Shannon B.
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS
Lexington High School (Lexington, Massachusetts)
4.0 Grade Point Average across all academic subjects
AP Scholar Award (Biology- 5, Chemistry- 5, US History- 5, Human Geography- 5)
SAT Composite 2280 (Maths- 780, Writing- 760, Reading- 740)
AP Subject Tests (Chemistry- 770, US History- 760, Biology E- 780)
Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)
Bachelor of Arts in History
Summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, Distinction in Major
Tuttle Cup Award for student with the highest academic standing in Davenport College
Honours Thesis: The Boston Globe and the Black Education Movement in Boston, 1963-1974
Lesley University (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Master of Education in Middle School Humanities
Massachusetts State Licensure in Middle School Humanities (5-8) and English (5-12)
Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) Endorsement
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Love Learning Tutors (London, United Kingdom)
Common Entrance: 11+, 13+
United States exams and applications
McDevitt Middle School (Waltham, Massachusetts)
Grade 6 (Year 7) English/Language Arts teacher (5 years)
Literacy skills interventionist
District curriculum development
Shady Hill School (Cambridge, Massachusetts)
Grade 6 (Year 7) humanities teaching apprentice
Grade 7 (Year 8) humanities teaching apprentice
Coach for girls football and basketball
City Year (Washington, DC)
Literacy tutor for Grade 6 (Year 7)
New Haven Reads (New Haven, CT)
Reading tutor for primary school
SKILLS & INTERESTS
I enjoy going on nature walks, cycling, and doing yoga. I love football and I played for my university club team. I am also a singer, and I have been a member of choirs and a cappella groups. At home, I love to read, write, and connect with my friends and family. It’s important to me to always be learning something new, so at the moment I am learning plant-based cooking!
Languages: Spanish (intermediate reading, writing, listening, and speaking)
WORK EXPERIENCE
McDevitt Middle School (Waltham, Massachusetts)
6th Grade English/Language Arts Teacher
● Taught three inclusion sections of 6th Grade English/Language Arts aligned to Massachusetts State Common Core Curriculum Frameworks
● Maintained high reading and writing expectations while providing necessary scaffolds for all learners, including English Language Learners and Students with Disabilities, to access course content
● Analysed student work and continually adjusted curriculum and instruction to meet the diverse needs of all learners
● Built strong classroom culture and student sense of belonging through routines and relationship building
● Empowered students to track and reflect on their progress as readers and writers to build identities as learners
● Supported exemplary student growth and mastery of state standards as measured by state assessments; in 2022, students achieved average growth in the 82nd percentile on the ELA MCAS
● Collaboratively planned thematic units and engaging lessons with content- and grade-level teammates
ELA Intervention Teacher
● Piloted one section of intervention for at-risk general education students as identified by the DIBELs assessment
● Analysed student work and data to plan and deliver targeted fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension instruction
● Provided 1-1 phonics instruction for students with identified gaps in phonics skills
Waltham Public Schools (Waltham, Massachusetts)
● District-Wide ELA Curriculum Development: Used Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards to lead the revision of district-wide ELA curriculum units; designed units for two new texts by diverse authors to provide windows and mirrors for Waltham students; reframed existing texts to be taught with a social justice lens; created a suite of fluency resources to be used by teachers throughout the district in support of the School Improvement Plan
● Brandeis University Student Mentor: Served as coach for first-year students exploring future careers as educators
● Cluster Leader: Facilitated 2x/weekly meetings of 6th grade multidiscipline teaching team to address student needs and grade-wide planning
● McDevitt Equity Team Founding Member: Co-wrote mission and vision statements to guide teacher-led equity initiatives; contributed to monthly meetings and staff reflection
PERSONAL STATEMENT
For me, there is nothing more rewarding than helping a student realise their full potential, and I believe that with the right coaching and guidance every student can find success. That’s why I have dedicated my life and my career to teaching and learning! As a professional educator, I create warm and nurturing relationships with students in order to create a safe space for questions, mistakes, and discovery in the classroom. As a tutor, I am able to connect with students on an even more individual level, through academic and non-academic interests, and build a strong foundation of trust that makes deep learning and self-reflection possible. I have nearly a decade of professional experience working with students from a wide range of backgrounds with varying degrees of confidence in school, and I always meet learners where they are and provide the tools and support to help them achieve their personal goals. I work to understand each student as a unique learner and create lessons that will engage and stimulate their individual interests. My classroom teaching experience and my American education background equip me to help students across a wide range of subjects and using a creative variety of strategies. I truly believe that with patience, fun, and responsive teaching, every student can develop a positive relationship with learning and be successful.
