[The Trail]

Project 1: Daycare Assistant 
Okemos, Michigan 
Sept 2007 - Aug 2009 

• Child Profile: 12 children at a time, ages 3 months to 6 years.  Once child diagnosed with autism and one child suspected of autism. 
• Community Demographics: Middle-class college town, 80% white, 8% Asian, 7% black.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame:  Being confident in taking initiative as a professional. 

Project 2: Fourth Grade Student Teacher
East Lansing, Michigan
Aug 2009 - April 2010 

 

• Student Profile: 24 students in my class, and team-taught the other 2 classes as well for a total of 66 students.  2 students on the autism spectrum, 1 likely gifted, and 2 with emotional disorders.
• Community Demographics: Middle-class college town, 80% white, 8% Asian, 7% black.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame:  Time management and learning behavior management!  Geez that was a busy year. 

Project 3: High School Tutor & Mentor
North Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois 
Sept 2010 - June 2011

• Student Profile: Worked in a freshmen Honors English class and in 3 rotating junior Writing classes.  Many students had undiagnosed or unaddressed learning disabilities, and many had reading levels several grades below the average.
  
• Community Demographics: 99% African American; median income of the community is $18,000 and the unemployment rate is 13% (60% of 20-24 year olds are unemployed). 12% of babies born in 2000 were to a mother under the age of 18. The community endures frequent gang violence. In 2005, four area schools out of 18 exceeded the district average of 44.3% on state performance tests.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: Connecting with the students and earning their respect! I was happy to find my firm-nurturer approach.

Project 4: Team Leader
North Lawndale, Chicago, Illinois
July 2011 - May 2012  

• Student Profile: I managed a team of 6 first-time tutors in a high school, working with a total of 65 students.
  
• Community Demographics: 99% African American; median income of the community is $18,000 and the unemployment rate is 13% (60% of 20-24 year olds are unemployed). 12% of babies born in 2000 were to a mother under the age of 18.  The community endures frequent gang violence. In 2005, four area schools out of 18 exceeded the district average of 44.3% on state performance tests.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: Balancing the needs of the school administrators, my organization, the teachers, and my team.

Project 5: Special Needs Camp Counselor 
Chicago, Illinois
June - July 2012 

• Child Profile: I served as a counselor for a total of 6 special needs children, ages 5-10, in an inclusive setting.  Diagnoses included Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADD and ADHD, Cerebral Palsy, and OHI (other health issues).
  
• Community Demographics: Upper-middle class families, the majority of which are Jewish.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: Fielding questions about my campers' differences from the rest of the campers; encouraging participation while staying sensitive to needs. 

Project 6: Private Elementary Tutor 
Chicago, Illinois
August 2012

• Child Profile: Two boys, ages 7 and 10, who were advanced for their grade levels.
  
• Community Demographics: Upper-middle class.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: Motivating to complete work and instilling a thirst for more learning, despite the fact that they knew many children their age were relaxing over the summer.

Project 7: English Au Pair
Madrid, Spain
Sept - Dec 2012 

• Child Profile: Two girls, ages 7 and 13, with ranging abilities to speak English.
  
• Community Demographics: Upper-middle class.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: New culture, two languages! I learned when to push kids, got confirmation that checklists > rewards, felt empowered by traveling solo, and got a "parent's perspective" (ex. "I won't eat any fruits of vegetables.") 

Project 8: Assistant for Hearing Impaired Kids, Spanish Translator 
Grand Rapids, Michigan 
Feb - June 2013 

• Child Profile: Children with a range of hearing loss, ages 2 - 12.
  
• Community Demographics: Totally mixed, from all over the county. I also work with a few parents who only speak Spanish.
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: Training my habits of speaking to best improve their listening (ex. say-show-say, don't point or gesture, simplify sentences, speak slower, repeat then give wait time). Also gearing up the confidence to translate at school events, which I loved. 

 

Project 9: 1st Grade Literacy Teacher, Rocketship Spark AcademySan Jose, California
Aug 2013 - June 2014 

• Child Profile: 59 first-graders; many started significantly below grade level, 2 had an IEP.
  
• Community Demographics: Since it's a charter, they were from different parts of San Jose - about 70% Mexican, 20% Vietnamese, 10% other; 60% English-language learners; 75% reduced lunch. 
• Biggest Challenge Overcame: Learning how to teach!  The science of phonics & decoding, firm management, engagement, feeling confident to lead parents, work-life balance, and trusting myself despite negativity.