Lisa Stephen
Bronx
Summary
As an elementary school teacher, I have played a key role in shaping young learners’ development in literacy, mathematics, and writing. I create a collaborative classroom environment where students engage in meaningful group work and take an active role in their learning. As a facilitator, I guide students in navigating tasks, asking thoughtful questions, and developing their ability to think critically and independently.
I use data-driven instruction to plan and adjust my teaching, ensuring that I both challenge and support all learners in reaching their full potential. In addition, I prioritize building strong relationships by maintaining open and consistent communication with families and colleagues, fostering a supportive and inclusive learning community.
Overview
20
20
years of professional experience
Work History
Teacher - Kindergarten, First & Second Grade
Bedford Park Elementary School
Bronx
08.2022 - Current
- I create a safe and supportive classroom environment where students feel comfortable taking academic risks and engaging in their learning. I design and implement engaging whole-group and small-group instruction in reading, writing, and mathematics to meet diverse learner needs.
- I use ongoing academic monitoring and assessment to track student progress and inform instruction. I create strategic student groupings based on MTSS data to provide targeted support and maximize student growth.
- I maintain consistent and meaningful communication with families to share student progress, address daily academic and social interactions, and strengthen the home-school connection in support of student success.
- Serve as a member of the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) at BPES and as the school LIT Ambassador, supporting instructional initiatives and schoolwide improvement efforts.
Enrichment Teacher
Summer On The Hill
Bronx
06.2016 - 03.2025
- Designed and delivered rigorous, intensive instruction in math and science across multiple grade levels to support student achievement and growth.
- Incorporated Growth Mindset and mindfulness practices into daily instruction to support students’ social-emotional development.
- Maintained consistent communication with families through classroom visits, progress reports, and ongoing updates on student learning.
- Created a welcoming, inclusive classroom environment that supported both new and returning students in feeling safe, valued, and engaged.
Teacher - First Grade, Kindergarten
Jamaica Children's School
Jamaica
08.2016 - 06.2022
- I implemented targeted lessons to support reading readiness, with a focus on phonics, language comprehension, and early writing skills. I thoughtfully integrated technology into my lesson planning to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
- As Grade Team Lead, I supported the Kindergarten team by facilitating weekly meetings to review curriculum, analyze both formative and summative assessment data, and collaboratively plan instruction and student groupings.
- I used data consistently to inform instruction across curricula, ensuring that all students received appropriate support and enrichment.
- I designed and implemented behavior intervention supports, including charts and reward systems, while closely monitoring and documenting student behavior and progress in alignment with their BIPs.
- In addition, I coordinated and led professional development to turnkey new academic information.
- I built strong and meaningful relationships with students and families by maintaining open lines of communication through conferences, emails, phone calls, text messages, on platforms such as ClassDojo, all to ensure student success.
Lower School Mathematics Coordinator
The Chapin School
New York
08.2012 - 06.2016
- Facilitated collaborative math curriculum planning sessions with Head Teachers, enhancing lesson design and aligning mathematical expectations to meet state standards and support student learning across grade levels.
- Participated in parent-teacher conferences to effectively communicate student progress, strengths, and areas for growth with families.
- Designed and implemented grade-level culminating units and midterm assessments for grades K–3 to measure student understanding and progress.
Associate Teacher Kindergarten
The Chapin School
New York
08.2009 - 06.2012
- Utilized the Responsive Classroom approach to lead Morning Meeting, fostering a positive classroom community and strong social-emotional skills.
- Implemented targeted lessons to support reading readiness, with a focus on phonics, language comprehension, and early writing skills.
- Strengthened students’ reading independence through structured, multi-sensory instruction in phonemic awareness and decoding strategies.
Assistant Teacher - 1st & 2nd Grade
The Trevor Day School
New York
08.2007 - 08.2009
- Designed and implemented differentiated guided reading lessons for small groups based on students’ instructional levels, using targeted strategies to strengthen reading comprehension, fluency, and inferential thinking.
- Facilitated Morning Meeting using Responsive Classroom strategies to build a positive, inclusive classroom community.
- Implemented the Wilson Fundations program to develop students’ phonological and phonemic awareness skills.
- Developed and delivered differentiated math instruction aligned with the TERC math program to meet diverse student needs.
Teacher - 5th Grade
PS 129
New York
09.2006 - 06.2007
- Built and maintained positive relationships with students, families, and colleagues to support a collaborative learning environment.
- Differentiated instruction to meet diverse student needs and skill levels, ensuring equitable access to learning.
- Designed and implemented behavior supports, including charts and reward systems, while tracking student behavior and progress in alignment with BIPs.
- Conducted parent-teacher conferences to communicate student progress and keep families informed of academic performance.
- Developed and implemented engaging, student-centered, hands-on curriculum to promote interest and meaningful learning experiences.
Education
Master of Science - Education Administration
College of St. Rose - CITE Program
Albany, New York08-2022
Master of Science - Childhood Education 1-6
Lehman College of The City University of New York
The Bronx, NY05-2006
Bachelor of Arts - Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
City College of New York of The City University of New York, The
New York, NY05-1993
Skills
- Grade Team Lead - Supervision & Leadership
- Participated in Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)
- Student-Centered Learning
- Strong Verbal & Written communication skills
- Curriculum Development
- Collaborative Planning
- Problem Solving
- Progress and Academic Montioring
- Student Assessment
- Parent Communication
- Time Management
- Diversity and inclusion
- Relationship building
Affiliations
- Early Steps
Admissions Associate
2009-Present
The Town School
Board Member June 2010 - June 2016
Accomplishments
- Critical Friends Coach @ JCS
- Robotics Coach @ The Chapin School
- Summer Core IPad Workshop @Horace Mann
- Interschool Leadership Institute for Educators of Color
- Math in the City -Developing the Landscape - Early Number Sense
- Diversity Leadership Institute @ Le Lycee Francais
- Mathematics and the Brain (CT)
- Dana Hall Math Workshop, (Wellesley, MA)
- Lucy Calkins Writing Workshop @ Teachers College
- Institute Cervantes Spanish Study
- Responsive Classroom I
- Collegiate School Teaching Institute @ The Collegiate School
- Orton-Gillingham (An intensive, sequential phonics-based system) Bank Street School of Education
- Aesthetic Education Certificate , Lincoln Center
Timeline
Teacher - Kindergarten, First & Second Grade
Bedford Park Elementary School
08.2022 - Current
Teacher - First Grade, Kindergarten
Jamaica Children's School
08.2016 - 06.2022
Enrichment Teacher
Summer On The Hill
06.2016 - 03.2025
Lower School Mathematics Coordinator
The Chapin School
08.2012 - 06.2016
Associate Teacher Kindergarten
The Chapin School
08.2009 - 06.2012
Assistant Teacher - 1st & 2nd Grade
The Trevor Day School
08.2007 - 08.2009
Teacher - 5th Grade
PS 129
09.2006 - 06.2007
Master of Science - Education Administration
College of St. Rose - CITE Program
Master of Science - Childhood Education 1-6
Lehman College of The City University of New York
Bachelor of Arts - Public Relations, Advertising, And Applied Communication
City College of New York of The City University of New York, The