Instructional Leadership Team
At the Higginson-Lewis, I am fortunate to be a part of our Instructional Leadership Team. On this team, I helped to develop our transformation goals, plan Professional Days, and lead team meetings. We worked together to create a school-wide plan that uses data to drive student interventions and inform parents of their child's progress.
Mentoring
While teaching at Bridge Boston, I had the honor of mentoring Donovan student teachers. As an effective mentor, I sought to help new teachers reflect on their teaching practices and develop personalized, attainable goals.
Unlike traditional "transmission of knowledge," my mentoring style is based on research that shows helping new teachers reflect on their lessons helps them grow from good to great teachers. I develop a positive relationship with my mentees, help them think about their practices, and offer my guidance and support based on my experiences and studies. I work with new teachers and help them set ambitious yet attainable goals that will help them be successful in the classroom. When mistakes happen, they are not viewed negatively; instead, mistakes are a time to reflect and think of solutions!
Being a first-year teacher can difficult and overwhelming at times. I know from my experiences that having a supportive mentor can make all the difference in a new teacher's growth.
Co-Director of Teaching Fellows and Americorp members
For two years, I was a co-director of the teaching fellows program at Bridge Boston. I worked with the administrative team to design and present professional developments to the teaching fellows cohort. We worked with them to help them transition to the school, ask questions, and reflect on the practices. Based on their needs, we designed professional developments, such as how to structure their aftercare lessons.
Summer Program Director
During 2015 and 2016, I directed the summer program for over one hundred Bridge Boston students. I designed a summer curriculum from K1-3rd grade based on standards to prevent summer slide and hired over thirty staff members. I led a professional development the week leading up to the program to train new staff members in the curriculum and restorative justice behavior strategies.
In addition to a standards-based curriculum, I scheduled and planned for Friday field trips to the Franklin Park Zoo, Boston Nature Conservatory, and Houghton's Pond.
Architectural Design Team
When Bridge Boston needed to build a new school, I was selected to work with the principal, executive director, and board president to design the building. We drew-up floor plans that aligned with our values and mission as a school community. These plans included a full-service cafeteria, family center, and space for the arts. Designing the building was not easy, and we needed to make concessions based on our budget and square footage. To update the faculty, I ran professional developments explaining the plans and progress of the design.
