Melanie Dicken
Bloomington
Summary
Dynamic educator with a proven track record at Epiphany Catholic Schools, excelling in differentiated instruction and relationship building. Skilled in lesson planning and classroom management, I fostered a respectful learning environment, significantly enhancing parent involvement and student engagement. Committed to nurturing academic growth through innovative teaching strategies and effective communication.
Overview
21
21
years of professional experience
Work History
First Grade Teacher
Epiphany Catholic Schools
08.2005 - 05.2025
- Differentiated instruction to accommodate diverse learning styles, ensuring all students made progress towards academic goals.
- Established strong relationships with parents through effective communication about their child's academic progress and social-emotional development.
- Built positive relationships with parents to involve families in educational process.
- Increased parent involvement in their child's education by conducting regular parent-teacher conferences and providing resources for at-home learning support.
- Implemented positive behavior support strategies, promoting a respectful classroom culture.
- Designed and presented lesson plans in one or more academic subjects using variety of teaching techniques to appeal to various learning styles within first grade.
- Taught lessons encompassing skill-building activities in speaking, writing, reading and listening.
Preschool Teacher
La Petite Academy
08.2004 - 08.2005
- Developed weekly lesson plans and activities to engage children and promote learning.
- Maintained organized, fun and interactive classroom to help children feel safe.
- Ensured a safe and nurturing environment for all students, adhering to health and safety guidelines in the classroom.
- Assisted and supervised 10 - 15 children through entire school day.
- Allowed for ample outdoor discovery time in schedule each day.
Student Teacher
Grove Elementary School
01.2004 - 05.2004
- Tutored reading, math and spelling one-on-one.
- Monitored group work to develop stronger reading and writing skills.
- Taught lessons throughout the semester in all subject areas.
- Assessed students in reading to determine what reading group to place each student in.
- Created and taught a unit on Oceans.
- Created lesson plans every week in math, science, reading and social studies.
- Assessed students through writing and verbal activities to be able to record grades.
Education
Elementary Education
Illinois State University
Normal, IL05-2004
Associate Degree - Elementary Education
Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois, IL05-2002
Skills
- Classroom management
- Phonics instruction
- Organizational skills
- Relationship building
- Reading instruction
- Parent-teacher communication
- Problem-solving skills
- Lesson planning
- Technology integration
- Teaching strategies
- Field trip organization
- Writing instruction
- Standardized tests
- Safety awareness
Timeline
First Grade Teacher
Epiphany Catholic Schools
08.2005 - 05.2025
Preschool Teacher
La Petite Academy
08.2004 - 08.2005
Student Teacher
Grove Elementary School
01.2004 - 05.2004
Elementary Education
Illinois State University
Associate Degree - Elementary Education
Lincoln College
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