Melissa Shaffer

2232 Virginia Avenue, Fort Myers, Florida

33905 (cell) 239-745-5997
msh affer1843 6@gma il.c om
http://melissa sha ffersp ortfolio.weeb ly.co
m/

PROFES SIONA L PROFILE

A motivational and inspirational teacher combining t raining in secondary E nglish, Reading, and English as
a

Foreign Language with i nvaluable international and multicultural classroom experience

Qualified to teach Dual Enrollment/Composition classes
Self-starter: eager to create electi ve courses includi ng Drama and P ublic Speaking
Student-centered: incorporating "Multiple Intelligences, and character education.
Researcher: constantly reading about new approaches to teaching (including Danilynn Miller's Reading in the
Wild, Doug Lemov's Teach Like a Champion, and Kelly Gallaghers research on real-world writing) to meet
the needs of all students irrespective of their ability or learni ng style

EDUCATIO N AND QUALIFICATIONS

2014

State of Florida Teaching License (Secondary English: Grades 6-12, ESOL: K12, Drama: 6-12)
Working tow ard:
Reading endorsement (Completed Competencies 1-4 of 5 requirements)
Speech and Journalism certifications

2013

Teaching Certificate Course

Uni versity of West Florida, Pensacola, FL

2008

Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA)

2006

Masters of Science (English) and Library Science

Southern Connecticut State Uni versity, New Haven, Connecticut

2000

Bachelors of Arts in Education (Graduated Magna cum Laude)

Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

TEACHI NG E XPE RIE NCE

English Teacher, Charter Schools USA, Fort Myers, FL.
Aug. 2015 present
Key Achievements
Gaining experience and demonstrating adaptability by teaching a range of grade levels (7 th graders to
juniors).
Demonstrating school support and spirit via tutoring support and attending weekly sports games
Connecting real-world themes to readings, along with non-fiction textual support to help students
understand themes in literature are constant, regardless of the time period.
Project to accommodate a stress-free environment through different seating options fully funded by Donors
Choose (donorschoose.org)
Monitoring student lexile levels and progress via small group/literacy stations,
Kagan strategies, projects, rubrics, quarterly class novels, Reading Plus,
formative, and summati ve assessment
Responsibilities
Developed weekly and daily lesson plans in accordance with the Common Core Standards using the textbook
as supplemental material in addition to assigning weekly current events articles, requiring students to perform close
reading.
Designed website for the classroom to provide students who were absent with ready-made materials to be
downloaded, allowing them to follow up with the class in a shorter time frame.

Reading Teacher, Oak Hammock Middle School, Fort Myers, FL.

Jan. - June 2015
Key Achievements
Initiated month-long picture book project for Intensive Reading students, culminati
ng with students reading their authentic texts to Kindergarten students
Integrated functional text mi ni-unit to extend textbook article and encourage
the importance of "everyday" reading.
Created a positive classroom culture via the use of "Class Dojo," a behavior
management and character-buildi ng program.
Responsibilities
Successfully collaborated with ESE and AVID co-teachers to create a
successful and challenging student-centered learning environment.
Developed weekly and daily lesson plans i n accordance with the Florida Reading
Standards usi ng the Grade 7 Collections textbook and multimedia.
Assessed the needs - and differentiated instruction and pacing for - 4
Reading classes, including 2 " Intensi ve" and ESE-dominated classes, 1
Advanced, and 1 "Grade-level."
Monitored student lexile levels and progress via small group/literacy
stations, Kagan strategies, projects, rubrics, quarterly class novels, TeenBiz,
formative, and
summati ve assessment
English 1 and 1 Honors, LaBelle High School, LaBelle, FL
Aug. 2014 - Jan. 2015
Key Achievements
Trained in 1-day "Win-Win Discipline" Kagan workshop
Integrated multimedia and Multiple Intelligences' approaches into lessons to
ensure a less-intimidating and learner-friendly environment
Introduced students to the 6 + 1 Writing Traits method and associated rubrics
Designed weekly qui zzes devoted to learning Latin and Greek prefixes,
suffixes, and root words, in addition to the importance of dictionary and thesaurus
usage to strengthen student vocabulary
Responsibilities
Developed monthly, weekly, and daily lesson plans in accordance with the Florida
Language Arts Standards using the Grade 9 Springboard textbook
Assessed the needs - and differentiated instruction and pacing for - 6 English I
classes, including 2 Honors-level classes and an ESE-dominated class
Administered FAIR testing and assessed writing samples for all classes

ST UDE NT T EACHI NG A ND FIELD EX PE RIE NCE

Sept - Nov 2013

Grade 11/12, North Pocono High School, Moscow , PA
Key Achievements
Successfully completed eight weeks of observations before stude nt teaching for grades 11 and 12: responsible
for preparing and delivering English lessons using the constructivist approach and cooperati ve learning
techniques (84
hours total)
Balanced lesson preparation with four different English classes in terms of ability ranges and lesson pacing
Initiated successful public speaking unit duri ng student teaching
Integrated Promethian smart board and multimedia into classroom lessons, providing for an engaged environment
Compared and contrasted different teaching styles through observi ng English Department classes at the high
school at different grade levels and ability placements
Successfully achieved learning objectives through direct instr uction, multiple intelligences approaches, a nd
student- centered learni ng
Responsibilities
Developed lesson plans based on the 30-day learning target system that works backwards from a central
learning target
Initiated assistance with field trip supervision for theater students to attend a local uni versity play
Assessed the needs of students, including gifted & talented and those with learni ng difficulties, and differentiated
the lessons accordingly
Ensured the alignment of lesson plans with the schools curriculum including different instruction methods to
successfully engage students of all ability levels
Continually assessed the students throughout the lessons and identified ways to encourage their learning
and engagement

TEACHI NG EXPERIENCE
cont.
FIELD EXP ERIE NCE

Feb - April 2012

Grade 6, Seoul American Middle School (SAMS), Seoul, Korea
Key Achievements
Assisted and contributed to si xth-grade Language Arts classroom via weekly morni ng observations (40 hours.)
Learned about student engagement through Cornell Notes, "Daily Oral Language," high expectations
and encouragement of sixth graders becoming "active" readers
Responsibilities
Observed teachers from all grade levels (6-8) and subjects
Interviewed teachers regarding classroom management, parental involvement,
motivation, and teachi ng styles
Aug 2012- June 2013
English Instructor, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul, Korea
Key Achievements
Successfully i ntegrated the "6 + 1 Writi ng Traits" methods into writing classes
Provided a heightened learning experience by i ntegrati ng multimedia and authentic materials into the classroom
Focused on extensive reading through use of graded readers and Moodle technology for student accountability
Created Amazing Race course, leading to students' multicultural awareness and creation of the "Sungshin Amazing
Race" as a final project
Responsibilities
Created and presented challengi ng, stimulating semester syllabi and lessons for 4 freshmen-level college classes
Successfully maintai ned high levels of student motivation through the provision of prompt feed back and a
student- centered environment i n classes ranging from 10-30 students
Effectively applied a range of different teaching methodologies according to the needs of students of different
ability levels
English Professor, Sangji University, Wonju, Korea
Key Achievements
Coached English majors participating in their annual "MUSE"/English festi val
- specifically in pronunciation, intonation, tone enunciation, projection, and
cultural
awareness
Fall 2011: Harry Potter
Fall 2010: The Great Gatsby
Initiated, designed, and presented a three-day workshop on effecti ve
public speaking for Sangji students and faculty
Promoted use of edublog.org and extensi ve reading in order to generate interest i
n student blogging, reading, and using English outside the classroom
Responsibilities
Taught 4-6 technology-based English courses (per semester) to EFL collegelevel students based on effecti vely usi ng productive and receptive skills

Aug 2010-June 2012

Aug 2009-Aug 2010

English Language Teacher, Pungsung Middle School, Seoul, Korea
Managed up to 40 students per class requiring the development of effective classroom management skills
Successfully engaged students with different learni ng styles using student -centered teachi ng and lecture
teaching style
English Adjunct Instructor, Lackawanna College and McCann School of
Business, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Taught courses including "Foundations of E nglish," "College Writing," "Introduction
to
Literature" and "Effective P ublic Speaking."
Managed two different independent studies, includi ng "English Composition 2"
and
"Business Communications."

P UBLICATIONS

Oct 2008-Aug 2009

The American Dream as Portra yed b y Jo hn Dos Passos's Characters in t he U.S.A. Trilogy
Master's thesis, published in New Haven, Connecticut (2006)

MEMBERS HIP S A ND PROFES SIONA L DEV ELOPME NT

CHAMPS Course, Lee County Professional Development Course,
14 April - 12 May, 2015.
Member: Teachers' Association of Lee County (TALC),
Lee County Reading Council, 2015-present.

REFERENCES ARE AVAILABLE ON REQ UEST