Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic
KRISTEN L. HEERES

KRISTEN L. HEERES

Denver,Colorado

Summary

Passionate educator ready to energize others and will utilize my educational training, social and emotional and intervention experience and practices, arts curriculum development expertise, skills in language acquisition and STEAM, and standards-based implementation. Additionally, my in-depth experience with assessing and assisting individuals learners with learning challenges or guiding 2e gifted learning practices into the classroom is a deep passion of mine.

Strong passion for nurturing creativity and advocacy development in students as well as incorporating PLAY-based activities into academic lessons.. Proven ability to develop and execute comprehensive programs tailored to diverse learning needs. Focuses on team collaboration and achieving results, ensuring adaptability to changing educational requirements. Proficient in various artistic techniques and fostering supportive learning environment.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience

Work History

ART TEACHER

Aces Academy
08.2024 - 05.2025
  • Company Overview: Private Hockey school
  • Provide a hands-on literacy-rich art classroom for all students. Meet needs of learners grades 3-8. Ensure lessons are integrated and are in alignment with district/state standards and spark the minds of young athletes weekly. Inspire and ignite creativity and confident in all students who are beginning their exploration in the Arts. Let imaginations fly and instill 21st-century skills in all students
  • Managed art room supplies, equipment and resources to maintain consistent supply for projects.
  • Enhanced student creativity by incorporating various art mediums and techniques into lessons.
  • Inspired students and assisted in developing creativity and self-expression through various art forms and media.

LEGO EDUCATION - LEA TRAINER - CONTRACT POSITION

Self
01.2015 - 06.2024
  • Work and train teachers on how to implement Lego Education products into the classroom as a tool to enhance literacy, math and creative expression. Worked with Rebecca McKinney and DPS team to provide an HGT/GT Lego experience for parents/children
  • Coached employees on best practices, providing constructive feedback to support their professional growth.
  • Enhanced trainee engagement through interactive workshops and hands-on activities.

STEAM TEACHER

08.2023 - 06.2024
  • Meet needs of individuals students and ensure the materials are culturally rich. Provide environmental awareness and focus strongly on literature, engineering, art, science and math. Ensure students explore creativity and connect it to their educational experience. Play-based learning is at the forefront of all lessons and visual spatial instruction is nurtured daily. Infuse the curriculum with lessons on social emotional development and metacognition questioning alive as well. Program was grant funded for a year.

504 INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR/SEN COORDINATOR

Ricks School for the Gifted, University of Denver
03.2023 - 11.2023
  • Served as a Instructional Coordinator helping teachers understand best social emotional and academic needs/supports to all for academic growth and allow students to flourish as independently and as a community member as well.

ELD Online Substitute

Denver Public Schools
01.2023 - 03.2023

GIFTED AND TALENTED INSTRUCTOR

10.2016 - 05.2020
  • Tickle the minds of curiously creative children who look at the world in a different way. Ignite their educational experiences with wonder and make them face challenges with courage and determination. Play-based learning is at the forefront of all lessons and visual spatial instruction is nurtured daily. Infuse the curriculum with lessons on social emotional development and keep metacognition questioning alive as well. Provide professional development to staff and teachers on how to develop visual spatial skills in young children and help them understand that many gifted learners also have learning challenges as well in their everyday classroom such as dyslexia and more (2e).

ART TEACHER

LOGAN SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE LEARNING
01.2015 - 01.2016
  • Working with lower primary part-time to provide a hands-on literacy-rich art classroom for all students. Meet the needs of gifted students on a daily basis. Ignite creativity and self confidence in each student by meeting their individual needs. Inspire students to think outside the box and let their imaginations run wild.
  • Contracted - 4 hours a week

STEAM FACILITATOR

HOLM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
01.2012 - 01.2014
  • Implement a new integrated arts program into the school and align units of study with grade level curriculum and state standards. Meet with small groups of students to create projects that allowed cross-curriculum connections and projects that also reached out to the community around them. Support teachers and ensure the art connections were knowledge-based and sparked new ideas and connections in the learning process. Meet needs of individuals students and ensure the materials were culturally rich, provided environmental awareness and focused strongly on literature, science and math. Ensure students explore creativity and connect it to their educational experience.
  • Coordinated training sessions to continually develop skills and competencies within the team.
  • Empowered individual contributors helping them find creative approaches to problem-solving ultimately driving better results.

INTEGRATED ARTS TEACHER

STEPHEN KNIGHT CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION
01.2011 - 01.2012
  • Provide a hands-on literacy-rich art classroom for all students. Meet needs of bilingual and special education students. Ensure lessons are integrated and are in alignment with district/state standards and TS Gold requirements. Inspire and ignite creativity and confident in all students who are beginning their exploration in the Arts. Let imaginations fly and instill 21st-century skills in all students

ART TEACHER (MAESTRA DE ARTE)

MUSEO DE LAS AMERICAS
01.2010 - 01.2011
  • Provide tours and art lessons at the Museo and off-site. Meet the needs of bilingual and special education students. Ensure lessons are altered for different grade levels and/or language learners. Meet district and state standards in each lesson. Inspire and encourage every child that there is an artist in all of us. Provide on-going assessments for each lesson and ensure students learn about the Americas.

ART SPECIALIST

REMINGTON ELEMENTARY
01.2004 - 01.2006
  • Provide a hands-on literacy-rich art classroom for all students. Meet the needs of bilingual and special education students on a daily basis. Meet art standards of the state and district. Ignite creativity and self confidence in each student by meeting their individual needs. Inspire students to think outside the box and let their imaginations run wild. Formerly was a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher for Cheltenham Elementary from 2001-04 and gained a great understanding of the curriculum.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology & Art

EMMANUEL COLLEGE
01.1994

Masters - Bilingual/Multicultural Ed.

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
05.2002

Certification in Elementary Education - undefined

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO - BOULDER
05.2001

Sign Language – Level One and Two

FRAMINGHAM SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF
05.1996

Graphic Design Classes

MASS. COLLEGE OF ART
12.1995

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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE
01.1992

Skills

  • Certified in ELA-E and qualified to teach ESL in English
  • Certification/Endorsement in Gifted and Talented
  • Collaborative projects
  • Classroom management
  • Student mentoring
  • Project-based learning
  • Event planning
  • Progress reporting
  • Curriculum implementation
  • Group and individual instruction
  • Visual literacy
  • Arts integration

  • Creativity and artistic expression
  • Problem-solving
  • Critical thinking
  • Adaptability and flexibility
  • Team building
  • Excellent communication
  • Colleague collaboration
  • Active learning
  • Goal setting
  • Curricula planning
  • Student teaching supervision
  • Teamwork

Accomplishments

  • Improved test scores by reworking approach.
  • Commended for exceptional teaching and support to students.
  • Reached out to community to gather donations of materials and supplies for needy students.
  • Collaborated with grade level teams and cohorts in the development of play-based learning and STEAM buckets for all classrooms.
  • Trained staff on play-based learning styles and how to foster positive classrooms for 2e learners

Timeline

ART TEACHER

Aces Academy
08.2024 - 05.2025

STEAM TEACHER

08.2023 - 06.2024

504 INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR/SEN COORDINATOR

Ricks School for the Gifted, University of Denver
03.2023 - 11.2023

ELD Online Substitute

Denver Public Schools
01.2023 - 03.2023

GIFTED AND TALENTED INSTRUCTOR

10.2016 - 05.2020

LEGO EDUCATION - LEA TRAINER - CONTRACT POSITION

Self
01.2015 - 06.2024

ART TEACHER

LOGAN SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE LEARNING
01.2015 - 01.2016

STEAM FACILITATOR

HOLM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
01.2012 - 01.2014

INTEGRATED ARTS TEACHER

STEPHEN KNIGHT CENTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION
01.2011 - 01.2012

ART TEACHER (MAESTRA DE ARTE)

MUSEO DE LAS AMERICAS
01.2010 - 01.2011

ART SPECIALIST

REMINGTON ELEMENTARY
01.2004 - 01.2006

Masters - Bilingual/Multicultural Ed.

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

Certification in Elementary Education - undefined

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO - BOULDER

Sign Language – Level One and Two

FRAMINGHAM SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

Graphic Design Classes

MASS. COLLEGE OF ART

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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

Bachelor of Arts - Psychology & Art

EMMANUEL COLLEGE
KRISTEN L. HEERES