Shawn Thomas

The role as service coordinator is to be a point of contact for families and their service providers (physical therapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist and development specialist). Schedule meetings with parents and therapists as needed. Develop family service plans with goals for the family to work towards. In addition to helping families with therapies also helping families gain access to additional resources for their family if requested. A service coordinator also maintains documentation in a timely manner. A service coordinator also establishes strong relationships with families through regular follow-ups, keeping them informed about progress updates regarding their services requested or concerns raised.

As a kindergarten teacher I was responsible for building positive relationships with students and families for safe, trusted learning support. In addition classroom management by establishing clear expectations, rules, and routines. I worked closely with colleagues to share resources, brainstorm ideas, and problem-solve challenges faced in the classroom environment. I also included differentiated instruction strategies to meet the diverse learning needs of all students that included learning through play with engaging activities, games and lessons. Followed school curriculum and used data to create, monitor, and establish personalized learning plan for each student. Leesburg Open Arms is a faith-based school, their kindergarten program included Bible study which was included in daily lesson plans and school curriculum as well as attending weekly chapel.

Special Education teacher for a self-contained autism program. This was a new program at the school and my responsibilities included, developing IEPs tailored to individual student needs, ensuring their academic success and personal growth while managing IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals. Promoting a positive learning environment through the use of differentiated instruction and individualized support for diverse learners which included modifying general education curriculum for special-needs students using various instructional techniques and technologies. Strengthening relationships with parents and guardians to maintain open lines of communication to ensure student progress as well,