About Carmen M.
I am graduated with honors in May 2016 from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education. I previously taught at Sangaree Intermediate School in Summerville, South ... more
I am graduated with honors in May 2016 from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education. I previously taught at Sangaree Intermediate School in Summerville, South Carolina. During my time at Sangaree, I taught in a heterogeneous fifth grade classroom. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to observe, teach, and substitute at many schools in the Berkeley County and Charleston County school districts and believe that my experiences during my undergraduate degree as well as in my teaching career have awarded me the pedagogical knowledge and dispositions to be a remarkable educator.
I believe strongly that a classroom that is managed well exudes excellence. Therefore, I implement a card system in my classroom that eliminates unwanted behavior as well as rewards behavior that is principled. I wholeheartedly believe that if I turn my classroom into a community by building a foundation of respect, a love of learning, and a love for others, that every person that walks into my classroom will be successful. I have learned from my teaching experiences that students respond best from positive, constructive feedback and I will continue to use this knowledge to manage my classroom effectively wherever I go. When diversity is celebrated, achievement gaps begin to close, and as students are taught to love learning, the wonderful happens.
I am very confident when planning for differentiation in my classroom. I have observed and coordinated differentiated groups for various subject areas. I have been given opportunities to work with Reading and Math Inventory scores, Running Record and Lexile leveling, and MasteryConnect data to divide students into groups based on proficiency levels. I have modified lesson plans for accelerated students and have taught engaging lessons to students with various special needs. During my student teaching experience, I was able to utilize student’s MAP scores to better adhere to their needs and learning styles. While teaching at Sangaree Intermediate School, I used the 6 Traits of Writing Toolkit curriculum and the supplemental resources provided by the district to create differentiated experiences that benefitted all learners in my classroom. Through the use of one to one iPads and Chromebooks, I was able to further differentiate content through the use of digital programs such as IXL, MobyMax, Epic!, Readworks, and Google Suite Applications. Through my education at the College of Charleston and my variety of teaching experiences, I cultivated the knowledge to create and implement diverse pedagogical methods in my classroom that aligned with the current South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Standards, all the while following ADEPT and district guidelines. All students deserve to acquire knowledge through a challenging, engaging, and developmentally appropriate curriculum. I believe that all students learn differently and require various teaching styles to master content. I am confident in my ability to meet the needs of the students in my classroom,
I always believe there is more learning that can be done in regards to my profession. The best teachers are those that have reasonable, yet high expectations for themselves and for their students. As a teacher and as a life-long learner, it is important that my future students believe in themselves as much as I believe in them to make a positive contribution to this world no matter their backgrounds. In order to better serve my students, I am constantly seeking ways to better myself as an educator and a mentor. Therefore, I held the leadership position of Reading and Writing team lead for the fifth grade during the 2017-18 school year. My primary duties included planning formative and summative assessments, analyzing data through MasteryConnect in order to enrich or remediate students, and leading weekly meetings. Due to the substantial incorporation of technology in the classroom and my drive to adhere to the needs of the 21st century learner, I also received my Level One Google Educator certification.
