Valeria Mercado Medina
Brooklyn,NY
Overview
5
5
years of professional experience
Work History
Special Education Teacher, Science
Urban Assembly School for Leadership and Empowerment
2019.09 - Current
- Taught multiple subjects in the Integrated Co-Teaching setting to students with intellectual or emotional disabilities, including Living Environment, Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental Science, (+ Advanced Placement), Bioethics, English Language Arts, and Physics.
- Collaborated with the general education teacher and related service providers to design students' curriculum accessibility.
- Modified the general education curriculum and developed accommodations to assignments, lesson plans, and course expectations.
- Grade assignments, provide feedback, and work 1:1 or in small group pull-outs for targeted learning and skill development.
- Cultivated connections and strong student rapport to foster classroom engagement, executive functioning skills, and socio-emotional learning.
- Observed and recorded student progress to inform parents, school administration, and evaluate the effectiveness of instructional strategies.
- Provided professional development training to educate faculty on best practices in science for special education.
- Caseload manager for an average of 8-10 students per year.
- Responsible for writing annual and triennial Individualized Education Plans by compliance deadlines in accordance with state guidelines.
- Coordinate meetings with the IEP subcommittee, ensure special education requirements are being met across grade level, and advocate for my students' success.
Corps Member
Teach For America
2019.06 - 2021.06
- Selected from ~ 49,000 applicants nationwide and committed to two years of teaching in an under-resourced public school with the intention of minimizing educational inequity.
- Engaged in professional development seminars, workshops, and learning teams specific to my teaching license area.
- Taught 5th grade summer school Math while at Institute 2019, an intensive summer training program for developing the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve significant gains in student achievement.
- Satisfied TEE session and AmeriCorp requirements.
- Attended meetings with my assigned Director of Program and Ramapo Trauma Training.
Teaching Assistant
WGSS 453 – Women In The Criminal Justice System
2019.01 - 2019.05
- Facilitated class discussions
- Proctored and graded daily quizzes
- Oversaw students' research content, outlines, and group dynamics during class projects
- Maintained record of attendance, participation, and grades for all students
- Worked with the professor to optimize curriculum plans based on student progress and recommendations for improvement
Education
Master of Arts - Teaching
Relay Graduate School of Education
New York, NY06.2021
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA05.2019
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy (Justice, Law, And Values)
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA05.2019
Minor - Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA05.2019
Skills
- Organized
- Relationship Building
- Problem Solving
- Ambitious
- Growth Mindset
- Observant
- Research and Data Analysis
- Self-Management and Group Collaboration
- Meticulous
- Adaptable
- Written and Verbal Communication
- Bilingual: English and Spanish
Research Experience
Sexual Scripts and Double Standards in Three Varieties (2018-2019)
- The purpose of this study was to understand how social media use and digital communication are affecting our perceptions of norms related to relationships and sexuality. Participants (312) completed an anonymous, online questionnaire about sexual communication and hypothetical scenarios.
- Conducted a literature review on related topics and synthesized the background information.
- Designed the research experiment, questions, and hypothetical scenarios.
- Analyzed the raw data for trends in open-ended responses and graphs for quantitative variables.
- Wrote the abstract, literature review, introduction, experimental design, conclusion, limitations, future research sections, and APA citations.
- Accepted and presented a poster for the following conferences: The Pennsylvania State University Psi Chi Annual Conference (April 2019) The Pennsylvania State University Undergraduate Research Conference (April 2019) Eastern Psychological Association (June 2020) International Association for Relationship Research (August 2021)
Additional Information
Teacher Ally for the City College of New York course: Capital vs. Human (2021)
- Selected 6 interested high school students that demonstrated the qualities necessary for a college-level course.
- Supported research, writing, and organizing assigned projects on either marketing a skincare line for melanin-rich individuals or utilizing hydrogen fuel to power trains.
- Provided editing revisions and feedback.
- Collaborated with other teacher allies to develop support strategies for students.
UASLE Engagement (2019-2024)
- Trained in Restorative Justice Circles, Tier 1-3
- Tenth Grade Team Leader (2023-2024)
- Student Council Advisor (2021-2024)
- Women for Women Book Club (2019-2024)
- Library Committee (2022-2023)
- Debate Club Advisor (2022-2023)
- Hiring Committee (Summer 2022)
- Black History Month Planning Committee (February 2021)
- NX Committee (Spring 2021)
- Women's History Month Planning Committee (March 2020)
Undergraduate Leadership
Puerto Rican Student Association, President (Aug 2017 – May 2019)
- Led a 9 member e-Board
- Tasks included: assigning roles, making sure responsibilities were completed in a timely manner, responding to the interests of the organization, and managing communication efforts with the students and administrative offices.
- Organized cultural, social, and educational events to promote Puerto Rican culture across campus.
- Collaborated with other Latinx organizations to raise funds and expand awareness of our identity.
- Reinstated the participation of the PRSA at THON, a student-run philanthropy that raises funds for pediatric cancer and hosts an annual 46-hour no sitting, dance marathon.
- Affiliated and represented the organization with the National Puerto Rican Student Coalition (2018-2019).
- In response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, raised $7,000 for ‘Para la Naturaleza', a non-profit dedicated to conserving lands of high ecological value in Puerto Rico, with the support of the Sierra Club at State College.
- Joined the coalition of ‘Students with Puerto Rico' to promote fundraising efforts for infrastructure on the island post-hurricane, raising over $200,000 along 50+ universities across the nation.
Latino Caucus, Presidential Delegate (Aug 2017 – May 2019)
- Attended weekly meetings with all Latinx presidential delegates to discuss initiatives, organize events, and voice pressing issues that impacted the experience of Latinx students on campus.
- Recruited members for the PRSA through the Involvement Fair.
Timeline
Special Education Teacher, Science
Urban Assembly School for Leadership and Empowerment
2019.09 - Current
Corps Member
Teach For America
2019.06 - 2021.06
Teaching Assistant
WGSS 453 – Women In The Criminal Justice System
2019.01 - 2019.05
Master of Arts - Teaching
Relay Graduate School of Education
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
The Pennsylvania State University
Bachelor of Arts - Philosophy (Justice, Law, And Values)
The Pennsylvania State University
Minor - Women's, Gender, And Sexuality Studies
The Pennsylvania State University
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