Dakota State University Spring 2017

PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO Richele Lemme

Table of Contents

Professional Resume ............................................................................... 2

Letter of Introduction ............................................................................. 5

Professional Organizations/Extracurricular Activities ............................. 6

Sample Lesson Plans ............................................................................... 7

Management Plan ................................................................................. 10

Reflection on Student Teaching Experience .......................................... 15

Professional Resume

Objective

Seeking to obtain an Elementary Education position.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences May 2017

Major and certification in Early Childhood Education from South Dakota State University

Certification in Elementary Education from Dakota State University

Endorsements in Kindergarten Education and Special Education from South Dakota State

University

Minors in Human Development & Family Studies and Psychology from South Dakota State

University

Major GPA: 4.0

Related Experience

Student Teaching, Arlington School District January 2017 –

Present

Currently student teaching in a 5th and 6th grade classroom in the Arlington School District. Assist

teacher with grading and planning lessons. Teach lessons 6th grade language and 5th grade

social studies. Will be in charge of all subjects within the next few weeks.

Junior High Volleyball Coach, Arlington August 2014 – Present

Work directly with junior high athletes and parents. Communicate with the varsity and junior

varsity coaches to schedule practices. Manage scheduling and car-pooling assignments to and

from away games. Also coach JO Club Volleyball in Arlington.

Substitute Teacher, Arlington School District January 2014 -

Present

Assume the responsibility of the classroom teacher when he or she is absent. Carry out planned

lessons and routines in a variety of different classroom settings, kindergarten through high school.

Special Education Paraprofessional, Arlington School District September 2016 –

November 2016

Worked as a temporary special education paraprofessional in an elementary and high school

special education room. Planned and implemented one-on-one sessions with a variety of

students. Assisted with recess support.

Arlington Community Daycare, Arlington February 2012 –

Present (Seasonal)

Provided childcare for a variety of different age groups. Helped lead teacher with children

falling behind during group tasks. Led the center’s “Summer Camp”, which involved planning

and implementing activities and lessons for preschool - fourth grade students. Work on-call when

center is low on staff members.

Student Teaching, SDSU Laboratory Preschool August 2015 –

December 2015

Taught four and five-year olds at the preschool level. Planned and implemented lessons and

activities in the classroom. Led a student-centered inquiry based project with a small group of

children.

Other Experience

South Dakota State University Housing May 2012 – May 2015

Front desk at South Dakota State University Housing’s Central Office. Answered phone calls and

replied to emails when students or parents were inquiring information on University Housing &

Residential Life. Dealt with upset students and parents and was able to resolve stressful situations

in a professional manner.

Arlington Community Pool June 2010 – August

2012

Lifeguard at the Arlington Community Pool. Supervised and observed children swim. Helped

teach and plan swimming lessons for children from the ages of three to ten.

Volunteer Experience

Service Learning August 2012 – Present

(Seasonal)

Spent 234 hours in a preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, fourth grade

technology, and sixth grade science classrooms. Observed the children and teacher. Helped

the teacher give additional assistance to individual children in need.

Peer Mentor August 2008 – May

2012

Worked with elementary students as a mentor. Helped the teacher correct papers and ran

errands. Assisted students when they were in need.

Professional Organizations

Association of the Education of Young Children August 2014 – Present

World’s largest early childhood education professional organization. National networks of state,

local, and regional affiliates.

International Golden Key Honour Society October 2015 –

Present

World’s largest collegiate honor society. Members represent the top 15% of college and

university’s sophomores, juniors, and seniors.

Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society April 2016 – Present

Honor society dedicated to fostering excellence in education and promoting fellowship among

those committed to teaching. Advances quality education by inspiring teachers to prepare all

learners for future challenges.

Skills

Able to communicate with anyone no matter what the circumstance. Have great patience and

the ability to work with students in any setting. Dedicated, goal-driven, and respectable

educator with a commitment to social and developmental growth for all students. Able to

remain flexible when plans run astray. Able to create inspiring hands-on lessons that ensure

students’ success. Dedicated advocate for all students.

References

Lauren Antonen, Supervisor for SPED Endorsement

306 S Main

Arlington, SD 57212

605-270-1175

Lauren.antonen@k12.sd.us

Lisa Parry, Co-worker

PO Box 328

Arlington, SD 57212

605-941-5970

Lisa.parry@k12.sd.us

Trudi Robel, Family Friend

5608 38th Ave NW

Watertown, SD 57201

605-880-6352

Trudi.robel@k12.sd.us

Dianne Mulder, Supervisor at University Housing

PO Box 52

Badger, SD 57214

605-759-7765

Letter of Introduction Richele Lemme

136 West Lake Drive

Arlington, SD 57212

Phone: (605) 203-1337

E-Mail: richele.lemme@jacks.sdstate.edu

March 17th, 2017

Dana Felderman, Elementary Principal/Title I Coordinator

Lake Preston School District

300 1st St. NE

Lake Preston, SD 57249

Dear Mr. Felderman:

I am pleased to present my information for consideration as an Elementary Teacher in the Lake

Preston School District. I have a Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences, with a

major and certification in Early Childhood Education from South Dakota State University and an

Elementary Education certification from Dakota State University. I have received minors in

Human Development and Family Studies, as well as Psychology. I also have coached Junior

High Volleyball in the Arlington School District for the last three years. With my schooling and

classroom experience, I am confident that I would be a valuable asset into your school district.

As my resume demonstrates, I have spent many hours teaching and observing in different

classroom settings. I have a strong passion for educating and helping students grow into

responsible and successful individuals. Throughout my schooling, I had the opportunity to teach

a diverse variety of students. These experiences provided me with ample knowledge related to

creating innovative and stimulating lesson plans for all students. My greatest strengths include

motivating students along with being a role model for them. I love to keep students thinking and

push them to places they never knew were possible. I plan on tailoring my lesson plans to engage

students of all backgrounds while connecting the classroom with everyday life.

My resume further outlines my skills and accomplishments. I would appreciate an opportunity to

speak with you about the tasks involved in the position and to inform you in more detail about

my expertise and qualifications. You can contact me either through email or by phone to set up a

time to meet in person. Thank you in advance for your consideration in this job position.

Sincerely,

Richele Lemme

Professional Organizations/Extracurricular Activities

Member of the Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC)

Member of the International Golden Key Honour Society

Member of the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society

Intramural Sports through South Dakota State University

Varsity Volleyball

Varsity Basketball

Varsity Track

Varsity Cheerleading

Choir

President of Student Council

Member of the National Honor Society

One Act Play

Junior Varsity Golf

Sample Lesson Plans Dakota State University College of Education

LESSON PLAN

Name: Richele Lemme Grade Level: 6th Grade Language School: Arlington Elementary School Date: March 9th, 2017 Time: 8:20-9:20 Reflection from prior lesson: We had five students gone from the prior lesson. They were attending a math competition in at the Deubrook School. The students who were in class were very engaged. There was a conflict when splitting the students up into groups, as one student made a scene after being partnered with another student. He was asked to complete the task independently, and the other student was placed into a group of three. The students stayed on task for this entire activity. Lesson Goal(s) / Standards: 6.RI.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the tex 6.R.L.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 6.R.L.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. Lesson Objectives: After the lesson, students will be able to summarize a fictional text using the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then strategy with 100% accuracy. Materials Needed: Promethean Board One Man Band Short Film Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then Graphic Organizer (15) Comic Strip Template (15) Contextual Factors/ Learner Characteristics:

Arlington Elementary is a public elementary school located in Arlington, South Dakota. The school is the home of students in grades preschool through 12th grade. I am currently in the 5th grade classroom. The 5th grade classroom has twenty-seven students in it. The desks are arranged in a “U” formation with smaller rows in the middle. The 5th grade students switch

classrooms with the 6th grade students for first period. The 5th graders go to Ms. Tetzlaff’s room (6th grade room) for math and the 6th grade students come to Mrs. King’s room (5th grade room) for language. The 6th grade class has fifteen students in it. The students are expected to switch classrooms quietly with all of their materials. If they forget something and have to return to their home classroom, they lose points from their weekly “work habits” grade. This process is helping the students prepare for when they transition into junior high. There is not much diversity when it comes to ethnicity at the Arlington Elementary School, with 90% of its students being Caucasian and 8% being Hispanic. The percentage of students on free and reduced lunch in Arlington is 22.9%, which is lower than the state’s average. The elementary school scored exemplary on last year’s Smarter Balanced tests. The sixth grade class consists of fifteen students. Three of these students are currently on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). The fifth grade class consists of twenty-seven students, two of which are currently on an IEP. There is one paraprofessional in the classroom to help assist the students who are on IEPs. I spent time with these students last semester while completing requirements for my Science Methods course, so I have a pretty good knowledge of the students in both classrooms. I also coach volleyball within the school district, so I have had some of the students’ older sisters in volleyball. This exposure will help me plan and implement lessons that are relevant and interesting to the students. A. The Lesson - Introduction (20 minutes) As the students enter the classroom, they will begin working on their Daily Language Review for Thursday. We will go over the answers together when everyone finishes. While the students are completing their DLR, I will be displaying the One Man Band short film on the Promethean Board. We will watch the short film together as a class. I will let the students know that we will be creating a summary over the film, so they need to try and figure out the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then while we watch. After the film, we will create a summary together. 1. Content Delivery (30 minutes) The students will be creating comic strip summaries today in class. They will each get a different short story that they will be in charge of reading and summarizing. SWBST Graphic Organizers will be passed out for the students to complete before they start illustrating their comic strip. The comic strip needs to have an illustration in each box and needs to depict the Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then strategy. The comic strip also needs to be colored. The students will have class time to complete this, but it will be assigned as homework if they do not finish. 2. Closure (5 minutes) If students finish before class is over, they will be allowed to share their comic strip with a partner or the class. They will have to fill out an “exit ticket” before leaving class. They must use one of the six prompts on the exit ticket and answer it using a complete sentence. B. Assessments Used I will be using informal assessment during this lesson. Our open communication at the beginning of the lesson will help me measure what the students know before beginning the

lesson assignment. I will aslo be walking around while the students are working on their summaries. The students will turn in their comic strips, which can also be used as an assessment. C. Differentiated Instruction This class has three students who are currently on an IEP. As a part of one of the student’s IEP, he is allowed to type his assignments instead of handwriting them. This will offered to the student prior to the assignment. D. Resources https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/FreeDownload/Inferencing-with-Pixar-Animated-Short-Film-One-Man-Band-Video-Teach-Theme-Plot-2889103 http://www.english-for-students.com/Humorous-Stories.html

Management Plan

Proper guidance strategies are crucial when working with young children. When teachers

incorporate proper guidance strategies, the children are able to learn vital lessons on moral autonomy,

successful problem solving techniques, and are able to develop a positive moral sense. My classroom

management plan helps guide the children in the right direction; assisting them in accomplishing these

ideas. Guidance strategies that are used in my classroom include both indirect and direct guidance.

Indirect guidance is used to prevent possible situations. Direct guidance is using hands-on and in the

moment instruction to solve situations.

In order to achieve successful indirect guidance, proper planning is required. I will ensure that

my classroom is set-up and organized in a way that helps promote indirect guidance. Schedules need to

be used to give the children a steady routine that they can rely on. I believe that starting our day off

with a group meeting is the best way to get the children ready for the day. During our group meeting,

we will discuss the day’s agenda, go over calendar information, as well as explain the day’s classroom

helpers. This group meeting will help the children prepare for the day ahead of them and will assist in

reducing the number of transitional/routine situations that can arise.

The amount of materials used in my classroom will also be enough to assist the children through

the indirect guidance process. These materials need to have multiple affordances, meaning they should

be able to be used in a variety of different ways. Children should be given the opportunity to explore the

materials and use them in ways that the child and teacher see fit. Materials also need to reflect the

children’s diverse cultures to help create a sense of home and community in the classroom.

My classroom environment will help facilitate emotional relationships for the children. They will

build relationships, learn to respect each other and our classroom, learn successful communication skills

and guidance. The curriculum that I choose for my lesson plans revolves around the children’s interests

and needs. My lesson plans will be engaging and interactive for the children involved. All of these things

must be carefully planned before the children enter the classroom.

Direct guidance is another crucial component to a successful classroom management plan. The

most apparent form of direct guidance that will be displayed in my classroom is modeling. I am very

good at talking about my feelings and I believe that by me verbalizing my emotions with my class, the

children will begin to develop the skills to express their own emotions without needing assistance. I will

also model how to take responsibility for situations in hopes that the children will begin to model my

behavior.

Along with modeling, effective communication in the classroom is also important. Teaching the

children how to develop active and reflective listening as well as how to use I-messages in the classroom

will help solve possible problem situations when they occur. I-messages and active listening skills are

something that need to be modeled and taught to the children. It is also something that takes time and

practice to fully master. I-messages include conversations with children by explaining information about

the child’s behavior without accusing the child. These messages tell the child how their behavior is

tangibly affecting those around him or her.

When it comes to having to provide a consequence for a certain child’s actions, there are two

possible outcomes; logical or natural consequences. The child experiencing a direct result from his or

her own behavior defines natural consequences (Fields, Meritt, Fields, 2013). Piaget used an example of

a child who experienced having a cold room as a result from breaking his or her bedroom window.

Logical consequences are defined as those imposed by an adult. When considering what consequences I

will impose in my classroom, I will break logical consequences down even further. I will use exclusion in

my classroom. Exclusion entails the child being removed from the situation until he or she believes that

they can behave appropriately. Along side of exclusion, I will also use deprivation. During deprivation,

the child loses the opportunity to use a certain material until the child is ready to use the material

appropriately. Before imposing a consequence on a child, it is important that the child understand why

he or she is undergoing the consequence. If the child does not understand why he or she is receiving a

consequence, it is likely that the child will continue to display the same behavior in the classroom.

Among all of the other classroom management strategies, effective problem solving skills is vital

for the children’s future development. The problem solving steps that a successful teacher needs to use

in the classroom starts by identifying the problem. This is where I-messages can come into play to help

both sides of the situation express their feelings. While one is giving their I-message, the other side

needs to be displaying reflective listening. After identifying the problem, the children need to

brainstorm possible problem solutions. The children then need to work together to decide on a solution

that seems reasonable to all of the children involved. After a decision has been made, the children then

implement the chosen solution. After an evaluation of the chosen plan, the children may need to repeat

steps to find another problem solution to try (Fields, Meritt, Fields, 2013). This is something that

children will not just complete on their own. They need teacher assistance when they first begin

problem solving. It is my hope that after we have gone over problem solving together a few times, the

children will begin to complete this process without any assistance from me. I have observed and

practiced this skill countless times with former preschool children, and I am confident that I can execute

this skill in my future classroom, regardless of the children’s age. This skill will help them throughout the

rest of their lives, as problem solving is a crucial part of being successful.

It is apparent that classroom limits will need to be established in the classroom. I believe that

children should be involved in making the classroom rules and guidelines. During our first group

meeting, I will bring up the idea of classroom rules. I will have the children brainstorm with me possible

limits that are important to the children. I believe that this is the best way to enforce rules and limits in

the classroom because it helps the children feel like they are a part of making their classroom run

smoothly. I also believe that having the children come up with their own rules will help them follow

them. When a child breaks a rule, I will remind them of the rules that our class all agreed on. If situations

arise that need to be addressed and added to our classroom rules, I will bring them up during our group

meeting and have the children add a limit to our list.

If all of my guidance strategies fail and a child needs additional guidance, I will try and identify

the cause of the behavior. The child might be hungry, did not get enough sleep, or might be having

family troubles. This can be found out my asking questions and closely observing the child’s actions and

behaviors. If the child tends to act out because he or she is hungry, it might be wise to move snack up

earlier in the day. Another possible solution would be to have snacks set aside for the individual child. If

the child appears to be sleep deprived, a conversation needs to occur between the indicated parent and

myself. If the child is having family troubles, a counselor should be notified. A conversation should also

take place with the parents. If none of these seem to help, additional support needs to be found.

Communicating with other coworkers or supervisors could provide additional guidance strategies that I

have not previously considered. They may also have insights on the child that I did not have knowledge

on.

In conclusion, proper guidance strategies are a crucial component on running a successful

classroom. Learning how to apply these guidance strategies in the classroom is something that takes

time and practice to effectively master. I believe that I am equipped and prepared to manage a smooth

classroom because of my management plan. I also believe that my guidance strategies will only continue

to improve as I continue my path as an educator and continue to develop as an early childhood teacher.

References

Fields, M., Meritt, P., & Fields, D. (2013). Constructive guidance and discipline: Birth to age eight (Sixth

ed.). Pearson.

Reflection on Student Teaching Experience

I was given the opportunity to student teach in a 5th and 6th grade classroom at Arlington

Elementary School. This experience helped shape my perspective on schools, teaching, and the overall

learning process. I was able to experience, first hand, the time and dedication it takes to plan and

implement a successful lesson. It was not uncommon for my cooperating teacher and myself to still be

at the school well after school hours. This gave me a new appreciation for all of the teachers who take

time out of their own lives to ensure that their students are receiving the best education possible.

My perspective on paraprofessionals has also changed as a result of my student teaching

experience. There is no way that the classroom I was in would have been able to run as smoothly as it

did without the help of the paraprofessionals.

I started of my student teaching experience feeling unsure and unconfident. I did not know my

place in the classroom and that was obvious to my university supervisor and my cooperating teacher.

The multiple experiences that my cooperating teacher gave me helped me find my place in the

classroom. She made me feel like it was not only her classroom, but mine as well. She supported my

decisions and plans throughout my teaching and was always able to answer any questions that I had. At

the end of the semester, I felt like I had the confidence and abilities needed to successfully run a

classroom on my own.