Maria Acuna
Columbia,MD
Summary
Proven Paraeducator at Mount Hebron High School, adept in literacy support and demonstrating exceptional adaptability. Enhanced learning for special education students through innovative instructional adaptations and strong emotional support. Fostered inclusive environments, significantly improving student outcomes. Skilled in parental interaction and classroom organization, embodying excellent communication and crisis intervention abilities.
Overview
22
22
years of professional experience
Work History
Paraeducator, Special Education
Mount Hebron High School
09.2022 - Current
- Delivered personalized educational, behavioral, and emotional support to individual students to enable positive learning outcomes..
- Enhanced student learning by providing individualized support and accommodations for special education students.
- Assisted teachers in adapting lesson plans and materials, ensuring accessibility for all students.
- Facilitated communication between parents, teachers, and school staff, fostering strong relationships to support student success.
- Participated in professional development opportunities focused on new strategies for supporting special education learners successfully in the classroom.
- Provided a safe and inclusive learning environment that accommodated diverse learning styles and abilities.
- Maintained accurate records of student performance, attendance, and progress towards IEP goals.
- Contributed to a positive school culture by participating in staff meetings, committees, and volunteering at extracurricular activities that supported students'' growth and development.
- Documented student behaviors, interventions, and outcomes to enable lead teacher to address pertinent issues.
- Set up visual aids, equipment, and classroom displays to support teacher's lesson delivery.
- Maintained positive attitude and affirmatively communicated with each student.
- Collaborated with teacher to create customized classroom environment integral to students' needs.
- Assisted teachers with classroom management and document coordination to maintain positive learning environment.
- Monitored student classroom and outdoors activities to promote student safety.
- Alerted instructor to student behavior or issues requiring intervention.
- Supported teacher in development of individual learning strategies.
- Interacted physically and verbally with students throughout each day.
- Observed students' performance and recorded relevant data to assess progress.
- Created positive and inclusive classroom environment by helping students develop social skills and relationships.
Spanish Interpreter
Howard County Public Schools
03.2012 - Current
- Maintained message content, tone, and emotion as closely as possible.
- Provided cultural input to speakers to help parties who did not speak similar languages communicate with and understand one another.
- Played an instrumental role in organizing cross-cultural events, inviting guest speakers, and planning activities to promote cultural awareness within the company.
- Delivered exceptional customer service to both English-and Spanish-speaking clients through skillful written and verbal communication abilities.
- Strengthened relationships with clients by providing culturally sensitive interpretations that demonstrated respect and understanding.
- Increased efficiency within the organization by implementing innovative technology solutions for remote interpreting services when needed.
- Enhanced communication by accurately interpreting and translating complex legal documents for Spanish-speaking clients.
- Completed precise translations of official documents with correct words and phrasing to meet legal standards.
- Attended training programs to improve professional knowledge and interpretation skills.
- Developed strategies to perform accurate and consistent translations.
- Interpreted conversations between foreign language-speaking clients and others.
- Interpreted conversations simultaneously to help both parties conduct business, handle medical needs or manage personal concerns.
Preschool Teacher
Columbia Academy
01.2017 - 10.2022
- Developed strong relationships with parents and caregivers, providing regular updates on their child''s progress and addressing any concerns proactively.
- Evaluated student performance regularly through observation, assessment tools, and parent-teacher conferences to ensure academic growth was being achieved consistently across all areas of development.
- Assisted in creating a safe and nurturing classroom environment that promoted emotional well-being and academic growth for all students.
- Ensured a safe and nurturing environment for all students, adhering to health and safety guidelines in the classroom.
- Sanitized toys and play equipment each day to maintain safety and cleanliness.
- Maintained accurate records of each child''s progress throughout the year using various documentation methods such as portfolios or tracking sheets.
- Boosted children''s social development by promoting positive interactions among peers through group activities and collaborative projects.
- Maintained organized, fun and interactive classroom to help children feel safe.
- Assisted in the assessment of each student''s abilities, tailoring instruction to meet individual needs and learning styles.
- Increased parent involvement by effectively communicating with families about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and student progress reports.
- Supported students in developing social skills through structured activities and positive reinforcement techniques.
- Maintained well-controlled classrooms by clearly outlining standards and reinforcing positive behaviors.
- Established positive communication with parents in daily conversation and formal conferences.
- Designed creative lesson plans that incorporated hands-on activities and interactive learning experiences to foster curiosity and engagement in young learners.
- Organized special events like field trips, holiday celebrations, or guest speakers to enhance the educational experience for students while building a sense of community within the classroom.
- Developed weekly lesson plans and activities to engage children and promote learning.
- Allowed for ample outdoor discovery time in schedule each day.
- Improved student behavior by implementing effective classroom management strategies and establishing clear expectations for conduct.
- Assisted and supervised 10 children through entire school day.
- Observed children to identify individuals in need of additional support and developed strategies to improve assistance.
Preschool Teacher
Happy Acres
04.2002 - 02.2017
- Developed strong relationships with parents and caregivers, providing regular updates on their child''s progress and addressing any concerns proactively.
- Evaluated student performance regularly through observation, assessment tools, and parent-teacher conferences to ensure academic growth was being achieved consistently across all areas of development.
- Boosted children's social development by promoting positive interactions among peers through group activities and collaborative projects.
- Maintained organized, fun and interactive classroom to help children feel safe.
- Assisted in the assessment of each student's abilities, tailoring instruction to meet individual needs and learning styles.
- Increased parent involvement by effectively communicating with families about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and student progress reports.
- Supported students in developing social skills through structured activities and positive reinforcement techniques.
- Assisted and supervised [Number] children through entire school day.
Education
No Degree - Early Childhood Special Education
Howard Community College
Columbia, MD12.2025
Skills
- Data Collection
- Classroom support
- Social Skills Development
- Emotional Support
- Autism spectrum understanding
- Assistive Technology
- Progress Monitoring
- Teacher Assistance
- Student Supervision
- Personal Hygiene Assistance
- Feeding Assistance
- Life Skills Development
- Behavior management techniques
- Excellent Communication
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Multitasking
- Crisis Intervention
Languages
Spanish
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Paraeducator, Special Education
Mount Hebron High School
09.2022 - Current
Preschool Teacher
Columbia Academy
01.2017 - 10.2022
Spanish Interpreter
Howard County Public Schools
03.2012 - Current
Preschool Teacher
Happy Acres
04.2002 - 02.2017
No Degree - Early Childhood Special Education
Howard Community College