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Wisconsin Teacher Standard #10

Portfolio Entry
EDUW 690
Emily Klemme
March 19, 2017
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It is critical to develop positive relationships with other teachers, other school staff,

parents, and community partners in order to support student learning. As an educator, there are

ways that I can improve level of engagement to better meet the needs of the students that I work

with.

Goal 1: To collaborate with all teachers and school staff to enhance my overall teaching

strategies and improve student learning.

As a Site Director for a 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool program, I

provide academic enrichment activities to students in a high poverty, low performing elementary

school. I spend a great deal of time before, during and after the program advocating for students

and forming relationships with school staff that I do not typically work with during the normal

school hours. In my experience, it has been quite challenging to build that rapport since teachers

do not often have a clear understanding of our program requirements. Educators have struggled

to close the achievement gap and afterschool programs align with school day curriculum to

improve academic performance in a more hands-on approach. In order to meet the needs of the

struggling students that I currently work with, my overall communication and participation in

appropriate meetings/trainings is an area to prioritize and to improve as an educator. I also have

a clear understanding of the importance of afterschool programming and as a future special

education teacher, will advocate for the program if it is offered in the school that I work in.
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Goal 2: To maintain effective communication strategies and build positive relationships with

parents for the overall success of my students.

If parents are engaged in their childs learning and teachers make it a priority to seek out

various communication strategies to keep them actively involved, students have greater success

in school. Working in a high-poverty and low-performing school, I observe the struggles that low-

income families face and the various hoops that teachers and myself have to go through to

connect and form relationships with parents. Although not always an easy task, holding parents

accountable and being firm has allowed me to form great relationships. Often times, however I

have stretched certain policies and procedures to meet the various needs of parents and have

developed an understanding that not all requirements are going to be met by every parent. It has

been an ongoing learning experience for me and I have restructured the way I run my afterschool

program, in order to meet parents where they are at. Speaking with many experienced teachers

in my district, not everything is black and white with our parents. There is an extremely high

percentage of parents that have non-working phone numbers, hold two jobs and/or lack

transportation. It is our responsibility as teachers to ensure we are doing all that we can to

connect with parents and maintain positive relationships to provide students with the greatest

level of support. All parents want their child to be successful in school and in life, but may lack

the basic tools that are necessary for this to be achieved. It is our job as educators to be flexible,

understanding and provide the necessary trainings and resources so that they understand their

role as a parent is key to their childs success. One of my professional goals is to be patient and

persistent with parents that are difficult to get in contact with and those that are extremely

challenging to communicate and form a positive relationship with.

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Goal 3: To seek professional development opportunities that focus on poverty in the classroom.

When working with low-income families, it is crucial to understand the challenges of the

students in order for them to learn and be successful. In the recent years, I have gained

experience just by working one on one with students and their families, but would benefit

immensely from more trainings on poverty in the classroom and different ways that I can improve

my teaching to meet the basic needs of these students. We may think we have an idea how that

child is feeling but if we do not understand the stressors associated with that particular

student(s), we cannot teach to the best of our ability and that student is not going to be a great

learner. Stressors associated with poverty effect the way a student learns and behaves. If I am

trained on how I can best support that student, I will have better control of my classroom and a

better understanding of all students in my room.

Goal 4: To utilize community resources to improve the overall needs of my students.

There are a great deal of organizations and agencies in the Green Bay area that are

academic-based and offer great programming for students in our local schools. My goal since I

started working with students has been seeking out one additional partner per year, while

maintaining great relationships with those I have already established. There are several that work

with low-income households and bring programming into the schools. In writing a paper for one

of my special education courses, I researched several agencies in the area that I was unfamiliar

with. There are numerous organizations that not only work with low-income families and provide

resources to students in need, but a number that provide additional support to ELL students and

families and students with special needs. Connecting with the social worker in the school that I
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work in would be an excellent resource to better understand what the area offers and how I can

help our students and families. Seeking out these resources to provide a high level of support

and academic achievement in my classroom, and the school as a whole, would be a great tool to

have as I continue to grow as an educator.

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Introduction:

Outside of the classroom, I spend a great deal of time communicating with parents and

collaborating with teachers/school staff. To enhance my teaching strategies to meet the

academic needs of all students that I work with, I also frequently attend professional

development workshops. These professional development opportunities include: Positive

Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), CHAMPS Classroom Management, Trauma Informed

Care, Active Shooter Response Training (ALICE), Devereux Student Strengths Assessment

(DESSA), Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, Social Emotional Learning (which includes Second-Step

and Circle Time), First Aid/CPR, and various afterschool curriculum trainings. Program Assistants

that work in the afterschool program are also given several of these trainings, many of which I

facilitate outside of the scheduled program time.

My collaboration with school staff and professional opportunities that I attend ensures

my students with various learning needs are successful and fully supported after school. Several

of our students have an individualized learning plan, with needs relating to ADHD, autism, and ID

deficits.
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Portfolio Example: Families and Community/Communication Log

Forming positive relationships in our school and community are vital to being an

effective educator. Maintaining a good rapport with students, their parent/guardian and other

community members shapes our schools and sets students up for success.

Students are at school for over six hours each day, five days per week. If there is a

mutual respect between the educator and the students, and the students feel valued and

appreciated, they are more likely eager to come to school and learn. Students that admire their

teacher and share a trusting relationship are also more willing to follow the school rules and

behave appropriately. Getting to know students on a personal level will motivate them to learn

and will allow the educator to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of the student. The

relationships that students develop during the school day play a significant role in their

education. Positive relationships allow the student to feel safe and secure in their learning

environment.

A teacher is able to imprint a student with positive reinforcement and self-confidence.

This strengthening of a students self-worth can often stay with them for life and affect future

behavior. Getting to know each student and developing a personal interest in them will make

students feel important. Making sure students know they have someone to talk to about their

bad day or a situation going on at home is very comforting for them. It builds the trust between

the teacher and the student and allows them to feel safe. Students often need to have

someone they look up to and respect, but can also have fun and share humor with. There are

often students that look forward to coming to school solely for the positive relationships they

share with their teachers and peers. This is even more important if their relationships at home
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are dysfunctional. Accepting students and celebrating their differences is significant with

building relationships with students.

The relationships formed with the parent/guardian of each student is also very

significant. Without their support, their child is going to have a harder time in the classroom. At

times it can be very difficult to form a relationship with a parent/guardian, just as it may take a

different approach to build that rapport with students in the classroom. Meeting the parents

where they feel comfortable is a great start to connecting with them regarding their childs

education or behavior at school. Communication is key, and parents enjoy hearing about their

childs progress in school (whether they are positive or negative). If parents are contacted only

for negative reports on student performance, that will impact the relationship. This also may

discourage parent involvement with school work because they may feel they cannot effectively

help their child. One way to boost a childs confidence and communicate to parents is a small

note sent home with the child stating what a great day he/she had. Parents will look forward to

receiving those notes and students will be motivated to receive them each day. Emails, phone

calls, progress reports, and conferences are other ways to stay connected with parents. Folders

sent home weekly for parent reviews are an effective way to involve the parent in their childs

learning. Parent involvement plays an important role in the success of their childs learning,

attendance, behavior and attitude about school.

Since parents know their child best, they play a key role on the IEP team. If there is a

positive relationship between the community members, school staff and the parent(s), there is

a better chance that the parent(s) will share information about the childs strengths and needs

that are necessary for the development of the IEP. Encouraging parents to ask questions and
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explaining the information clearly will allow parents to feel vital to their childs education plan.

Parents should be informed of all changes made to the IEP and communicated regularly about

the progress of the student.

Developing rapport with students, parents and community members will set students

up for success and can have an impact on the school as a whole. Without the collaboration of

all parties, there is a greater chance that the students behavior and academic performance will

be negatively affected.

I have included two documents that I use as communication tools after school. The first

document is a communication log that I have implemented after school to document phone

calls or face-to-face contact that I have with each parent/guardian. I have also included a

monthly newsletter, which includes important dates and information, along with a look inside

the program.
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Portfolio Example: Learner

As a student in the Masters in Education program, I am ambitious to develop

expertise on teaching and discipline strategies for my students, while measuring success in

myself and my classroom. My greater level of experience will support students with emotional

and behavioral disabilities and I will use the skills that I obtain through my courses to become an

effective resource for students and classroom teachers. I aspire to better understand the needs of

students, while gaining skills in leadership, classroom management and lesson planning.

In the last four years at two low-performing schools, working with high-poverty

students, I put students at the center of my teaching and regularly attended professional

development opportunities to ensure I had the tools that I needed to be successful. I have trained

in PBIS/CHAMPS, NVCI, Behavior Management, First Aid, CPR, ALICE, Second-Step and

Circle Time, which is geared towards improving the overall social emotional learning of

students. I also am an active member on the schools Crisis Team, PBIS/CHAMPS team and

actively participate in monthly staff meetings to carry over the school day instruction and

behavior strategies to the afterschool program. I also am a committee member for the

Community Partnership for Children through United Way. The Children and Families

Workgroup meets monthly and ensures children are safe, healthy and ready for kindergarten.

Professional Development is significant in the growth and success of becoming a special

education teacher. I continue to seek out new learning opportunities and ensure I have the right

tools to do my job to the best of my ability.

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Portfolio Example: Leader/Collaborator

In my role as Site Director for a 21st Century Community Learning Center at the

school I am working in, I demonstrate leadership to my staff and collaborate with

teachers (as well as other school staff) quite frequently. To ensure the afterschool

program is the best that it can possibly be for our students and impacts student learning,

this is a key part of my role. With the afterschool program operating outside of school

hours, I make it a priority to communicate with teachers and other school staff to bridge

school day with after school. Otherwise, there is a disconnect and lack of student

achievement and support.

This communication and collaboration includes attending staff

meetings/professional development, sharing out monthly newsletters, being visible during

the school day, assisting in classrooms during the school hours, and either

communicating via email or face to face regarding student behavior, academics, and

attendance in the program weekly, if not daily. This has strengthened our partnership a

great deal. During a recent needs assessment focus group meeting that included several

teachers, one of the discussion topics narrowed in on communication between school day

and after school. Teachers in the meeting noted having a really great partnership and

appreciated the varies ways we communicate with them.

The collaboration I have with teachers and school staff allows me to be a stronger

leader for my staff in the program, as I can better assist them with meeting the needs of

the students that we work with.

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Reflective Summary:
Through my work with families, the community, as a learner, and as a leader/collaborator

at the school I am currently working in, there is a significant connection to students and the

impact my work has on them. My work outside the classroom supports my work inside the

classroom and allows me to better myself as an educator.

There is an importance with my connection to families/community, teachers/school staff

collaboration, and as a learner in the Masters in Education program that all ties to student

learning. Not one stands out to me as being the most effective. All three have a significant

impact in the work that I do to meet the needs of all my students.

I believe that spending a greater amount of time with students during the school day,

working in classrooms and observing teachers, will help me better understand the academic

needs of my students and improve my program. As of now, 21CCLC funds are not able to be

used outside of afterschool hours. This is a grant requirement, but I am certain this would

strengthen both our partnership and our program as a whole.

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Professional Documents:

Emily Klemme

1128 13th Avenue Green Bay, WI 54304

(920) 362-7105
emily.blazo@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Master of Arts in Education and 10Sped student with seven years experience working
with at-risk youth in a school setting. Driven and caring advocate and educator for
education, focused on providing support for diverse learners and inspiring students to
become lifelong learners.

EDUCATION
Master of Arts in Education, Expected June 2017
GPA: 4.0
Saint Marys University of Minnesota, Green Bay, WI

Cross Categorical Special Education Certification (Grades K-8), Expected December

2017
GPA: 4.0
Saint Marys University of Minnesota, 10Sped Program, Black River Falls, WI

Bachelor of Science, Family Studies, April 2008

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

EXPERIENCE
The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay Green Bay, WI
2012 - Present
BGCGB is a non-profit organization that enables all young people, especially those that need us
most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. BGCGB serves
over 7,000 youth in two clubhouses and six school based sites.

Site Director, Nicolet Elementary School

Direct/Manage overall daily operations for an at-risk and trauma-informed
21CCLC after school site, in partnership with the Green Bay Area Public School
District, with the primary concern for program and service delivery, community
relations, and membership administration
Supervise and provide professional development opportunities for 13 staff and
volunteers, while ensuring program planning and implementation meets common
core standards for all 75 members of the program
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Collect and analyze outcomes of programs offered, including LitART and

Mindworks
Organize and carry out monthly family educational opportunities during the
school year, to engage parents in the program
Pursue relationships with community members and local businesses to provide
additional resources and support program components
Develop and coordinate programs that are evidence-based and align with the
Boys & Girls Club and Green Bay Area Public School Districts goals and
objectives, to strengthen academic success and diverse learning
Active participant in school faculty meetings

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc. Green Bay, WI

2011 - 2012
GSNWGL is a non-profit organization serving nearly 20,000 young women, utilizing 6,000
volunteers, in 58 counties in the North East Wisconsin and Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Community Development Coordinator

Acted as first point of contact for volunteers; conducted interviews, screening,
training and proper placement of over 100 volunteers
Developed community awareness and collaborations through individuals and
groups of people to tell the Girl Scout Story
Led and assisted with multiple regional projects, including the Hispanic Initiative,
which incorporated and acknowledged the Hispanic culture to recruit girl
members
Acted as representative on 3 different committees: assisted with the restructure
of fall recruitment strategies and marketing for the council, encouraged regular
exercise and healthy habits on the Wellness Committee and assisted with the
development and organization of acts for the 100 th Girl Scout Anniversary Main
Stage Committee

Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes, Inc. Green Bay, WI

2008 2012

Pathways/Outreach Manager
Developed and delivered outcomes-based programming to girls K-12, serving
nearly 2,000 girls in schools, shelters, detention centers and other youth serving
organizations
Trained and supervised 10 AmeriCorps members and staff in 2 counties, to
ensure program delivery was meeting the leadership outcomes and goals were
met for our department
Managed 4 grant-funded programs: $50,000 for programming strictly set for at-
risk youth in detention centers and shelter cares, $16,000 for Red Cross
Babysitter training classes to serve 160 youth in the Fox Valley, $5,000 for
elementary school-based programming to serve over 150 girls, and $6,050 for
mentoring program between 5 college, 10 high school, and 15 middle school
students.
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Developed inclusion plans for all racial, ethnic, religious, socio-economic and
special needs groups, to give all girls the leadership experience
Prepared and managed operating budgets for 10 programs with budgets
succeeding $4,000 annually in program supplies
Developed cost-containment strategies
Ensured quality services were provided based on needs and interests, to
guarantee sustainability and the growth in overall membership

ADDITIONAL TRAININGS AND AFFILIATIONS

Community Partnership for Children-Children and Families Workgroup Committee
Member,
Brown County United Way, 2015-present
Member of Current Young Professionals Network, 2014-present
Circle Time and Second Step for Social Emotional Learning, 2016
Inclusion and Diversity, 2016
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention, 2016
Trauma Informed Care, 2016
First Aid and CPR, 2015
Blood Borne Pathogens, 2015
Mandated Reporting, 2015
ALICE Active Shooter Response, 2014
Impact Award Winner (Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay), 2013
Positive Behavior Interventions & Support (PBIS) and CHAMPS Classroom
Management, 2013-present