Sarah J.

Little
[email protected] • sarahlittlemsu.weebly.com • 269-816-4733 • Portage, MI

CERTIFICATION
Michigan Elementary Standard Teacher Certification 2015
 K-5 All Subjects (K-8 All Subjects in Self-Contained Classrooms)
 Endorsements in Language Arts (BX), English as a Second Language (NS), and Spanish (FF)

EDUCATION
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Expected 2020
Master of Arts in Teaching and Curriculum, Overall GPA 4.0
 Concentration in Literacy & Language Instruction

Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 2014

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, Overall GPA 4.0
 Concentration in Language Arts, Minors in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Spanish
 Specialization in Global Education

TEACHING EXPERIENCE
ESL Teacher, K-5th Grade, El Sol Elementary & Arcadia Elementary, Kalamazoo, MI 2019-Present
 Provide differentiated small group instruction to multilingual learners of diverse linguistic backgrounds
 Collaborate with content-area teachers to provide push-in language support for multilingual learners
 Support administration of WIDA ACCESS testing K-5 within buildings and across district
 Coordinate with building ESL teachers to provide services and instruction for shared students
 Utilize district curriculum Being a Writer and On Our Way to English, as well as tools including Flipgrid,
Reading A-Z, Quizizz, Google Classroom, Google Meet, Nearpod, and Screencastify
 Provided live and asynchronous differentiated remote instruction during COVID-19 school closings

Migrant/ESL Teacher, K-12th Grade, Van Buren ISD, Lawrence, MI 2017-2019

 Collaborate with teachers and administrators to determine English learner and migrant student services
and to create a district-wide schedule of services and instructional plans
 Train and coordinate schedule for district’s bilingual aide
 Utilize a wide range of instructional programs, including Reading Street ELL, Imagine Learning, Direct
Instruction Spoken English, Language for Learning, TEAM Academic Language Toolkit, Odysseyware,
ACCESS Newcomers, Story Champs 2.0, Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Quizlet, Kahoot, Reading A-Z, Quizizz
 Lead administration and coordination of WIDA ACCESS testing K-12, as well as identification of incoming
students as English learners through administration of the WIDA Screener
 Ensure English learner accommodations are in place for classroom use and all district and state
assessments, in collaboration with school counselors, administrators and special education teachers
 Coordinate with receiving migrant schools to provide high school credit information, course progress,
current grades, and necessary information to prevent loss of instructional time for migrant students
 Provide data and supporting materials for English learners to general education teachers

Summer Bridge ESL Teacher, 8th Grade, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kalamazoo, MI 2019
 Deliver engaging science- and social studies-focused vocabulary and content lessons
 Coordinate hands-on field trips to enrich vocabulary and content learning
 Build student confidence and preparation for high school courses in the fall
 Implement SIOP strategies to maximize student understanding of content and vocabulary

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 Sarah J. Little
[email protected] • sarahlittlemsu.weebly.com • 269-816-4733 • Portage, MI
TEACHING EXPERIENCE CONT.
Elementary Spanish Teacher, K-4th Grade, Wattles Park Elementary, Battle Creek, MI 2016-2017
 Personalized Spanish instruction for over 350 students in kindergarten through fourth grade
 Implemented and practiced routines and procedures appropriate for each grade level
 Evaluated student performance and growth through standards-based grading
 Collaborated with district team members to develop and enhance district Spanish curriculum
 Integrated technology into lessons through use of Youtube, Plickers, and engaging online games
 Reinforced curriculum with research-based vocabulary teaching strategies (i.e. Marzano’s Six Steps)

ESL Teacher, 6th-8th Grade, Sturgis Middle School, Sturgis, MI 2015-2016

 Designed curriculum and content for sixth through eighth grade English as a Second Language classes
 Delivered scaffolded English Language Arts curriculum to multilingual learners using SIOP strategies
 Collaborated with team members to make data-driven decisions for student placement and remediation
 Participated in weekly professional learning communities, staff meetings, and collaborative planning
 Integrated the use of Google Classroom, Kahoot, Socrative, iReady, and Imagine Learning into instruction
 Coordinated and administered WIDA tests for all multilingual learners at Sturgis Middle School
 Differentiated classroom tasks and assessments based on language ability and learning needs
 Collaborated with group members on the School Improvement Team to develop solutions for growth
 Monitored all English learner students and Former English Learners for progress in core classes
 Maintained strong parent communication through school website, Google Calendar, Remind.org,
conferences, and phone calls in both Spanish and English

Year-long Student Teaching Internship, 3rd Grade, Elliott Elementary School, Holt, MI 2014 - 2015
 Organized and led all small group reading instruction, from strategic intervention to advanced levels
 Co-taught 23 students from all third grade classrooms using the MTSS structure to target reading fluency
 Assessed student progress with formative assessments including conferences, standards-aligned
checklists, and computer-adaptive software programs such as Xtramath, RAZ-Kids, and Front Row
 Collaborated with reading specialists to meet intervention goals for below-level readers
 Designed and presented interactive SmartBoard lessons for instruction in all content areas
 Participated in professional development sessions on data collection and interpretation
 Conducted parent-teacher conferences to communicate student behavior, progress, and future goals

GRANTS & AWARDS RECEIVED

 Donors Choose Grant to increase availability of multilingual texts 2019
 VBISD Special Education PAC Excellence in Education Award 2019
 Meemic Grant for hands-on science kit for butterfly life cycle 2019
 Meemic Scholastic Book Grant to improve diversity of Spanish-language texts 2018
 Donors Choose Grant to increase content-area materials supporting newcomer students 2018
 Summa Cum Laude, MSU College of Education 2014
 MSU College of Education Elementary Education Highest Academic Achievement Award 2014
 MSU Board of Trustees Award Recipient 2014
 MSU Honors College Alumna 2014
 Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Scholarship Recipient 2012

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 Sarah J. Little
[email protected] • sarahlittlemsu.weebly.com • 269-816-4733 • Portage, MI
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
In-School Collaborative Initiatives and Leadership
 Co-taught Secondary Newcomer Class at Van Buren ISD 2017-2019
 Formative Assessment for Michigan Educators EL Network Member 2017-2019
 Seal of Biliteracy District Implementation for Decatur Public Schools Leader 2017-2019
 Wattles Park Elementary Social Media Manager 2016-2017
 Wattles Park Elementary Medical Emergency Response Team Member 2016-2017
 Sturgis Middle School School Improvement Team 2015-2016
School-Community Collaborative Initiatives and Leadership
 Exito Educativo Family Workshop Series at Van Buren ISD 2018-2019
 Develop bilingual literacy night workshops and parent sessions 2017-2019
 Develop bilingual PowerSchool informational workshop for parents 2015
In-services, Workshops, or Conferences
 STARR Commonwealth Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools online course 2020
 WIDA Language Specialists: Engaging Multilingual Newcomers online eWorkshop 2020
 WIDA Reading Supports for Multilingual Learners online eWorkshop 2019
 WIDA MODEL Assessment workshop participant 2018
 WIDA Leading Schools for Multilingual Learner Achievement workshop participant 2018
 National WIDA Conference participant 2018
 Standards-Based Writing for English Learners workshop participant 2018
 Moving English Learners toward Proficiency by Implementing the SIOP Model participant 2018
 Southwest Michigan Migrant Resource Council Preseason Conference annual participant 2018-2019
 Western Michigan University ESL Conference for K-12 Educators participant 2018
 National Association for Directors of Migrant Education Conference annual participant 2018-2019
 WIDA Scaffolding Learning through Language workshop participant 2018
 Reading Now Network for Family Engagement workshop participant 2018
 Michigan Department of Education Special Populations Conference annual participant 2017-2019
 Advocating for ELLs professional learning network member Since 2017
 Leading ELLs online professional learning network member Since 2017
 Project-Based Learning 101 workshop participant 2016
 New Teacher Academy workshop participant 2015-2016

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS & JOURNAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

 National Education Association, Michigan Education Association, Teaching Tolerance Since 2015

COMMUNITY SERVICE
 Kalamazoo Literacy Council Adult ESL Summer Program 2018
 Kalamazoo Literacy Council Adult Literacy Tutor 2017
 Tutor for immigrant student from Kalamazoo Public Schools 2017
 Girls on the Run Coach 2016-2018

HOBBIES & PERSONAL INTERESTS

 Hiking, camping, kayaking, gardening, running, yoga, Spanish language development, reading, poetry

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