About Me

CHRISTINE W. THOMAS

Improving Performance • Enhancing Differentiated Instruction • Reflective Practices
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EXPERIENCED EDUCATOR
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Professional Licensed Educator with a Master’s Degree plus thirty collegiate credits coupled with 6 years’ experience instructing elementary and middle school students, securing resources wherever needed, and implementing differentiated instruction.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Specializations include: Elementary K-6, Middle School English 7-9, Middle School Math 7-9, and Special Education N-12.

• Pro Active Grant Writer – Actively sought ways to fund projects I wanted to implement in my classroom; wrote five for Clark County School District and one for Fort Cherry School District

• Collaborative Learner – Obtained professional development on all levels including Teaching American History through primary sources.

EDUCATION

• Autism Spectrum Disorders Certificate, California University of Pennsylvania, Present

• Certificate (24 Credits), Special Education, California University of Pennsylvania, 2010

• MAT, Elementary Education, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, PA - 2003

• B.A., Psychology and Economics, Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA 15301

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HIGHLIGHTED PROFESSIONAL TEACHING EXPERIENCE
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MCGUFFEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Claysville, PA 8/2010 – Present

• Worked closed with the special education teacher to administer the Key Math protocol to all students in third, fourth and fifth grade for RTI grouping.

• Highly requested and have worked nearly every day.

• Implemented classroom teacher’s plans with minimal disruption and appropriate classroom management

• Tutoring a district student in need of homebound services

FORT CHERRY SCHOOL DISTRICT, McDonald, PA 8/2009 – 7/2010

Title I Clerical Aide

• Wrote and received a Literacy $500 mini-grant through State Parent Advisory Council named “Parents Read, Child Reads”

• Responsible for Title I records

• Worked closely with two reading specialists and the Federal Programs Coordinator who is also the Title I math teacher; substituted for the math teacher when she had meetings, conferences, etc.

• Tutored a district homebound student with a traumatic brain injury

WASHINGTON AND MCGUFFEY SCHOOL DISTRICT, Washington County, PA, 8/2008 – 6/2009

Substitute Educator

• Administered PSSA to a fourth grade group of students that had accommodations

• Administered Key Math Assessment as well as GMade to varying grade levels (make ups)

• Taught Kindergarten through Eighth Grade

LILIAM LUJAN HICKEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Las Vegas,NV 8/2005-8/2008

Third Grade Elementary Educator

• Earned glowing evaluations for the quality of classroom teaching, lesson plans and instructional materials used in

teaching elementary subjects (e.g., language arts, math, science, social studies and history).

• Consistently commended for ability to establish rapport with students and quickly carved a classroom of inquisitive, eager learners using higher order questioning, differentiated instruction and clear classroom expectations.

• Served on school committees on student intervention (based on RTI model), and peer mediation.

• Participated in the Urban Teaching Learning Cadre which is an extra induction program.

• Written and received five grants for my classroom including one through www.donorschoose.org .


WASHINGTON, MCGUFFEY, AVELLA, TRINITY,CANON MCMILLAN,UPPER SAINT CLAIR &CHARTIERS HOUSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 12/2002-6/2005

Substitute Educator

• Received emergency certification to obtain additional real life experience prior to student teaching but began substituting in earnest in the Fall of 2003. Have taught every grade from Kindergarten through Eighth grade as well as PE, music, art, and WEBS (a self contained classroom).

• Quickly became the “go to” substitute and had many short term and long term assignments in special education, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade. Also, taught summer school for Washington Park.
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PART-TIME INSTRUCTOR EXPERIENCE
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Community College of Allegheny County, Washington, PA Real Estate Tenant Law Instructor Sept 2001 – May 2002

COMMUNITY SERVICE
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Washington County Literacy Council, Washington, PA Webmaster September 2010 - Present

RELATED EXPERIENCE
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Mobile Therapist, Family Behavioral Resources, Washington, PA, 1/2009 - Present

• Provides a child or adolescent and his or her family with intensive therapeutic services in the child’s home, school or elsewhere in the child’s community.

• Sessions follow a written treatment plan; which may include the child, family members, child’s friends, school personnel, a community leader, physician, psychiatrist or a combination of these people.

Therapeutic Support Staff, Washington Communities Mental Health/Mental Retardation, 1/1996 – 5/1998

• Performed interventions designed to structure and stabilize assigned child.

• Interventions included crisis intervention, reinforcement of desired behaviors, behavior modification, provision of emotional support, and implementation of time out strategies.

• Provided support for individual's family efforts to help child.

• Routinely worked collaboratively with members of wraparound services.

• Participated in IEP meetings.

PUBLICATIONS
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Growing Creative Writers: From the Foundation Up BRIDGES: A Publication of the Western Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of English (2002)

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
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Proficient in the following:

• Microsoft Office applications (especially PowerPoint for the classroom)

• LCD projectors

• Website creation

• Wikis, blogs (especially in blogger and glogster)

• Blackboard/Elluminate

• Ipods in an educational setting/Digital Storytelling

COMMITTEES
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Student Intervention Team, 2007 – 2008

• Evaluated students that were having behavioral or academic problems

• Provided intervention strategies as well as advice for teacher

• Helped to decide whether student met criteria for special education testing or what was the best course of action based on nine weeks of data gathered by classroom teacher

Peer Mediation, 2006 – 2007

• Participated in training and motivating third through fifth graders that participate in this program that is implemented at recess time to mediate conflicts.

ASSOCIATIONS & CERTIFICATIONS

Pennsylvania Teacher Certification K-12; Elementary Education, Middle School Math and Reading, Special Education

Pending Certification: Social Studies K-12

Thinkfinity (Certificate)

National Association of Special Education Teachers

Pennsylvania State Education Association

Washington Community Theatre, Member and Stage Manager