Kimberly Zabel
Fond Du Lac,WI
Summary
Dedicated early childhood and special education teacher that seeks to utilize each child's unique characteristics and individual interests in order to optimize their greatest potential in the various learning areas. Successful at co-teaching with a team-mindset and strives to keep a positive communication balance between the teaching team, parents, and students. Uses the students' strengths in order to build an individualized learning plan that they also may find confidence and enjoyment in their education as they grow and develop their skills.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Infant/Toddler Childcare Lead Teacher
Jesus' Little Lambs Childcare Center
08.2020 - 03.2024
- Supported and nurtured infants and toddlers in a Christ-like manner, encouraging them in their faith and teaching them about the love that their Savior has for them.
- Worked side-by-side with other lead teachers and assistant teachers co-teaching and sharing roles and responsibilities in a team-oriented environment.
- Included parents as part of the teaching team, encouraging them and supporting them in their important role as their child's primary teacher.
- Incorporated best practice strategies including Child-directed learning, and Developmentally Appropriate Practices into individualized lesson plans for infants and toddlers.
- Used the developmental check-points in the Portage Guide and Wisconsin State Early Early Learning standards to log weekly observations of the children's learning in order to create individualized goals and activities in the classroom.
- Supported students' social-emotional development by creating a nurturing atmosphere and responding appropriately to the individual child's needs and communication signals.
- Provided one-on-one unique support for children who needed extra encouragement in the various developmental areas.
Lead Infant/Toddler Teacher
Little Woodland Preschool
06.2019 - 08.2020
- Fostered a natural home-like learning atmosphere through the use of the Reggio Emilia Early Childhood Philosophy.
- Incorporated nature and the natural environment into as many parts of the childcare as possible; used wooden toys, natural arts and crafts materials, leaves, painting, sensory materials, rugs, lamps, plants, etc.
- Encouraged messy hands-on learning as the children used flour, paint, water, mud, plastic shovels and pails to play and create their own projects.
- Encouraged creativity and imagination while allowing children to explore the outdoor nature including grass, insects, trees, and observing squirrels, birds, and rabbits close up.
- Developed an investigation-style learning curriculum that was centered around the class's individual interests.
- Provided structured daily routines that balanced physical activity, cognitive development, social-emotional growth, and rest periods.
- Worked closely with fellow teachers to share ideas, exchange feedback, and collaborate on curriculum planning efforts across classrooms.
- Observed children to identify individuals in need of additional support and developed strategies to improve assistance.
- Maintained accurate records of children's developmental milestones and prepared detailed reports and project-based portfolios for parent-teacher conferences.
- Established strong relationships with families, fostering trust and collaboration in supporting each child's development.
Lead Preschool Childcare Teacher
Zion Lutheran Childcare Center
07.2018 - 05.2019
- Led the elementary-aged summer program. Created math, science, and art projects with an "around the world" theme.
- Shared my love for Christ through Bible-stories, songs, and incorporating the Christian faith in the various academic lessons and teaching strategies when applicable.
- Worked side-by-side with a co-teacher and shared teaching responsibilities and lesson planning.
- Worked closely with parents to learn and understand the rural culture and incorporate it into the classroom.
- Fostered the relationship and integration between the grade-school children and the childcare children during shared gym time and after-school care.
- Worked one-on-one when needed with children with different abilities. Worked closely with Birth to Three as they shared specific teaching techniques to foster the development of children with Individualized Family Service Plans.
Summer Ministry Assistant Summer Preschool Teacher
WELS Kingdom Workers
06.2016 - 08.2016
- Worked with other lead teachers to create a summer academic curriculum that incorporated Bible History, Science, Math, Art, Free play, and Music into the day.
- Immersed myself into the Hollywood, CA culture and took the culture into consideration as I taught the summer preschool program.
- Utilized and learned effective classroom management techniques in order to foster a learning environment for each of my students.
- Used research-based teaching strategies as I fostered a positive learning environment in my classroom.
- Conducted group classroom art and science projects to encourage my students' team-work skills to utilize creativity, imagination, and problem solving techniques within their projects.
Elementary School Tutor
St. Paul's Lutheran School
01.2016 - 05.2016
- Partnered with lead teachers in order to support students academically during after-school tutoring sessions.
- Created introduction relationship-building activities as a segway into the day's learning tasks.
- Carefully chose practice work to help improve the base skills needed for specific academic subjects.
- Worked one-on-one with students to help guide them through their homework and to help keep them on task.
- Reported to the lead general education teachers regarding each day's tutoring session, the student's progress, and the student's continued needed support in specific areas.
- Boosted student confidence through positive reinforcement and individualized support.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood And K-12 Special Education
Martin Luther College
New Ulm, MN05.2018
Skills
- Classroom Organization
- Classroom Management
- Collaborative and Team-Oriented
- Parent-Teacher Communication
- Documentation And Reporting
- Observation-based Lesson Planning
- Special Needs Support
- Literacy development
- Mathematics Instruction
- Problem-Solving
- Creative Thinking
Timeline
Infant/Toddler Childcare Lead Teacher
Jesus' Little Lambs Childcare Center
08.2020 - 03.2024
Lead Infant/Toddler Teacher
Little Woodland Preschool
06.2019 - 08.2020
Lead Preschool Childcare Teacher
Zion Lutheran Childcare Center
07.2018 - 05.2019
Summer Ministry Assistant Summer Preschool Teacher
WELS Kingdom Workers
06.2016 - 08.2016
Elementary School Tutor
St. Paul's Lutheran School
01.2016 - 05.2016
Bachelor of Science - Early Childhood And K-12 Special Education
Martin Luther College
Similar Profiles
Presley PattersonPresley Patterson
Lead Teacher at Lords Lambs ChildcareLead Teacher at Lords Lambs Childcare
Megan DuttonMegan Dutton
School Aide/Substitute Teacher at Little Lambs Early Childhood CenterSchool Aide/Substitute Teacher at Little Lambs Early Childhood Center
Lisa KoeppenLisa Koeppen
Lead 4K Teacher at Lambs of Christ Learning CenterLead 4K Teacher at Lambs of Christ Learning Center