Teacher Tom's Teaching Corner

I have degrees in History Education and Educational Leadership, 13 years of teaching experience in both History and English Language Arts, as well as a diverse skill set. I would like to highlight my experience as an English Language Arts/Humanities teacher for seven years before entering the High School setting as an English Language Development teacher. I want to develop students as best I can. I have had a history of achieving high academic standards with my students. Working in some of the most challenging areas of the country. I have designed History, English and English Language Development curriculum. I was also part of the founding staff of a charter school in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I now look to use my Masters in Educational Leadership to expand my impact and help the community in which I live. For the past year, I have worked with the non-profit Teach For America at the Director level providing instructional support for our 130 teachers in the Denver area. In this role, I have served as interventionist for a caseload of corps members who require additional support and have had a 97% success rate in retaining them. I also oversee the supports we provide through our teacher residency program, which has a record-breaking participation satisfaction score of 93/100. Per my role, I have worked to develop my partnerships with licensing partnership and fifty different schools that Teach For America places

My teaching style is varied depending on the context of the school and student body. I have used a variety of techniques within the classroom and have coached teachers in employing the best techniques for their classroom and context. I am trained in the use of Sheltered Protocol, No Nonsense Nurturing, Teach Like a Champion, Common Core Aligned Strategies, ESL Best Practices, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Expeditionary Learning, Competency Based Learning and Assessments and PBIS.

•Hispanic Scholarship Fund - Recipient Two Years in a Row ’16 & ‘17 •Illinois State University: Steve & Sandi Adams Legacy Hall of Fame Feb ‘15 •Teach for America: Excellence in Teaching Award – Nominated Aug ‘13

•BSc History Education, Politics & Government (3.68 GPA) | Illinois State University, Normal (Aug ’04-’09) •MEd, Educational Leadership (3.8 GPA) | University of Denver (June ’15-’17)

My professional experience has included a wide variety of areas including but not limited to; paralegal work, university support systems, teaching in Colorado, New Mexico and Illinois and organizational leadership and reform. My goals include making a lasting difference in whatever endeavor I do. I want to work on making stronger more collaborative entities and making a legacy of good. Specialties: Communication, Excel and Microsoft Software, Adobe Software