Jennifer Richards
Brighton,Michigan
Summary
Committed, versatile and enthusiastic educator with years of experience in creating fun and diverse lessons in various settings. Works exceptionally well with other staff members to help ensure that each student can reach their full potential.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Paraeducator
Brighton Area Schools - Hilton Elementary
Brighton, Michigan
09.2021 - Current
- Assists teachers and worked individually with students with special needs, helping each navigate the education system.
- Monitors student classroom and outdoors activities to promote student safety.
- Delivers personalized educational, behavioral and emotional support to individual students to enable positive learning outcomes.
- Assists teachers with classroom management and document coordination to maintain a positive learning environment.
- Collaborates with teachers to help with classroom and workload management.
- Documents behaviors, implemented interventions and treatment results.
- Monitors classroom to observe students' progress in developing skills as well as manage distracting or inappropriate behavior.
Substitute Teacher - Preschool (3 -5 Year Olds)
Early Childhood Management Services
Northcote, Victoria - Australia
02.2014 - 06.2021
- 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.
- Took over class for regular classroom teacher, managing assignments, student needs and recordkeeping.
- Organized and cleaned teaching areas after daily use to maintain high standards for returning teachers or other substitutes.
- Applied play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning.
Four Year Old Teacher - Janet Mundy Kindergarten
Early Childhood Management Services
Black Rock, Victoria - Australia
02.2012 - 12.2012
- Planned an emergent curriculum that corresponded to the Early Years Framework.
- Observed and documented childrens' learning to help plan educational and safe learning environments both indoor and outdoor.
- Worked collaboratively with other center staff to help plan a developmentally appropriate curriculum.
- Communicated learning needs with parents through email, phone calls, and parent conferences.
- Helped with organizing, set-up, and cleaning the environment at the end of every day for future lessons and staff members.
Four Year Old Teacher - Caulfield Primary School
Early Childhood Management Services
Caulfield, Victoria - Australia
03.2011 - 12.2011
- Replacement role for previous Four Year Old Teacher in Term 2 of the school year.
- Planned a play-based and creative curriculum for four year old children that met their developmental needs.
- Helped enroll and settle new families into the center.
- Helped assist with the Kindergarten transition through writing transition reports for each child and speaking with Kindergarten teachers.
- Maintained accurate student attendance and documented student learning through observations and student work.
- Created portfolios for students to show student learning and growth throughout the year.
Substitute Teacher
Treehouse Childcare
Caulfield, Victoria - Australia
09.2008 - 01.2009
- Relieved staff in the baby, toddler, and preschool rooms for lunch breaks and planning time.
- 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.
- Supervised lunchroom and recess activities.
- Organized and cleaned teaching areas after daily use to maintain high standards for returning teachers or other substitutes.
Kindergarten Teacher
Trillium Academy
Taylor, Michigan
08.2003 - 10.2005
- Taught general academic subjects
- 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.
- Facilitated an after school tutoring club.
- Created, managed and participated in variety of learning environments and activities to support opportunities for students to develop full potential and achieve learning objectives.
Preschool Teacher
Birmingham Public Schools-Bingham Farms Elementary
Bingham Farms, Michigan
09.2001 - 06.2003
- Planned and implemented a developmentally appropriate curriculum.
- Prepared students for transition to Kindergarten through discussions and meetings with Kindergarten teachers.
- Created special activities for parents and their children such as Mother's/Father's Day.
- Monitored students' academic, social and emotional progress and recorded in individual files.
- Applied play-based strategies to provide diverse approaches to learning.
- Created extra curricular dance classes in Tap, Jazz, and Ballet for 3-5 year olds.
First Grade Teacher
Academy Of Westland
Westland, Michigan
08.2000 - 06.2001
- Educated students in all classroom subjects by means of developmentally appropriate practices
- Member of the PTA
- Created a class business selling bracelets to buy school supplies.
- Participated in parent-teacher conferences.
- Maintained accurate student grading records and test results.
- Taught a dance class during club time one day a week.
- Planned lessons according to district standards to cover requirements and prepare for standardized tests.
- Drove student learning by establishing clear classroom plans and group objectives, as well as actionable strategies to achieve each goal.
Dance Instructor
Linda’s Danceworks
Berkley, Michigan
09.1993 - 06.2003
- Taught all areas of dance including tap, jazz and ballet to students ranging from preschool to adult; planned choreography for recital dances; selected costumes; and helped students prepare for competition.
- Planned and oversaw group, couples and individual dance performances.
- Assisted with coordination and administration of a complete dance program.
- Offered one-on-one instruction to students by appointment.
Education
Bachelor of Education-Converted US Teaching Degree - Early Childhood Education
Monash University
Victoria Australia11.2010
Master of Arts - Early Childhood Education
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti Michigan08.2004
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
Wayne State University
Detroit Michigan05.2000
Associate’s Degree - Liberal Arts
Oakland Community College
Farmington Hills, Michigan04.1997
Skills
- Computer literate in MS-Word and World Wide Web
- Extensive dance teaching experience (10 years)
- Experience with a play-based curriculum
- Worked with children with special needs in both classroom and dance studio through many accommodations and modifications
- Montessori-trained and certified
Timeline
Paraeducator
Brighton Area Schools - Hilton Elementary
09.2021 - Current
Substitute Teacher - Preschool (3 -5 Year Olds)
Early Childhood Management Services
02.2014 - 06.2021
Four Year Old Teacher - Janet Mundy Kindergarten
Early Childhood Management Services
02.2012 - 12.2012
Four Year Old Teacher - Caulfield Primary School
Early Childhood Management Services
03.2011 - 12.2011
Substitute Teacher
Treehouse Childcare
09.2008 - 01.2009
Kindergarten Teacher
Trillium Academy
08.2003 - 10.2005
Preschool Teacher
Birmingham Public Schools-Bingham Farms Elementary
09.2001 - 06.2003
First Grade Teacher
Academy Of Westland
08.2000 - 06.2001
Dance Instructor
Linda’s Danceworks
09.1993 - 06.2003
Bachelor of Education-Converted US Teaching Degree - Early Childhood Education
Monash University
Master of Arts - Early Childhood Education
Eastern Michigan University
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
Wayne State University
Associate’s Degree - Liberal Arts
Oakland Community College
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