Sara Kessler
Otsego,MN
Summary
Early Childhood Special Education teacher with strong communication skills and experience in building relationships with students and families across all abilities and backgrounds.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Faithful Beginnings Director
St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School
06.2019 - 06.2021
- Implemented school policies, procedures, and systems to promote safe and healthy environment in compliance with state standards.
- Led staff training sessions on early childhood education best practices, enhancing overall teaching quality.
- Supervised and evaluated preschool teachers and teaching assistants and oversaw facility to meet state requirements for education and training.
- Collaborated with other administrators to assess program and staffs' needs.
- Gave tours to new families and assisted in enrollment for classes.
- Communicated with parents and caregivers to support student behaviors and ensure needs were met.
Preschool Teacher and Director
St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School
08.2016 - 06.2019
- Developed and implemented behavior management plans.
- Maintained accurate records of each child''s progress throughout the year using various documentation methods such as portfolios or tracking sheets.
- Developed weekly lesson plans and activities to engage children and promote learning.
- Guided students to develop social, emotional and physical skills.
- Observed children to identify individuals in need of additional support and developed strategies to improve assistance.
- Increased parent involvement by effectively communicating with families about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and student progress reports.
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Columbia Heights ISD 13
08.2011 - 06.2016
- Taught students ages 3-5 with special needs in a variety of settings including co-taught Pre-K classes, inclusive preschools, home bound, separate ECSE classrooms and community preschools.
- Conducted part b evaluations to determine educational category and individual needs of students to place students in programs that would best meet their needs.
- Collaborated with Birth-2 team to transition students from part c to part b and across disciplines including OT, PT, and SL/P including evaluations, leading IEP meetings, and instruction in the classroom.
- Completed part b paperwork for each student based on their individual needs from data on their evaluations, progress on current goals, parent and caregiver input, and developmental milestones.
- Established positive relationships with families from diverse backgrounds and English learners.
- Guided educational assistants on best practices and gave directions on reaching goals and working day to day with students.
Education
Master of Science - Special Education
Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN05.2023
Bachelor of Science - Unified Early Childhood Studies
University of Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN05.2011
Skills
- Trained in CPI
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration
- Early Intervention Strategies
- Relationship Building
- Visual Supports Implementation
- Written Communication
Timeline
Faithful Beginnings Director
St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School
06.2019 - 06.2021
Preschool Teacher and Director
St. Vincent De Paul Catholic School
08.2016 - 06.2019
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Columbia Heights ISD 13
08.2011 - 06.2016
Master of Science - Special Education
Minnesota State University - Mankato
Bachelor of Science - Unified Early Childhood Studies
University of Minnesota Duluth
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