01/25/12

One’s successes in the classroom depend upon a supportive and efficient administrative structure, and teachers play a vital role in the planning and execution of school objectives.  For two curriculum review sessions, I served as lead writer for the English Department at EARJ.  In addition, I participated in the school’s accreditation process, serving on the Philosophy and Objectives Committee while overseeing the drafting of the school’s revised goals.

      Within the local community, I have taught English to teens from the neighboring favela, Rocinha, in a program designed to help low income students pass university entrance exams.

In addition, I have contributed to tsunami relief efforts, and I volunteered for the Walk Against Cancer.  The Walk was organized by students across all grade levels and raised money for a local cancer research institute.  I believe peers can be a great resource for one another, and I enjoy sharing my special skills and expertise with my colleagues.  Computer technology plays an important role in the manipulation and mastery of information, and I volunteered to help the Upper School integrate innovative software and hardware applications, mastering a host of word processing and publishing programs as well as curriculum mapping applications such as Rubicon Atlas along the way.

     Extra-curricular activities play an important role in shaping character, and I am proud to have served as advisor for projects such as leadership conferences, philanthropic activities, and clubs that allowed students to become well-rounded citizens beyond the academic sphere.

     I am committed to participating in the life of my community, and, whenever possible, I contribute time and energy to organizations that involve outreach. After earning my Masters, I worked for one year at Harvard University’s Project Outreach, an epidemiology study dedicated to preventing the spread of communicable diseases among IV drug users. 

     In summary, I believe in modeling community activism for my students, encouraging them to contribute their time and energy to programs that enrich and improve the lives of the disadvantaged, especially at the local level where their efforts may have the most immediate impact.