Sarah anne Bryski

EDUCATION AND LICENSURE

SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY, Selinsgrove, PA (Expected May 2012)

            Bachelor of Arts in English

            Minor in Psychology

            GPA: 3.49/4.0

PENNSYLVANIA LICENSE: SECONDARY EDUCATION (Pending)

             English (7-12)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

MIDD-WEST HIGH SCHOOL, Middleburg, PA

Student Teacher (January-April 2012)

• Taught units on commas, colons, semicolons, subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, poetry, and vocabulary in one 1 credit English 9 class

   

• Taught units on author’s argument, generalizations, and visualization in seven .5 credit Contemporary Literature classes

   

• Proctored PSSA and CDT testing

   

• Assisted with classroom management

   

• Experienced professional enrichment program in differentiation and poverty

   

• Helped with school fire drill and bus evacuation drill

   

• Attended several school-sponsored events, including faculty breakfasts, pep rally, talent show, and school musical

   

SELINSGROVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Selinsgrove, PA

Directed Research and Assistant, Special Education 2 (January-February 2011)

• Analyzed psychological and developmental attributes of students with IEPs for a report in the class Psychology of Exceptional Students

   

• Helped individual students with reading skills and comprehension

   

• Assist in monitoring IEP testing

   

• Observed and assisted two hours a day, twice a week, for three weeks

   

HANOVER AREA JR/SR HIGH SCHOOL, Hanover Twp., PA

Externship (May 2010)

• Examined teaching in English, College Prep, Science, Psychology, Math, and History for five days, eight hours a day

   

• Helped in classroom in areas such as grading and classroom management when needed

   

SELINSGROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL, Selinsgrove, PA

Practicum, English 8 (February 2010)

• Assisted students with reading comprehension assignments and tested their reading speed

   

• Taught an excerpt from a grade-level appropriate novel to approximately 150 students at one time

   

• Assisted teacher in grading papers and overseeing the class

   

• Observed, assisted, and/or taught two hours a day, twice a week, for five weeks

   

RELATED EXPERIENCE

SOUTHWEST/TEXAS POPULAR CULTURE ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, Albuquerque, NM

Presenter (February 9, 2012)

• Presented scholarly research article about comic books in the classroom

   

• Answered questions from undergraduate students, graduate students, teachers, and college professors about research and findings

   

• Conferred with several high-school teachers about topics of papers and the teaching process

   

ESSAIS SCHOLARLY JOURNAL, Utah Valley University, UT

Published (Spring 2012 Issue)

• “The Bias of Visual Literacy, a New Generation, and Comics in the Classroom”

ENGLISH AND CREATIVE WRITING CONFERENCE, Susquehanna University, PA

Presenter (February 16, 2009 and February 21, 2011)

• Presented scholarly research article titled “Keeping Up With the Times: Examining the “Home is Where the [Blank] Is” and “Effectiveness of Translating Northanger Abbey from Novel to Film”

   

• Answered questions from students and professors about research and findings

   

PRIVATE FAMILY, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Child care provider and house-sitter (September 2002-August 2008)

• Responsible for the basic needs of two boys, birth-6 and 2-8, for an average of 30 hours per week

   

EDUCATIONAL INVOLVEMENT

Literature Club Academic Organization: (Fall 2008-Spring 2010)

Circle K Service Organization: (Fall 2008-Spring 2010), Vice President/Editor (Fall 2009-Spring 2010)

Student Activities Committee: (Fall 2008-Spring 2009)

Zeta Tau Alpha Social Sorority: (Spring 2009-Spring 2011), Secretary (Fall 2009), Panhellenic Representative (Fall 2009), Vice President (Spring 2010-Fall 2010)

Long Reach Productions Film-Making Club: Co-Founder (Spring 2010-Spring 2012), Secretary (Spring 2010-Fall 2010), President (Spring 2011-Fall 2011)

HONORS

Alpha Lambda Delta Freshman Honor Society: (Spring 2009-Present)

Kappa Delta Pi Education Honor Society:  (Spring 2010-Present)

Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society: (Spring 2010-Present), Secretary (Spring 2011-Fall 2011)

Deans List: (Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Fall 2009, Fall 2011)

Scholarship Recipient: Presidential Scholarship, Jones Scholarship, United Steelworkers Scholarship, Hanover Area Teacher’s Scholarship

SKILLS

Technology: Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Microsoft Operating Systems

Leadership: Held an executive position in four organizations on campus. Co-created a club with the assistance of an alumni

Public Speaking: Responsible for running meetings as Vice President of Zeta Tau Alpha and President of Long Reach Productions. Presented at the English and Creative Writing conference

Psychological: Self-specialized in six childhood, developmental, and school-related psychological classes

Sports/Athletic: Three years on junior varsity cross-country team, varsity cross-country team, junior varsity track and field team, and two years on varsity track and field team

As a student at Susquehanna University, I have been preparing to teach secondary-level students over the past several years. I carefully chose classes during my undergraduate career that put as much emphasis on the educational aspect of my degree as possible. My minor in psychology was planned with the students in mind, leading me to complete childhood, developmental, and school-related psychological classes, including educational psychology, adolescent development psychology, psychology of exceptional children, and social psychology. These classes have helped me to become more conscious of what students need to grow and prosper both intellectually and emotionally.

I am an enthusiastic teacher who enjoys incorporating activities engage and lead students to use higher-order thinking skills. As a student teacher at Midd-West School District, I taught ninth grade English and Contemporary Literature classes, where I challenged students to think above and beyond theory. I led my English 9 students to turn well-known song lyrics into grammatically correct paragraphs, form and write persuasive arguments, and interpret and write poetry. I also led Contemporary Literature to participate in a school-related debate, make generalizations about everyday activities, and enhance their visualization skills through analyzing a short film and creating their own comic strip. I strive to give my students the confidence that they can create projects and solve problems that they did not know they were capable of doing.