Rebecca Pessa
Yucca Valley,CA
Summary
At Morongo Unified School District, I leveraged my expertise in Positive Reinforcement and Relationship Building to enhance the educational journey of students with special needs. By creating personalized IEPs and fostering strong connections, I significantly improved student engagement and academic success, demonstrating exceptional skills in both life skills instruction and collaborative teamwork.
Overview
2025
2025
years of professional experience
Work History
Secondary Special Education Teacher
Morongo Unified School District
08.2010 - Current
- Redirected students using Positive Behavior Support (PBS).
- Partnered with standard education teachers from across academic departments.
- Instructed students with physical and cognitive disabilities.
- Taught students across multiple classifications and degrees of special needs.
- Cultivated connections and strong student rapport to foster classroom engagement, in addition to recording student progress to inform parents and school administration.
- Created and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
- Encouraged students to take ownership of learning by providing choices.
- Assembled resource materials to communicate helpful information to parents and staff regarding special needs topics.
- Generated long-term action plans to help struggling students succeed academically.
Substitute Teacher
Morongo Unified School District
2008 - 2010
- Upheld classroom routines to support student environments and maintain consistent schedules.
Special Education Instructional Assistant
Morongo Unified School District
2000 - 2008
- Supported student learning objectives through personalized and small group assistance.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Human Development
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, CA05-2008
Associate of Arts - Liberal Studies
Copper Mountain College
Joshua Tree, CA06-2006
High School Diploma -
Yucca
Yucca Valley06-1992
Skills
- Communication Strategies
- Data Collection and Management
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Positive Reinforcement
- Transition planning
- Skills Development
- Parent Communication
- Conflict resolution techniques
- IEP and BIP implementation
- Social Skills Development
- Motivating students
- Collaborative Teamwork
- Relationship Building
- Scheduling proficiency
- Classroom Management
- Parent-teacher collaboration
- Parent communications
Timeline
Secondary Special Education Teacher
Morongo Unified School District
08.2010 - Current
Substitute Teacher
Morongo Unified School District
2008 - 2010
Special Education Instructional Assistant
Morongo Unified School District
2000 - 2008
Bachelor of Arts - Human Development
Azusa Pacific University
Associate of Arts - Liberal Studies
Copper Mountain College
High School Diploma -
Yucca
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