Resume 2011

Candice Groves

Objective
To obtain a full-time elementary teaching position.
Education
The College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College), Ewing, NJ
Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education & Spanish, May 2005
GPA: 3.683, Dean’s List: all semesters, Magna Cum Laude graduate
William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ
Master’s of Education in Reading, May 2011
GPA: 4.0

Certifications
Standard Early Childhood & Elementary, The State of New Jersey, pending
Completed Praxis Exam: Elementary Education Content Knowledge: 175
Initial Birth-Grade 2, The State of New York, September 2008
NYSTCE Completed Elementary ATS-W: 279, Multi-subject CST: 269, LAST: 273
Orton-Gillingham Certificate of Training, August 2010

Teaching Experience
Kindergarten Teacher, Bergenfield School District, September 2010-present
• Instruct all subjects to morning Kindergarten program
• Instruct Reading to Kindergarten English Language Learner students in afternoon program
• Engage in a professional relationship with parents & school staff
• Utilize Spanish on a frequent basis for communication purposes

Elementary Media Specialist Leave Replacement Teacher, Harrington Park School, December 2009-April 2010
• Instruct Library with Kindergarten – 5th grade students
• Instruct Library & Research/Study Skills with 6th grade students
• Engage in a professional relationship with parents & school staff

Fourth Grade Instructional Assistant, Harrington Park School, September 2008-June 2010
• Assist with instruction of curriculum in third and fourth grades
• Work closely with a student with Asperger’s Syndrome
• Modify lessons & differentiate instruction according to student’s IEP & other accommodations
• Engage in a professional relationship with parents & school staff

Kindergarten Instructional Assistant & Permanent Spanish Replacement Teacher, Ho-Ho-Kus Public School, September 2007-June 2008
• Assist with instruction of Kindergarten curriculum
• Instruct Spanish I with 6th & 7th grade students
• Modify lessons & differentiate instruction according to IEP’s & other accommodations
• Engage in a professional relationship with parents & school staff across various levels

Permanent Spanish Replacement Teacher, Demarest Middle School, January 2006-June 2007
• Instruct Spanish I with 7th & 8th grade students & introductory level Spanish with 5th grade students
• Modify lessons & differentiate instruction according to IEP’s & other accommodations
• Engage in a professional relationship with parents & school staff


Substitute Teacher, Cresskill School District, November 2005-January 2006
• Instruct elementary, junior high, & high school students
• Chosen for short term replacement of 8th grade English classroom teacher
•
Lead Preschool Teacher, All Saints Church Preschool, Glen Rock, July 2005-November 2005
• Teach & observe three-year-old class
• Follow year-round curriculum including letter & number recognition, science, & social studies
• Develop & implement lesson plans to engage students in preparatory activities for school
• Plan activities to aid in development of small & gross motor skills
• Engage in a professional relationship with parents & school staff
•
Related Professional Experience
• Extended Academic Day Teacher, Hoover School, Bergenfield, NJ, November 2010-present
• Instruct Language Arts to third and fourth grade students after school on a weekly basis after school
• Academic Support Teacher, Harrington Park School, Harrington Park, NJ, March 2010-June 2010
• Instruct Language Arts to fifth grade students after school on a weekly basis after school
• Home Instruction Teacher, Harrington Park School, Harrington Park, NJ, January 2010-April 2010
• Instruct History, Science, Mathematics, and Language Arts to a sixth grade student unable to attend school on a regular basis
• Private Tutor, October 2009-present
• Instruct Spanish to middle school students in need
•
Educational Accomplishments
• Recommended for New Jersey’s Distinguished Teacher Award by Department of Early Childhood, February 2005
• Member of Kappa Delta Pi & Co-chair of Professional Development Committee, National Collegiate Education Honor Society (Undergraduate and Graduate level)
• Member of Sigma Delta Pi, National Collegiate Spanish Honor Society
• Member of Golden Key, National Collegiate Honor Society
•
Skills
• Proficient knowledge of conversational & written Spanish
• Proficient knowledge of basic computer programs (Microsoft Office, email, online grading, etc.)
• Proficient knowledge of Smart Board & Senteo software & equipment
•
References & portfolio can be accessed at http://candicegroves.blogspot.com

Elementary Media Specialist Replacement Teacher K -6 & 4th grade one-on-one Instructional Assistant

During the 2009-2010 school year, I had the opportunity to take on a maternity leave position lasting over 4 months. I was able to integrate my knowledge of the elementary classroom, while weaving in my Reading Specialist background and technology skills. During my time as an Elementary Media Specialist, I instructed Library classes with Kindergarten through sixth graders. With my pursuit of a Master's in Reading, I was able to apply reading skills throughout my lessons. I also instructed a Research and Study Skills class with sixth graders where various organizational and life skills are taught. I conducted lessons regarding topics such as: OPAC Library Catalog use, the Dewey Decimal system (including a project of a student-made informational booklet to be kept in the library for younger students), appropriate Internet safety, identifying main ideas, topic sentences, and supporting details, and bibliography.

I am fortunate enough to be a one-on-one instructional aide for a 4th grader with Asperger’s. Because I have worked with him since he began third grade, I am very aware of his skills and areas of need. I modify instruction and work with him according to his IEP, which I have helped to maintain and modify through meetings. I am in close contact with his case worker, classroom teacher, and parents. In addition to helping this boy, I also differentiate lessons for other students in need.

Spanish in Kindergarten

Throughout the year, I have exposed the Kindergarten students to a variety of Spanish. We have been engaged through songs and activities to bring Hispanic culture to life. Parents have been contacted throughout the year regarding happenings in the classroom.

The students have celebrated Mexican culture through the cooperative lesson of mixing ingredients to make a layered dip. We enjoyed traditional Mexican music while we dined and made a tribal art project called “The God’s Eye.”


As the year progressed, the students’ curiosity for Spanish has grown exponentially. They’ve used the language in every day conversations, asked for new vocabulary, and documented what they’ve learned.

Despite the fact that language is not offered at the elementary level until 2nd grade, my students have already begun an extraordinarily important journey of learning a World Language.

Students' demonstration of Spanish awareness through journal writing:

"Cabeza, hombros means head and shoulder. I love Spanish so much. I learned 3 songs."

"Gracias means thank you and I say adios amigos. That means goodbye."

"I know lots of Spanish songs."

"Arbol is a tree."

Magnetism Unit including Objectives, Outcomes, Assessments, and Reflections

LET'S EXPLORE WITH MAGNETS!

Unit by: Candice Groves
Cooperating Teacher: Jenifer Mihalik
April 11, 2005-April 29, 2005
Washington Elementary School
Bristol Township, PA

Overview:

In this unit, I plan to engage the students in an in-depth, science and mathematics exploration. We will be exploring magnetism as we experiment with the different properties of magnets and their many uses. I plan to give the students the opportunity to predict the outcome of an experiment, as well as reflect upon the day’s activities with a personal science journal.
The unit on magnetism will span three weeks of instruction, with three days of exploration per week. The students will work in small groups and individually in order to benefit from different types of instruction. Nine lessons will cover a basic discovery session with a magnet as an introduction and will conclude with a culminating activity involving a group discussion of the concepts learned. A Power point presentation will be used as a visual aid in order to highlight these concepts.


Investigative Areas Covered:

-How can a magnet be made?
-What will it attract and/or repel?
-How do they attract/repel?
-What are they used for?
-What different kinds are there?
-Will they attract through something?

Teacher’s Objectives:

When students have completed the unit, they will be able to recognize and explain basic properties of magnetism as a result of their observations and experimentations. They will be able to explain attraction and repulsion, the qualities of a magnetic object, the strength of a magnetic force, how a temporary magnet works, and how a compass works.

I want the students to have the confidence to take risks while practicing and fine-tuning the skills of prediction and hypothesizing. They have the opportunity to correct any misconceptions through investigation. I’d like the children to have an appreciation for science experiments and making discoveries on their own. While realizing that magnets and magnetism is a large part of our everyday lives, the students will gain a deeper appreciation for the investigation behind why magnetism works the way in which it does.

I will be asking many high and low level questions about why magnets work in which the way they do, why they interact with other materials, and how the phenomenon of magnetism can be explained at a second grade level. The nine lessons I have planned will aid in their learning experience by prompting them and driving the investigative process.


Objectives for Students:

The major objective for this unit is for students to be able to explain magnetism using key concepts learned throughout the study. Written in student language, this question may be phrased, “How do magnets work?” This essential question drives the study of the unit. Some other areas of study might be: How do magnets react with other magnets? What are magnets used for? How can magnets be made? What makes something magnetic? These and other questions will be addressed and reviewed throughout the investigations.

Observation/Assessment/Evaluation:

I plan to assess and evaluate the students both formally and informally. At the very beginning of the unit, the students will complete a KWL with me. I will be able to familiarize myself with concepts some students already understand and that which they would like to learn. At the end of the unit, revisiting this chart will serve as an informal assessment of their understanding of magnetism.

Throughout each of the nine lessons, I will observe the behaviors I anticipate the students to exhibit. I hope to see the students using appropriate vocabulary that they will copy into a science glossary which will serve as a reference. I will document these behaviors using a facilitation grid.

By asking prompting questions and listening for appropriate responses during lessons, I will be able to note if the children are exhibiting an understanding of the concepts integrated into each lesson. When appropriate, the students will use a worksheet that will assess their understanding of that particular activity.

At the end of the last lesson, I will give a mini-quiz of about six questions that asks the students to explain the concepts they’ve learned and tell about their favorite part of the unit.

As an on-going assessment, each of the students will keep a science journal that they helped design. At the end of each lesson, the students will start their dated entry with “Today I learned…” and write a minimum of two to three sentences about that day’s lesson. I plan to collect the journals in order to read their entries that day. I will be able to explain or reinforce any concepts that require clarification.

Post-Assessment:

What I Know About Magnets

Directions: Answer each question in complete sentences.

1. What can a magnet do?

2. How many poles does a magnet have? What are they called?

3. What would happen if you put two magnets together?

4. What would happen if you put a crayon near a magnet? Why do you think so?

5. What if you put a paper clip near a magnet? Why do you think so?

6. What was your favorite part of the magnet unit?

Draw your favorite part of the magnet unit here:


Reflection:

This unit has been an absolute success. The students have shown a complete understanding of magnetism throughout the nine day study. I’ve heard vocabulary being used freely and correctly both formally and informally. Their journals have been detailed, though some have needed encouragement to do so. Many students have drawn cards or written me letters to say how much they loved the study of magnets. I am so pleased with their love for investigative science!


**Note: Pictures of the unit can be seen in the slideshow on the homepage.

Letter of Recommendation

March, 2008

To Whom It May Concern:

I am pleased to write this letter on behalf of Ms. Candice Groves. I have the pleasure of working with Candice, my classroom assistant, in our kindergarten classroom this year.

Candice is such a valuable part of our class. Not only is she loved by all the students, but she brings professionalism and a caring attitude to everything she does. She is able to reach every student through differentiation and various approaches every time she teaches. Candice is well-prepared every day, so asking her to jump in on a moments notice is never a problem.

Candice has such a wonderful style with the children. She has great classroom management techniques and is able to facilitate a wonderful learning environment. You can tell that she invests herself into everything she does.

In addition to Ms. Groves’ professional skills, she is warm, empathetic, generous, and authentic with students, staff, and parents. She is always willing to take on additional responsibilities and duties in order to support her colleagues and administrators.

It has been a wonderful experience to work with Ms. Groves this year. I respect her as a professional and as a colleague.

I would be honored to recommend Candice Groves for any position in the educational field.

Sincerely,


Marianne Bloom
Kindergarten Teacher

Letter of Recommendation

April 18, 2005

To Whom It May Concern:

It gives me great pleasure to recommend Ms. Candice Groves to you. Ms. Groves was a student in both my Child Development class and in my Observation and Participation seminar that was a major course in the Junior Professional Experience (JPE).

Ms. Groves was a conscientious student who was always well prepared for class and completed all assignments in a thoughtful and thorough manner. Through her coursework and discussions, Ms. Groves demonstrated her ability to critically analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. In the Observation and Participation seminar, Ms. Groves incorporated her knowledge of how children learn and develop into her lesson plans and her unit on the community. Ms. Groves’ field placement was in an inclusive 2nd grade. In order to meet the diverse needs of her students, she learned how to differentiate instruction to meet the particular needs of all of the students. What stands out most in my mind was Ms. Groves’ obvious enjoyment in teaching. She was always an enthusiastic teaching, expressing a genuine love of children and teaching through her smiles and laughter. She established a warm rapport with the children right from the beginning.

In addition to a strong focus on her academics, Ms. Groves is an active member on campus. She is a board member of Kappa Delta Pi, a national honor society in education. In this role, Ms. Groves assisted in the planning and coordination of the Kappa Delta Pi conference on campus.

I very highly recommend Ms. Groves to you. Should you have questions, I can be reached at (609)771-2727 or jeberly@tcnj.edu.

Sincerely,


Jody L. Eberly
Assistant Professor
Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Sample Language Arts Lesson Plan and Scaffold

Candice Groves
Sample Lesson Plan
Language Arts: Short Vowel Sounds 25-30 minutes

-Objectives: Students will be able to identify short vowel sounds and understand the importance of vowels.

-Standard: 3.1 (Reading) All students will understand and apply the knowledge of sounds, letters, and words in written English to become independent and fluent readers, and will read a variety of materials and texts with fluency and comprehension.

-Materials: Chart paper, markers, baskets, picture cards, dice with vowels, white boards, worksheet to record words.

-Hook (5 minutes): Typical Morning Message written without vowels on chart paper.
Who can read my message? What do you notice about the way it’s written?

Same Morning Message with vowels written in a different color ink.
Who can read my message now? Which one is easier to read? Why? Do you see any words that do not have a vowel?

-Benchmark (5 minutes): Make list of vowels and why they are important. Review short vowel sounds.
I want to make a list to see what we know about vowels. Who can tell me something that they know about vowels? What sound does the short _ make?

-Student-directed small-group activities in Leveled groups (at tables, 10-15 minutes):
Red and Blue groups: Sort pictures into Short Vowel baskets.
Orange and Green groups: Roll die, create a word with that short vowel sound, and write on chart.

-Teacher-directed mini-lesson (on carpet, 10 minutes):
Yellow group: Identifying and isolating short vowel sounds with white boards. Write a word, find vowel, and identify sound.
I’d like you to write the word _ on your white board. Circle the vowel. What sound does _ make in this word? Can you tell me a rhyming word that has the same vowel sound?


-Closing (5 minutes): Write students’ names on board.
How do I pronounce _’s name? Can you hear a short vowel? What about if I made that vowel say itself? Is his/her name still the same? Why do you think the vowels in your name are important? Soon, we will also talk about long vowels that say themselves when you pronounce them.

-Technology: www.teacher.scholastic.com/activities/ - letter recognition www.starfall.com – letter recognition & letter sounds

-Assessment: Facilitation grid to informally assess and write anecdotal records.

-Extension: Create made-up words using short vowel sounds.