - Current
- Photographed high-quality images for various print and digital projects.
- Edited, toned, captioned and uploaded photographs for publication.
- Completed complex photo shoots at indoor and outdoor venues.
- Digitally edited photos to enhance appearance.
- Planned and prepared for on-location and studio shoots.
- Scheduled and booked locations for photo shoots, working collaboratively with clients and contacts.
- Determined and adjusted subject position, props and lighting equipment while selecting camera angles to optimize final product.
- Experimented with different lighting effects to deliver unique images.
- Selected and set up appropriate props, backdrops and lighting.
- Archived photographs on computers and servers.
- Maintained and shared portfolios of artistic work to demonstrate styles, interests and abilities with potential customers.
- Inspected proofs to verify quality and determine needed adjustments and retouches.
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Louise S. McGehee School
New Orleans, Louisiana
08.1999 - 06.2005
- Applied play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning.
- Promoted sensory development by providing access to different textures.
- Maintained well-controlled classrooms by clearly outlining standards and reinforcing positive behaviors.
- Promoted physical, academic and social development by implementing diverse classroom and outside activities.
- Gave one-on-one attention to children while maintaining overall focus on entire group.
- Fostered reasoning and problem solving through active exploration games and activities.
- Monitored students' academic, social and emotional progress and recorded in individual files.
- Worked with teaching staff to evaluate individual progress and recommend appropriate learning plans.
- Consulted with parents to build and maintain positive support networks and support continuing education strategies.
- Addressed behavioral and learning issues with parents and daycare management.
Assistant Teacher
Stuart Hall School
New Orleans, Louisiana
08.1998 - 06.1999
- Kept students on-task with proactive behavior modification and positive reinforcement strategies.
- Took over class for regular classroom teacher, managing assignments, student needs and recordkeeping.
- Supported teacher in instructing core subjects, delivering supplementary lessons and coordinating materials.
- Collaborated with instructor to assist lesson and curriculum planning efforts.
- Delivered group teaching in classroom setting and implemented individual student support.
- Administered quizzes and tests and documented grades.
- Pursued professional development opportunities to cultivate further understanding of considerations governing productive learning environments.
- Assisted teachers with classroom management and document coordination to maintain positive learning environment.
Kindergarten Lead Teacher
St. Richard Catholic School
Jackson , Mississippi
08.1997 - 06.1998
- Delivered lesson plans, implemented school curriculum and used data to create, monitor and establish personalized learning plan for each student.
- Identified characteristics, needs, abilities and problems of each child through personal interaction and progress reports to optimize approaches.
- Exercised good classroom management focused on positive behavior support by clearly articulating fair and consistent expectations along with appropriate natural consequences.
- Reported to parents and administration about student progress.
- Delegated tasks to teacher assistants and school volunteers.
- Delivered structured lessons on readiness skills by emphasizing phonics, language skills, literature and handwriting.
- Observed and assessed student performance and charted progress.
Education
Master of Arts - Education
University of New Orleans
New Orleans06.2000
Bachelor of Arts - Early Childhood Education And Elementary Education
Millsaps College
Jackson, MS06.1996
High School Diploma -
Academy of The Sacred Heart
New Orleans, LA06.1991
Skills
- Patient and Compassionate
- Creative and Inventive
- Team Cooperation
- Collaborative Relationships
- Adaptive and Flexible
- Cake Design and Decoration
- Artistic Inventiveness
- Eye for Photography
- Customer Satisfaction
Accomplishments
-Graduated Summa Cum Laude from the masters program
at UNO with a 4.0 GPA.
-Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the BA Education
program at Millsaps college with a 3.72 GPA
-Volleyball team captain at Millsaps College 1994&1995
-Two time SCAC Volleyball Player of the Week
-David M Hallbrook Award for the highest GPA among all
athletes at Millsaps College 1995
-Phi Eta Sigma 4.0 Freshman GPA award
references
1. Jason Joubert- Owner and Operator of Great American Cookies.
Contact 504 343-5943
2. Stefanie Jaynes- Pre Kindergarten Co-Lead Teacher at Louise S. McGehee School.
Contact 504 450-8019
Timeline
Cake Designer, Cake Decorator, Cake Artist Teacher
Great American Cookies
03.2020 - Current
Substiute Teacher
The Academy Of The Sacred Heart
08.2008 - Current
Portrait Photographer
Self Employed
06.2005 - Current
Lead Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Louise S. McGehee School
08.1999 - 06.2005
Assistant Teacher
Stuart Hall School
08.1998 - 06.1999
Kindergarten Lead Teacher
St. Richard Catholic School
08.1997 - 06.1998
Master of Arts - Education
University of New Orleans
Bachelor of Arts - Early Childhood Education And Elementary Education
Millsaps College
High School Diploma -
Academy of The Sacred Heart
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