Tai D. Berry
Clarksville
Summary
Certified in Leadership/Administration and English/Language Arts. Brings a wealth of experience in reading instruction for at-risk populations. Distinguished track record with commendable performance results on state and national achievement assessments, consistently achieving a Level 5 rating for four consecutive years. Research focused on targeted leadership in adaptive blended learning reading intervention model instruction.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
English 7 Teacher – English 7 Honors
Stratford Lower Campus
08.2024 - Current
- Progress monitor struggling readers and design reading remediation lessons
- Implement Tier II personalized learning time
- Developed data-driven lesson instruction and unit plans
- Instituted Student of the Month program to celebrate 7th grade students for improvement in behavior, academics, and attendance
English Teacher – English II/Honors English II/Songwriting
Maplewood High School
08.2023 - 05.2024
- Progress monitor struggling readers and design remediation lessons
- Implement Tier I personalized learning time for skinny block lessons
- Developed research protocols for all classes
- Implemented March Madness for EOC motivation and preparation
- Developed discipline model to build in restorative conferences within classroom rather than formal referrals being given with support of Academy AP
- Developed incentive and celebration activities for students in Health STEM and Science Academy
Interim English Language Learner Teacher-English I and III
Maplewood High School
02.2023 - 05.2023
- Provided support for senior ELLs in the English and English Language Development classroom
- Conducted weekly check-in meetings with students to encourage attendance, Credit Recovery completion, and confidence in second language usage
- Collaborated with EL Coach and Transition specialist to provide support for HERO population
English Teacher/Freshman Academy Team Lead/Lang and Lit Dept Chair
Hillsboro High School IB World School
01.2019 - 01.2022
- Implement new 9th grade MYP curriculum
- Design MYP lesson units and train English teachers
- Progress monitor struggling readers and design remediation lessons
- Implement Tier I personalized learning time lessons school wide
- IFL and Springboard curriculum for 7th grade ELA
- Create structure for RTII Tier 2 and 3 Reading
- Develop team model for lesson sharing and collaboration
- Raise reading RIT scores an average of 233% for students meeting their RIT goals and 88% overall RIT goals met on national MAP assessment
- Raised reading Lexile ranges from an average ZPD 2.6 to an average ZPD of 4.10
- Taught Honors ELA and raised Lexile range from average ZPD of 8.9 to average ZPD of 12.7
- Developed discipline model to build in restorative conferences within classroom rather than formal referrals being given
- Reduced referral rate from previous school year by more than 25%
- Implemented a comprehensive Grade Recovery Program which reduced freshman failure rate from 52% to 26%
English Teacher/7th Grade Team Lead
Goodlettsville Middle Preparatory
01.2018 - 01.2019
- Implement IFL and Springboard curriculum for 7th grade ELA
- Create structure for RTII Tier 2 and 3 Reading
- Develop team model for lesson sharing and collaboration
- Raise reading RIT scores an average of 233% for students meeting their RIT goals and 88% overall RIT goals met on national MAP assessment
- Raised reading Lexile ranges from an average ZPD 2.6 to an average ZPD of 4.10
- Taught Honors ELA and raised Lexile range from average ZPD of 8.9 to average ZPD of 12.7
- Developed discipline model to build in restorative conferences within classroom rather than formal referrals being given
- Reduced referral rate from previous school year by more than 25%
English Teacher/Dept Chair/Leadership Team/School Improvement Co-Chair
West Creek High School
01.2009 - 01.2014
- Recruited to design inclusion co-teaching model for special education and at-risk populations
- Design vertical alignment to alleviate overlaps in curriculum calendar
- Spearhead focus groups to cultivate lesson planning using utilizing backward design
- Lead English teachers professional development activities and use of data for specified date-driven lesson planning and remediation
- Level 4 student growth score 2013 and 5 student growth score 2012
Language Arts Teacher/Curriculum Coach
Snellville Middle School
01.2007 - 01.2009
- Recruited to assist special education and at-risk population achieve 85% passage rate on Georgia writing gateway and Reading CRCT state achievement test
- Assist in developing standards based lesson plans using backward design
- Develop strategy for meeting the needs of special education students who were being mainstreamed into the regular education classroom
- Developed and streamlined a vertical writing plan for 6th and 7th grade teachers to assist with technical writing skill development
- Developed writing handbook to assist teachers incorporate daily/weekly writing drills in all content areas
- Established routine for student self-directed reading across the curriculum
- Established a routine of lesson sharing, common assessment creation and data analysis
- Work closely with special education resource and inclusion teachers to develop strategies which assist all struggling students
English Teacher (7th/8th grade)
Brewbaker Junior High School
01.2004 - 01.2007
- Developed middle grade instructional calendar
- Created writing plan for school-wide remediation period where all teachers teach writing in their content area
- Developed peer coaching program for Language Arts teachers to assist with lesson planning, delivery, and professional development of new teachers
- Assisted with developing Title I writing lab for at-risk students to help them pass the Alabama writing assessment
- Participated in looping project to determine the effectiveness of consistent, rigorous instruction of special education inclusion students
- Looping results indicated students who looped with same teacher performed 8% better on SAT-10 than did those who did not loop
- Assisted in developing Parent Partnership Program with team teachers
- Instituted academic detentions for in-school academic recovery to reduce the failure rate of 7th and 8th grade students
Education
M.Ed. - English/Language Arts/Secondary Education
01.2005
- Licensed
- Education Focus: Reading and Writing in the content area
Ed.S. - Administration and Leadership
01.2004
- Licensed
- Research Interest: Adaptive Blended-Learning Reading Remediation Programs
B.A. - English: Writing
01.2002
Educational Focus: Interpreting multicultural literature and rhetoric
B.S. - Accounting
01.1995
Educational Focus: Corporate Accounting in the entertainment sector and fund accounting for non-profit entities
Skills
- Classroom management
- Problem-solving skills
- Organization
- English literature knowledge
- AVID strategies
- MYP/IB unit and lesson planning
Accomplishments
School Level/Academy Level Teacher of the Year 2024, 2022, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2007, 2006
Distinguished Educator 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
Affiliations
- Sigma Tau Delta – National English Honors Society
- NEA – National Education Association
- NCTE – National Council for Teachers of English
- NABA – National Association of Black Accountants – at large
Professional Development
- Teaching Diverse Populations
- MTSS Literacy Intervention
- Thinking Maps Implementation
- Differentiated Instruction – Using Technology Effectively
- Mentor-Mentee – Developing Strong Professional Bonds
- Conflict Resolution – Meeting the needs of the EBD Child
- Blended Learning Reading Intervention
- Scaffolding Students to Write Effectively
- Data Analysis and Interpretation: There is a Child Behind Every Number
- MYP/AP Unit Planning
- The New Leader: Teacher as Curriculum Coach
- Motivation: Staff, Students, Self
Leadership Experience
Academic Wellness Wednesdays, Hillsboro High School Freshman Academy, Team Tutoring, Hillsboro High School Football and Basketball Teams, Winning Writing Workshop, West Creek High School 9th – 11th Grades, Goodlettsville Middle School – 7th Grade, Hillsboro High School 9th Grade, Snellville Middle School, 7th Grade Team; Language Arts Team, West Creek High School, School Improvement Team; Freshman English; English Department, Hillsboro High School, Freshman Academy; English Department, Stratford Lower School, 7th Grade Team Lead, Data Action Team; Climate and Culture Lead; Senior Class Sponsor (West Creek High School), Substitute Dean of Students (Hillsboro High School), Substitute Administrator Freshman Academy (West Creek High School), School Improvement Plan Editing Team (West Creek High School)
Certification
Tennessee ILL Administrator License: Beginning Administrator Endorsement
Tennessee Teacher License: ELA/English Endorsement
Timeline
English 7 Teacher – English 7 Honors - Stratford Lower Campus
08.2024 - Current
English Teacher – English II/Honors English II/Songwriting - Maplewood High School
08.2023 - 05.2024
Interim English Language Learner Teacher-English I and III - Maplewood High School
02.2023 - 05.2023
English Teacher/Freshman Academy Team Lead/Lang and Lit Dept Chair - Hillsboro High School IB World School
01.2019 - 01.2022
English Teacher/7th Grade Team Lead - Goodlettsville Middle Preparatory
01.2018 - 01.2019
English Teacher/Dept Chair/Leadership Team/School Improvement Co-Chair - West Creek High School
01.2009 - 01.2014
Language Arts Teacher/Curriculum Coach - Snellville Middle School
01.2007 - 01.2009
English Teacher (7th/8th grade) - Brewbaker Junior High School
01.2004 - 01.2007
Trevecca Nazarene University - Ed.S., Administration and Leadership
University of Michigan - B.A., English: Writing
Tennessee ILL Administrator License: Beginning Administrator Endorsement
Tennessee Teacher License: ELA/English Endorsement
Alabama State University - M.Ed., English/Language Arts/Secondary Education
Alabama State University - B.S., Accounting
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