Sara Carothers
Beloit,WI
Summary
In my career I hope to bridge achievement gaps for English Learners through English instruction, mainstream classroom support, post-high school planning and family involvement. I also want to promote global competency in students by helping them acquire the Spanish language and culture, creating opportunities for them to meet new people and visit new places. In addition, I hope to enrich students through art and help them express themselves visually.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Spanish and ESL Teacher
Parkview School District
Orfordville, WI
08.2018 - Current
- Developed and implemented engaging lesson plans to enhance language acquisition for diverse learners.
- Utilized interactive technology and resources to facilitate immersive learning experiences in the classroom.
- Collaborated with colleagues to design curriculum aligned with state standards and student needs.
- Assessed student progress through various evaluation methods, providing targeted feedback for improvement.
- Conducted professional development workshops for teachers on effective ESL teaching strategies, elevating instructional quality across school.
- Attended CESA English Learner network meetings that focused on best practices in ESL education and cultural competency and WAFLT teaching conferences that improved my language-teaching repertoire.
- Increased overall reading test scores by providing individualized attention to struggling students.
- Provided ACT prep to improve students' scores in the district.
- Guided students in career planning and financial literacy.
- Developed strong relationships with parents, fostering an open line of communication for student success.
- Established a positive classroom environment that encouraged student participation and confidence in language use.
- Created and delivered engaging lesson plans to accommodate different learning styles.
- Administered ACCESS language proficiency assessments to monitor student progress and inform instructional planning.
ELL Teacher & Coordinator
Big Foot High School
Walworth, WI
01.2004 - 06.2018
- My responsibilities to English Learners are teaching them English, helping them in their other classes, assessing their language proficiency, translating, interpreting, preparing for post-secondary careers and fostering family involvement. I also have taught Spanish for Spanish speakers, Spanish I and Spanish II. For three years I taught intervention, which is a credit-based, guided study hall that helps at-risk students stay on track to graduate.
Art Internship Teacher
East Troy High School
01.2004 - 01.2004
- I taught introduction to art classes, helped with a student art exhibit and helped in Spanish and elementary art classes for the semester that I was there.
Substitute Teacher
Janesville School District
01.2002 - 01.2004
- I substitute taught many subjects including ELL, Spanish and Art. To students of all ages. I learned about many ELL program models and classroom management techniques.
ELL Tutor
Whitewater High School
01.2001 - 01.2002
- I helped students with their homework and helped low-level ELLs develop English skills. I translated letters and phone calls for parents who speak Spanish.
Education
MSE - Professional Development
UW Whitewater
01-2017
Bilingual-Bicultural Education
UW Whitewater
01-2009
BSE - ESL, Spanish and Art
UW Whitewater
01-2004
BA - Spanish and Art
UW Whitewater
01-2000
Skills
- Empathy and patience
- Student assessment
- Teaching English, Spanish and at-risk students
- Using visuals, realia and other multi-modal ways to deliver instruction
- Cross-cultural communication
- Contextualized learning
- Interactive games
- Classroom management through building strong connections with students and families
Certification
English as a Second Language- Levels PK-12
Art- Levels PK-12
Spanish- Levels 6-12
ACCESS for ELs Test Administration
Timeline
Spanish and ESL Teacher
Parkview School District
08.2018 - Current
ELL Teacher & Coordinator
Big Foot High School
01.2004 - 06.2018
Art Internship Teacher
East Troy High School
01.2004 - 01.2004
Substitute Teacher
Janesville School District
01.2002 - 01.2004
ELL Tutor
Whitewater High School
01.2001 - 01.2002
Bilingual-Bicultural Education
UW Whitewater
BSE - ESL, Spanish and Art
UW Whitewater
BA - Spanish and Art
UW Whitewater
MSE - Professional Development
UW Whitewater
QUALIFICATIONS
I have worked with ELs for nearly 22 years and have been speaking Spanish for 32 years. I really value the talents of this group of students in particular because they have enriched my career and my life.