Jessica Woods
Winthrop Harbor,IL
Summary
Highly-adaptable and collaborative curriculum development professional with 18 years of success playing an instrumental role in providing job-embedded professional development around best practices in Social Studies instruction. Proficient in planning, developing and implementing research based instructional strategies that build strong, independent learners and thinkers. Passionate about learning and working with a wide variety of individuals toward a common goal and shared vision of bringing inquiry to every student through engaging, relevant and challenging social studies learning.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Curriculum Development Specialist - Social Studies
Kildeer Countryside School District 96
2021.08 - Current
- Developing an equitable, relevant and engaging Social Studies curriculum for over 3,500 students in Kindergarten through 8th grade.
- Implementing the Illinois State Board of Education Social Studies standards as well as the C3 Inquiry Standards to build a curriculum that aligns with the Inquiry Design Model.
- Assisting in the development of standardized assessment tools, enabling accurate evaluation of student performance across multiple courses.
- Conducting regular assessments to measure student progress, adjusting teaching methods accordingly to optimize individual growth.
- Developing instructional coaching training programs to improve organizational efficiency and implementation of best practices at all grade levels.
- Implementing continuous improvement strategies by routinely reviewing course content and adjusting as needed based on feedback and assessment data from students and staff.
Instructional Innovation and Professional Development Coach (iCoach)
Kildeer Countryside School District 96
2015.08 - 2021.08
- Providing focused, research based and job-embedded professional development to all teaching staff using the work of Marzano, Killion and Sweeney to guide our approach to developing the coaching focus for teachers' professional learning.
- Working with a highly collaborative team to develop a coaching model using instructional cycles that allows for teacher professional development aligned with team, school and district goals
- Facilitating team meetings and workshops to improve communication, collaboration and productivity.
- Analyzing student data to determine teacher next steps and measuring success through clearly articulated goal outcomes
- Collaborating with other coaches to share best practices, techniques, and insights for overall program improvement.
- Enhancing team performance by developing and implementing effective coaching strategies.
- Providing feedback to coaches to improve teaching techniques and increase drive to succeed.
Instructional Coach - Informational Literacy
Kildeer Countryside CCSD96
2012.08 - 2015.08
- Implementing job-embedded professional development in the areas of technology implementation and informational literacy at the middle school level
- Conducted comprehensive evaluations of instructional materials to ensure alignment with state standards and district goals.
- Participating in reflective coaching practices through Coaching Academy instructional sessions
- Bringing research based professional knowledge to staff by leading staff meeting presentations, Board of Education presentations and parent education sessions.
- Developed successful interventions for struggling students by creating targeted instructional plans based on their unique needs.
- Assessed student learning needs and provided relevant instruction to close knowledge gaps.
Classroom Teacher
Kildeer Countryside School District 96
2006.08 - 2012.08
- Implementing best practices in Social Studies curriculum and research-based instructional strategies
- Developing and implementing a culturally responsive and inclusive curriculum designed to engage and inspire students
- Analyzing student data to determine appropriate teaching strategies and interventions for all students
- Participating in professional development opportunities to further my understanding of engagement strategies as well as standards based reporting practices
- Ongoing reflective teaching to ensure high quality, meaningful and relevant instruction for all students.
- Served as a team leader for grade-level initiatives, coordinating efforts among faculty members to achieve shared goals related to curriculum and instruction improvement.
- Conducted evaluations to measure performance and progress of students, providing guidance for areas requiring improvement.
District Leader
Various School And District Level Teams
2013.08 - Current
- Implementing and supporting the Mission, Vision, and Values of Kildeer Countryside CCSD 96
- Spearheading innovative curriculum design efforts that prioritized critical thinking skills and real-world applications of knowledge in lesson planning efforts.
- Conducting regular evaluations of school programs to ensure alignment with state standards and best practices in education.
- Organizing logistical needs of the team and developing structures for clear, cohesive communication of student needs
- Developing a strong team, motivated to work at their maximum potential doing what is best for the achievement of all students.
- Training and guiding team members to maintain high achievement data and performance metrics.
- Championing the use of technology in classrooms, providing training and support for teachers to effectively integrate digital tools into their instruction.
- Leading professional development initiatives to promote continuous learning for staff members.
Education
B.S. Elementary Education -
Southern Illinois University
M.A.Ed - Instructional Technology -
American College of Education
M.A.Ed. - Educational Leadership -
American College of Education
Skills
- Kagan Cooperative Learning Engagement Strategies - Certified National Trainer
- Thinking Maps - Certified District Level Trainer
- NWEA MAP data analysis
- TeacherEase reporting systems
- Schoology Learning Management Systems
- Instructor Training
- Course material creation
- Curriculum Mapping
- Document Management
- Instructional Presentations
- Instructional Best Practices
- Teaching strategies
Accomplishments
Completed the Learning Forward Leadership Academy for Professional Development, 2021
Certification
State of Illinois, 703218, General Administrative, kindergarten through grade 12, Elementary Education, kindergarten through grade 9, Endorsements in Middle School teaching for Language Arts and Social Studies
Internship
School Principal, Greg Grana - Woodlawn
Professional Participation
Class of 2022, Problem of Practice, Instructional Innovation Committee, Staff Development Committee, Classrooms of Tomorrow Initiative, iPad Implementation Committee, Standards Based Reporting Committee, Learning Forward, ICE Conference, Getting History Right, National Council for Social Studies National Conference, Yearly participation in summer curriculum writing and leading professional book study groups
References
- Megan Bird, Director of Teaching and Learning, District 96 - mbird@kcsd96.org
- Jason Keenon, Assistant Director for Teaching and Learning, District 96 - jkeenon@kcsd96.org
- Greg Grana, Principal of Woodlawn Middle School - ggrana@kcsd96.org
- Robert Hanrahan, Director of Technology and Innovation, District 96 - rhanrahan@kcsd96.org
- Sam Heinrich, Assistant Principal Ivy Hall Elementary School, District 96 - sheinrich@kcsd96.org
Affiliations
- NCSS, National Member
- Learning Forward, Member
Timeline
Curriculum Development Specialist - Social Studies
Kildeer Countryside School District 96
2021.08 - Current
Instructional Innovation and Professional Development Coach (iCoach)
Kildeer Countryside School District 96
2015.08 - 2021.08
District Leader
Various School And District Level Teams
2013.08 - Current
Instructional Coach - Informational Literacy
Kildeer Countryside CCSD96
2012.08 - 2015.08
Classroom Teacher
Kildeer Countryside School District 96
2006.08 - 2012.08
B.S. Elementary Education -
Southern Illinois University
M.A.Ed - Instructional Technology -
American College of Education
M.A.Ed. - Educational Leadership -
American College of Education
State of Illinois, 703218, General Administrative, kindergarten through grade 12, Elementary Education, kindergarten through grade 9, Endorsements in Middle School teaching for Language Arts and Social Studies
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