EI Special Education Teacher/Therapist

Natalie Rae Decker Mitchell

*** ****** ****** • Lansdale, PA • 19446

Phone 1-484-***-**** • E-mail *******.******@*****.***

As a special education teacher, I want to help my students achieve individual goals and successes that they may face, however big or small. As a teacher, I want my students to believe in themselves, and trust me as a role mode to help them achieve their goals. I want my students to develop a passion for learning, as they gain pride in him/herself for blossoming into the person and student that I know they can become.

RELATED EXPERIENCE

Special Education Teacher, Perkiomen Valley School District

K-2 Autistic Support Teacher, July 2009- August 2011

K-3 Learning Support Teacher, August 2011- Present

• Experience building, fostering and developing PVSD’s first year autistic support program at South Elementary.

• First and second grade classroom with experience creating and instructing individual and small group programs in math, reading, social skills and writing for students with varying levels of autism along the spectrum in conjunction with Wilson Fundations, Harcourt Reading, Edmark, SRA Reading Mastery, TouchMath and Everyday Math.

• First and second grade experience coordinating, observing, accommodating and modifying materials for students with autism to experience the least restrictive environment in inclusion to the best of their abilities.

• Experience writing, implementing and guiding students’ IEPs and ERs/RRs in and out of the classroom by tracking daily progress monitoring data.

• Manager of two teacher’s assistants within the daily classroom and two one-on-ones in the inclusive setting.

• Author of two grants for sensory integration materials and equipment, as well as the rights, training and usage of a SMART Table for the AS population at South Elementary.

• Frequent collaboration with related services specialists: speech/language pathologist; occupational therapist; physical therapist; behavioral therapists.

Special Education Teacher, Delaware County Intermediate Unit

K-2 Autistic Support Teacher, August 2008-July 2009

• Pilot classroom; first school age class within DCIU as part of the PA Verbal Behavior Project.

• Self-contained kindergarten-first classroom with experience creating and instructing individual and group programs in math, reading and writing in conjunction with TouchMath, Adapted Stories and Handwriting Without Tears.

• Experience writing, implementing, and guiding students’ IEPs in and out of the classroom.

• Tracking daily progress monitoring data; charting and graphing results.

• Frequent collaboration with related services specialists: speech/language pathologist; occupational therapist; physical therapist; behavioral therapists.

• Manager of two teacher’s assistants, a Personal Care Assistant and a TSS within the daily classroom.

Special Education Teacher, The Academy in Manayunk

1-3 Learning Support Co-Teacher, ESY June 2008-August 2008

Mitchell- pg. 2

• Full classroom experience with twelve incoming first, second and third grade students with learning disabilities, extreme dyslexia, dysgraphia, and/or developmental apraxia.

• Extensive experience teaching K-1 level students in Wilson’s Fundations Reading Program for language development, spelling strategies, and comprehension.

• Direct instruction provided individually to students or in small groups, 6:1 or less.

Wraparound Services, Montgomery Central MH/MR Center

Therapeutic Support Staff, August 2005-Present

• Help special needs children to avoid or eliminate socially inappropriate, threatening, or dangerous behaviors.

• Prevent the need for restrictive settings by providing a time limited transition of therapeutic care to the teachers, parents and/or caregivers.

• Experiences with children in early intervention ages 3 and 4, up through school children aged 9.

EDUCATION

Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia, PA

May-August 2009 Elementary Education Certification, GPA= 4.0

West Chester University, West Chester, PA

August 2006-May 2009

M.Ed and Post-Baccalaureate Special Education Certification Program, GPA=3.99 Magna cum Laude

• HIGHLY QUALIFIED: Passing scores for Praxis II: Elementary Education Curriculum and Instruction Assessment; Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge; Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge; Middle School Mathematics (04/08) and Middle School Language Arts (07/08).

• Student teaching experience at The Academy in Manayunk, Manayunk, PA.

• o Full classroom experience with eight first and second grade students with learning disabilities, extreme dyslexia, dysgraphia, and/or developmental apraxia.

• January-May 2008.

• o Extensive experience teaching with Wilson’s Fundations Reading Program, Read Naturally, and Visualizing and Verbalizing for language comprehension and thinking.

• o Direct instruction provided individually to students, 1:1; or in small groups, 6:1 or less.

Lebanon Valley College, Annville, PA

August 2001-May 2005

B.S. Psychology, GPA=3.43 Cum Laude

• Vickroy half tuition scholarship, maintained for 8 semesters.

• Concentration in Child Development and Secondary Education.

Mitchell- pg. 3

• Study Abroad, February-July 2003 at The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.

• Resident Assistant, August 2003-May 2004; Peer advisor and mentor, August 2002-May 2003.

Upper Merion Area School District Graduate K-12, King of Prussia, PA

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

The Academy of Notre Dame de Namur, Villanova, PA

Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach, Junior School, February-June 2006

Freshman Field Hockey Coach, Undefeated High School Season, August-October 2006

SECURITY CLEARANCES

Criminal Record Check, cleared by PA State Police in May, 2012.

Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance, cleared by Childline in June, 2012.

FBI Fingerprint Clearance, cleared by PDE in June, 2012.

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

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