Melissa V Luxton
Fort Collins,CO
Summary
Enthusiastic educator with communication and interpersonal skills necessary to lead classrooms and execute lesson plans. Provides instruction and guidance to students of all ages. Creates positive classroom environments and effectively manages student behavior.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Substitute Teacher, K-5
Poudre School District
08.2022 - 05.2023
- Used skills and experience as a teacher to work individually and in small groups with 15 ILS students
- Collaborated with teachers in developing long term plans for these students, with an emphasis on differentiation, scaffolding for success, and engaging students in work that connected to their own lives
Engagement Specialist and Electives Teacher
Thompson School District
01.2022 - 05.2022
- Monitored student growth and progress using data to track attendance, participation, and engagement; celebrated growth from 1/28/22 with an average of 58% daily attendance to 4/28/22 with a new average of 90% attendance; adapted support for students by offering student choice mini-units of study such as résumé building, vision boards, entering "Thompson Kids Can Change the World Contest" to help those affected by the war in the Ukraine, drop-in lunch hours for educational and/or social/emotional support, etc.
- Created a middle school student run newspaper and an end-of-the-year digital yearbook for the entire school
- Collaborated with teachers, support personal, administrators, and colleagues to support and ensure success for all students, including: students facing homelessness, students disengaged from school, students with serious medical and/or mental health issues, et al.
- Built relationships between families of students through regular correspondence, worked with the "KidsPack" program to offer support for families experiencing food insecurity, enlisted the help of all families in the creation of an 8th grade virtual graduation with surprise awards given to each student for their 21st century skills of success
ESL Teacher
Golden Valley School
01.2019 - 12.2021
- Developed original lesson plans to teach ESL students (WIDA levels 5-6)
- Developed students' academic vocabulary, comprehension skills, reading and writing skills, grammar, et al
- Created original formative and summative assessments with student choice, prompt and constructive feedback, rubrics, exemplars, et al
- Monitored student growth and progress, differentiated work to build success for all, and documented students' academic, emotional, and social needs throughout the year; worked with families, tutors, counselors, etc. on how best to meet students' individual needs
- Worked with colleagues to create IB cross-curricular learning opportunities for students
- Maintained regular and positive communication with parents through weekly "news" emails highlighting students' achievements each week, as well as enlisted parent support and help during the school year
Middle School English and Language Arts Teacher
Van Sickle Middle School, Springfield Public School System
01.2007 - 08.2016
- Worked with a diverse population of students, including many ESL, International, and first-generation American students, and developed strategies for responding effectively to a wide range of writing abilities
- Designed original IB MYP lesson plans
- Evaluated student writing with an emphasis on skills that are transferable to other classes and contexts
- Gathered and compiled data research before conducting conferences with each individual student for MCAS/PARCC standardized assessments to address individual goals and progress; created school wide initiatives such as rewriting "We Will Rock You!" to "We Will Write One: the Right Way!" to teach the entire middle school the format of open responses
English Literature Teacher and Librarian
Holy Name School, Catholic Dioceses
01.2002 - 01.2007
- Designed and taught literature classes, grades Pre-K-8
- Managed and maintained the school library
- Planned and implemented Vietnamese Tet New Year celebrations, October festivities, and Career Day events, among others, for the entire school and greater community
Education
Masters - English
Western New England University
Springfield, MACertificate of Advanced Studies in Urban Secondary Education -
Springfield College
Springfield, MAB.A. - English
Western New England University
Springfield, MASkills
- Understanding of Core Knowledge Curriculum
- Teaching
- Creativity
- Growth Mindset
- Curriculum Design
- Lesson Plan Creation
- Collaboration
- Strong Work Ethic
- Patience
- Interpersonal Skills
- Inclusive
Certification
- Initial license: English , Colorado; 7-12
- Professional license: English, Massachusetts; 7-12
- Sheltered English Immersion Certification: MA.
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education Endorsement: Colorado (in the works!)
Languages
Spanish
Limited Working
Timeline
Substitute Teacher, K-5
Poudre School District
08.2022 - 05.2023
Engagement Specialist and Electives Teacher
Thompson School District
01.2022 - 05.2022
ESL Teacher
Golden Valley School
01.2019 - 12.2021
Middle School English and Language Arts Teacher
Van Sickle Middle School, Springfield Public School System
01.2007 - 08.2016
English Literature Teacher and Librarian
Holy Name School, Catholic Dioceses
01.2002 - 01.2007
Masters - English
Western New England University
Certificate of Advanced Studies in Urban Secondary Education -
Springfield College
B.A. - English
Western New England University
- Initial license: English , Colorado; 7-12
- Professional license: English, Massachusetts; 7-12
- Sheltered English Immersion Certification: MA.
- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education Endorsement: Colorado (in the works!)
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