MAHA FAISSAL
Forest Hills,NY
Summary
Organized and dependable educator who fosters growth and development in children while encouraging strong partnerships with families. Successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously with a high degree of accuracy.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Kindergarten Associate Teacher
Collegiate School
08.2021 - Current
- Communicated frequently with parents, students, and faculty to provide feedback and discuss instructional strategies
- Incorporated exciting and engaging activities to achieve student participation and hands-on learning
- Supported student physical, mental, and social development using classroom games and activities
- Kept students on-task with proactive behavior modification and positive reinforcement strategies
- Worked cooperatively with other teachers, administrators, and parents to help students reach learning objectives
- Incorporated multiple types of teaching strategies into classroom
- Implemented creative ways to foster curiosity for complex principles through hands-on learning and planned activities
- Chaperoned field trips to maintain safety and encourage learning
- Tracked student progress and attendance on database to enable tracking history and maintain accurate records
- Scheduled conferences with parents to discuss students' progress and classroom behavior
- Created and developed lesson plans to meet students' academic needs
- Developed and implemented classroom routines to address varying student needs
4th Grade Co-Teacher
Collegiate School
08.2020 - 06.2021
- Implemented classroom management improvements to enhance class morale and engagement
- Assessed student progress by administering tests and evaluating results
- Collaborated with administrators on classroom policies, management strategies, and discipline
- Drove student learning by establishing clear classroom plans and group objectives, as well as actionable strategies to achieve each goal
- Kept classroom clean, organized, and safe for students and visitors
- Stayed abreast of new trends in education by attending professional development courses and in-service trainings
- Identified and reported child abuse and maltreatment
- Obtained certifications in preventing discrimination and harassment, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic first aid, psychological first aid during COVID-19, protecting children from sexual misconduct, and OSHA compliant bloodborne pathogens training
- Completed Early Childhood Education and Training Program
- Established and enforced rules of behavior to drive social development and maintain positive interactions
- Promoted exploration of building blocks of learning by leading diverse, hands-on activities
- Built positive relationships with parents to involve families in educational process
- Taught students subject-specific material, learning strategies, and social skills
- Provided regular feedback to students on progress and assigned grades based on performance
- Integrated technology and multimedia tools into lessons to enhance student learning
2nd Grade Assistant Teacher
Riverdale Country School
08.2019 - 06.2020
- Created Math lessons to develop flexibility, strengthen number sense and computational skills, develop efficient strategies
- Assisted in creating lessons in Novel Engineering where students used existing classroom literature such as stories, novels, and expository texts as the basis for engineering design challenges
- Taught mini-lessons for writing workshop which included personal narrative writing, information and opinion writing, poetry, and creative writing
- Reinforced structured and intentional phonics/spelling instruction taught strategically as a part of our workshop model
- Taught mini-lessons for reading workshop which provided readers with opportunities to develop reading skills, decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension through exposure to a variety of interactive experiences and to a wide range of literature
- Contributed information for student reports and records
- Used the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment Systems to observe and quantify specific reading behaviors, and then interpret and use that data to plan meaningful instruction
- Attended meetings and conferences with parents and learning specialists
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Riverdale Country School
08.2018 - 06.2019
- Observed and assessed student performance and charted progress
- Delivered structured lessons on readiness skills by emphasizing phonics, language skills, literature, and handwriting
- Kept accurate documents about student progress for school and parent records
- Assisted students by serving as advocate for children in school and community
- Inspired students to take ownership of learning and become autonomous thinkers
- Developed and implemented behavior management strategies for creation of ideal learning environment
- Promoted social and emotional learning by creating social activities and clubs
- Teamed with other professionals to enhance student learning experiences
- Encouraged and prepared students to become independent readers through systematic, multi-sensory instruction in phonemic awareness and decoding skills
- Helped struggling students by motivating and encouraging kids to reach full potential
- Monitored use of technology, enhancing student learning and technological skills
- Incorporated art, music, and physical activity into curriculum for well-rounded education
Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Riverdale Country School
08.2017 - 06.2018
- Reinforced lesson plans, class norms, and daily routines
- Independently assisted the children in project work in our All About Me Unit and leading whole class and small group discussions during our Morning Meetings and Literacy Brainstorming sessions for our Letter of the week
- Contributed in setting up the different centers such as the Math and Literacy centers
- Participated in the supervision of children and maintaining order and decorum by modeling behavior consistent with the RCS norms
- Engaged in discussions and observations about the students and participated in writing progress reports and attended meetings with parents involving their children in the classroom
Associate Guide
The Montessori School at Flatiron
08.2016 - 06.2017
- Encouraged a desire for independence
- Fostered a high sense of self-esteem
- Helped develop in all children the qualities of kindness, courtesy, and self-discipline
- Taught children to observe, question, and explore ideas independently
- Helped children master social skills and knowledge
- Facilitated the comprehensive development of all students by interacting positively, confidently, and respectfully with all children, families, and staff members
- Maintained a clean and hygienic classroom environment
- Built positive relationships with parents to promote positive experiences
Kindergarten Co-Teacher
American Community School
10.2012 - 06.2016
- Helped students apply mathematical reasoning skills by matching quantity to quantity using concrete materials for spatial reasoning and applying the properties and relationships of geometric figures
- Facilitated and designed instructional activities, projects, and Field Trips that allowed students to construct their own understandings such as The Airport Project, The Food Pyramid, The Eye Project, The Shoe Project, The Vending Machine Project, The Big Book Project
- Built vocabulary through read-aloud activities, songs, finger plays, and themes
- Ensured that the health and safety of children is maintained at all times, both inside and outside the classroom environment
- Maintained student records for daily writing journals and guided reading with leveled books
- Communicated effectively with parents at Parent-Teacher Conferences about their children's development
Education
Master of Arts - International Education
Framingham State University
Framingham, MA05.2011
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
Lebanese American University
Beirut, Lebanon06.2005
Skills
- Group and Individual Instruction
- Social Skills
- Emotional Support
- Differentiated Instruction
- Early Reading
- Smart Classroom
- Positive Reinforcement Strategies
- Parent Communication
- Classroom Management Techniques
- Interactive Media
- Technical and Computer Proficiency
Certification
- Obtained a Certificate of Completion in Mandated Reporter Training
- Certified in Prevent Discrimination and Harassment Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic first aid
- Certified in Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19 conducted by American Red
- Obtained a Certificate in Protecting Children: Identifying and Reporting Sexual Misconduct K-12
- Completed an OSHA Compliant Bloodborne Pathogens English training course
- Completed Early Childhood Education and Training Program
Affiliations
- Member of SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity)
- LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group at Collegiate School
- JAMAA - Affinity group for students of color
Additional Information
- Workshop Presenter: Mini-NESA Educators Conference entitled Many Minds Make Rich Learning at the American Community School
- Participant: Reggio Emilia Approach to Education, held in Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Attended the Mini-NESA Educators Conferences at the American Community School in Beirut, Lebanon,
- Attended the Brain Conference at the American Community School, Developed and implemented a comprehensive geography curriculum tailored for Kindergarten students
- Collaborated with a team of 8 in the development of a community service/service learning program for the lower school community at Collegiate
- Instructed an Interactive Beginners and advanced Arabic class, incorporating activities and captivating stories in person and virtually to young children and adults
- Led an engaging afterschool science program with interactive experiments and hands-on activities
Curriculum Development
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive geography curriculum tailored for Kindergarten students
- Collaborated with a team of 8 in the development of a community service/service learning program for the lower school community at Collegiate
Leadership
- Instructed an Interactive Beginners and advanced Arabic class, incorporating activities and captivating stories in person and virtually to young children and adults
- Led an engaging afterschool science program with interactive experiments and hands-on activities
Professional Development
- Attended the NYSAIS 2023 Gender and Human Sexuality Conference
- Participated in the Reading and Writing Project workshops at Teachers College, Columbia University
- Successfully completed the Beginning Teachers Institute held at Carey Conference Center, NYSAIS
- Collaborated with a group of 10 for the Power of our words book study
- Attended a TERC Math workshop led by Nicole Sylva and successfully implemented the tools and techniques gained from the workshop
- Participated in a Social Emotional learning classroom workshop led by Joanna Festa
Languages
Arabic
Native or Bilingual
English
Native or Bilingual
French
Professional Working
Timeline
Kindergarten Associate Teacher
Collegiate School
08.2021 - Current
4th Grade Co-Teacher
Collegiate School
08.2020 - 06.2021
2nd Grade Assistant Teacher
Riverdale Country School
08.2019 - 06.2020
Kindergarten Assistant Teacher
Riverdale Country School
08.2018 - 06.2019
Pre-K Assistant Teacher
Riverdale Country School
08.2017 - 06.2018
Associate Guide
The Montessori School at Flatiron
08.2016 - 06.2017
Kindergarten Co-Teacher
American Community School
10.2012 - 06.2016
Master of Arts - International Education
Framingham State University
Bachelor of Arts - English Literature
Lebanese American University
- Obtained a Certificate of Completion in Mandated Reporter Training
- Certified in Prevent Discrimination and Harassment Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic first aid
- Certified in Psychological First Aid: Supporting Yourself and Others During COVID-19 conducted by American Red
- Obtained a Certificate in Protecting Children: Identifying and Reporting Sexual Misconduct K-12
- Completed an OSHA Compliant Bloodborne Pathogens English training course
- Completed Early Childhood Education and Training Program
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