Heidi Thunder

Provided instructional leadership to special education staff

Communicated effectively with special education staff to ensure federally mandated timelines were met

Communicated special education staff support needs to building level administration and district personnel

Attended monthly team leaders meetings in order to disseminate district information to special education staff and progress monitor implementation of mandates

Planned and facilitated monthly special education team meetings

Mentored first year special education teachers

• Formally trained in Wilson Reading Program, Reading by Design, and Orton-Gillingham Math Instruction
• Evaluated student progress regularly using various assessment methods, ensuring accurate measurement of skill development and areas requiring additional support.
• Promoted memory, cognition and language development with hands-on activities and individualized instruction.
• Delivered effective and differentiated classroom instruction to range of neurodiverse students.
• Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
• Fostered strong relationships with parents and guardians, maintaining open lines of communication to ensure student progress.
• Facilitated small group instruction to address individual learning needs.
• Collaborated with colleagues to create interdisciplinary lesson plans, promoting a deeper understanding of mathematical connections across subjects.
• Enhanced learning experiences by incorporating specialized tools and resources tailored to the needs of special education students.
• Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities to stay current on best practices in literacy education, applying new techniques in the classroom.
• Assisted in creating a safe and nurturing classroom environment that promoted emotional well-being and academic growth for all students.
• Established a collaborative atmosphere by working closely with paraprofessionals who provided additional support during instruction time or one-on-one sessions as needed.
• Skilled at working independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Administered various reading tests and determined student reading levels based on assessment findings.
• Increased overall student achievement by utilizing differentiated instructional methods tailored to individual learning styles.
• Designed and presented lesson plans in one or more academic subjects using variety of teaching techniques to appeal to various learning styles within assigned grade level.

• Provided targeted support to struggling learners through individualized instruction and progress monitoring.