Krista Stinson
Gilbert
Summary
Passionate and dedicated educator with extensive experience in diverse learning environments, including specialized and mainstream settings. Skilled in developing engaging and customized lessons that cater to the unique needs of each student. Fosters an inclusive classroom atmosphere to ignite curiosity and promote a love for learning among students.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Teacher
Imagine Learning
07.2022 - Current
1. Planning and instruction:
- Lesson Planning: Create engaging and differentiated lesson plans for a wide range of learners.
- Curriculum Adaptation: Adjust the curriculum to meet the needs of all students, including modifying content for English language learners, students with disabilities, and newcomers who may have gaps in prior learning.
- Group Instruction: Use small-group instruction for different levels (e.g., advanced readers, ELLs, and ESS students) to provide more tailored support.
- Scaffolding: Provide language scaffolds and extra support for ELLs, such as vocabulary pre-teaching, visuals, sentence starters, and peer support.
- Individualized Support: Work with ESS students to implement accommodations and modifications in the classroom.
- Language Support: Offer additional language support for ELLs.
- Social-Emotional Support: Emotional support for all students, as well as refugee and newcomer students, who may be dealing with trauma or adjustment difficulties.
- Behavioral Management: Maintain a positive, structured classroom environment, and implement strategies for behavior management tailored to the needs of diverse learners.
- Parent Conferences: Communicate with parents or guardians to discuss their child’s progress, needs, and ways to support learning at home.
- Community Involvement: Connect with refugee and newcomer families to help them adjust to the school environment and ensure they feel supported.
- Translate communication: Use interpreters or translation services for parent letters and communication to ensure families understand expectations and classroom events.
- Formative Assessment: Regularly assess students’ understanding through quizzes, observations, and classwork to identify learning gaps and strengths.
- Differentiated Assessment: Use alternative assessment methods, such as oral presentations, visual projects, or one-on-one check-ins, to accommodate the varied language, and learning abilities.
- Progress Reports: Document and track the progress of individual students, especially ELLs and ESS students, using both academic and social-emotional indicators.
- Special Education Team: Work closely with the ESS team to implement Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and provide targeted interventions.
- School counselors: Partner with counselors to help support refugee or newcomer students who may be facing emotional or behavioral challenges due to their experiences.
- Classroom Organization: Keep the classroom organized and conducive to learning, with spaces for small group work, and areas for independent tasks.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Create a culturally inclusive classroom environment that celebrates the diversity of refugee and newcomer students, making them feel valued and understood.
- Inclusive Materials: Ensure that classroom materials reflect a variety of cultures and languages to make all students feel represented and supported.
- Ongoing Learning: Participate in professional development opportunities related to ELL strategies, trauma-informed teaching, and differentiated instruction to improve classroom practice.
- Collaboration with Colleagues: Attend meetings and collaborate with other teachers to share strategies for supporting diverse learners, and creating a positive school climate.
- Lead Professional Development: Navigating STAR data, newcomer support, and proper implementation of PBIS.
- Peer Interactions: Monitor student interactions to prevent bullying and promote inclusion, particularly among refugee or newcomer students who might feel isolated.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Guide students in respecting each other's cultural differences, and developing empathy for peers from diverse backgrounds.
In-Home Nanny
John and Greta
03.2019 - 07.2022
- Assigned age-appropriate chores to encourage self-confidence and responsibility.
- Prepared nutritious meals and snacks to meet dietary needs and preferences.
- Encouraged good manners among children by modeling appropriate behavior.
- Provided safe transportation to and from activities and events.
- Instructed and assisted children in eating, toileting, and resting to help develop healthy personal habits.
- Taught reading, arts and crafts and lap play to encourage intellectual development.
- Regulated children's schedules to balance rest, learning and play.
- Developed creative and educational games to stimulate cognitive and emotional growth.
- Aided with bathing, dressing, teeth brushing, and diapering to promote healthy personal hygiene and good oral health.
- Potty-trained child by age 2
- Child was in 1st stages of reading by age three
Montessori Teacher
Inspire Kids Montessori
05.2016 - 12.2018
- Creating a Prepared Environment: Set up and maintain a safe, child-friendly, and nurturing environment that is stimulating and developmentally appropriate for toddlers. This includes arranging learning materials that are accessible to children and promoting independence.
Design the classroom with areas for movement, sensory exploration, and social interactions that encourage the development of motor skills, language, and social awareness.
- Facilitating Developmental Learning: Observe children closely to understand their developmental stages, needs, and interests.
Offer developmentally appropriate activities that foster independence, such as self-dressing, practical life exercises (e.g., pouring, wiping), and sensory activities.
Guide children in learning self-care tasks (e.g., washing hands, putting on shoes, cleaning up) to build confidence and autonomy.
Focus on building early language skills through activities like singing, reading, and encouraging verbal communication.
- Supporting Social-Emotional Growth: Encourage the development of emotional regulation and social skills (turn-taking, sharing, empathy) through modeling and guided interactions.
Offer calm and patient support to help children navigate their emotions, conflicts, and needs.
Foster a positive, supportive classroom atmosphere where each child feels respected and valued.
- Promoting Sensory Development: Offer activities that engage the senses (touch, sight, sound, taste, and smell) to stimulate cognitive growth and help children make sense of the world around them.
Use Montessori materials designed to develop fine and gross motor skills, such as beads, puzzles, blocks, and textured objects.
- Observation and Record-Keeping: Observe children regularly to track their developmental milestones and individual progress.
Keep accurate records of each child's growth, achievements, challenges, and behavior to inform future planning.
Communicate observations to parents in regular updates or meetings to support home-school collaboration.
- Parent Communication and Collaboration: Foster positive relationships with parents by maintaining open, respectful communication.
Offer guidance on child development and Montessori principles, and provide recommendations for home-based activities that reinforce classroom learning.
Share children’s progress, and discuss any concerns or goals in regular parent-teacher conferences.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Elementary Education
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ05-2023
Skills
- Flexible and adaptive
- Team building
- Critical thinking
- Conflict resolution
- Program development
- Public speaking
- Relationship building
- Record keeping
- Performance assessments
- Behavior management
- Task prioritization
- Progress reporting
- Data analysis
Education and Training
other
References
Elisa Guzzardi Mentor
Phone: 480-202-7247
Lisa Jantzen Academic Coach
Phone: 480-634-0457
Greta Schneider Boss
Phone: 480-577-6940
Certification
- First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Certification – American Red Cross.
- Certified Montessori Teacher (CMT) - American Montessori Society.
- Elementary Education Certificate - Arizona Department of Education.
- SEI
- Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certification - TESOL International Association.
Timeline
Teacher
Imagine Learning
07.2022 - Current
In-Home Nanny
John and Greta
03.2019 - 07.2022
Montessori Teacher
Inspire Kids Montessori
05.2016 - 12.2018
- First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor Certification – American Red Cross.
- Certified Montessori Teacher (CMT) - American Montessori Society.
- Elementary Education Certificate - Arizona Department of Education.
- SEI
- Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) Certification - TESOL International Association.
Bachelor of Arts - Elementary Education
Arizona State University
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