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Teacher Portfolio 2016

This document provides the resume and teaching philosophy of Heather Wulff, an experienced educator. She has a Master's degree in teaching and multiple subject teaching credentials. Her experience includes teaching various grades from preschool to 4th grade in several schools. She is currently teaching PreK-3 and has a strong record of collaborating with other teachers and developing engaging, standards-aligned curricula. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes meeting the needs of diverse learners through hands-on and project-based lessons that incorporate multiple intelligences. She aims to create a positive learning community and sees the potential to influence students' lives.

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Educator of Our Future Heather Wulff
619.569.9987 kumuheather@gmail.com University of Southern California GPA 3.64  Master of the Art of Teaching  Multiple Subject Teaching Alliant International University GPA 3.86  Graduated Magna cum Laude  Liberal Studies for Education California Credential— Multiple Subject Teaching Credential SB 2042—#110104597 Objective: To provide an exceptional classroom experience for all students I have a serious commitment to be the best teacher for each group of students I have the opportunity to teach. I work hard to be a positive influence in the lives of my students, their parents, and my fellow teachers. To keep up with the most effective teaching methods, I attend workshops and interact with other teachers for advice and exposure to fresh, new ideas. Galveston Independent School District, Galveston, Texas (August 2014-present) PreK 3 Teacher (currently) 1st Grade Teacher Leadership Learning Academy, Layton, Utah (July 2013-June 2014) 2nd Grade Homeroom Teacher and Math Specialist for Grades 1-3 Pacific Heritage Academy, Salt Lake City, Utah (Aug 2012-Jun 2013) 1st Grade Teacher Iftin Charter Elementary, San Diego, Ca (Sep 2011-Dec 2011) 4th Grade Teacher InterLangua (SZ) LLC - USA & Pacific Rim (July /Aug 2010) Teaching Experience in China—Art Teacher for Grades 1-4 Santee School District (Dec 2010-June 2012) Guest Teacher for grades K-8 I have also worked as a preschool teacher (Head Teacher and Curriculum Specialist). My student teaching was with 1st grade and also a 3rd /4th grade combo class. Before that I spent half a year working in a K/1 combo classroom, and then another half year working in a 3rd grade classroom. Over the years I’ve coached soccer (indoor and outdoor) for both boys and girls, aged 7 through high school.
Created a developmentally appropriate program for PreK3 students based on TEA guidelines Prepared a 2nd Grade Curriculum based on the Common Core and Utah State Standards to develop academic and social needs of students (Leadership Learning Academy) Designed a first grade curriculum, using standards based lessons (Common Core) in language arts, math (with manipulatives), science, and social studies to promote both academic and social growth Create lessons that engage cooperative learning and hands-on experiences that stretch across the curriculum Integrate reading, writing, arts and crafts into all subjects Create differentiated math and literacy stations where students learn/review key standards through independent practice and/or small group work Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students through the use of flexible groupings and student choice of projects Evaluate student academic and social growth, keep accurate records, prepare progress reports and communicate with administration and parents on individual progress. Collaborate with partner teachers Provide a safe and respectful environment to foster a culture of mutual trust Effectively taught a multi-cultural classroom, including ELL and intervention, of up to 34 students Familiar with Fountas and Pinnell’s reading program Enforce school rules and regulations Teacher representative for Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Prepare individualized activities for our special needs children Use interactive bulletin boards to further engage student learning Mentor new teachers Receive high praise for the creativity of classroom lessons from students, parents and faculty Incorporated Physical Education as a regular part of the classroom routine Organized and launched an after school homework program to help struggling students with various subjects (Leadership Learning Academy) Set up an after school reading program to aid with reading comprehension and fluency (PHA) Raised $900 through Donors Choose to bring a hands on life science program into my classroom Raised almost $1700 through DonorsChoose.org to purchase much needed classroom supplies and furniture (Leadership Learning Academy) Related to China Position Attended curriculum planning meetings before the teaching event in Shenzhen, China My lesson ideas were published as a permanent part of their curriculum Coordinated lessons with language arts, music, performance and games teachers Provided hands on experiences to encourage my students to communicate in English (they all had minimal prior experience with the English language, and I do not speak their language) Trained Chinese teachers to look past traditional workbook/rote learning and showed them methods to engage the whole child Teamed with other teachers to create a weekly student centered performance for the parents
References Stevie Gonzales Instructional Coach Galveston ISD StevieGonzales@gisd.org 409.939.7265 Ana Torres PK3 Partner Teacher Galveston ISD AnaTorres@gisd.org 409.354.9926 Demetrius Campbell Writing Specialist/Partner Teacher 1st Grade Homeroom Teacher Leadership Learning Academy DemetriusTracy@gmail.com 832.221.5697 Ka’au Alapa Director Pacific Heritage Academy kaaulei@yahoo.com 801.499.4762 Dana Miller Human Resources/Mentor Teacher Galveston ISD Dana_miller@gisd.org 409.766.5152 Kalli Savell 1st Grade Teacher Galveston ISD KalliSavell@gisd.org 936.689.0732 Nicole Bott PTO President Parent of my student Leadership Learning Academy Nicole_bott@hotmail.com 801.643.4115 Esther Thompson Director of Curriculum and Instruction Pacific Heritage Academy esther.thompson@phlearning.org 801.301.7847
Teaching Philosophy It may sound cliché to say that teachers shape our nation’s youth, but being cliché does not make it less true. Children need someone to nurture them, and lift them up. They need to see the beauty, power and courage inside them, even if they do not always see it for themselves. Children will leave my class with more confidence, compassion, and enthusiasm for life and learning, than they had before entering it. I will provide the skills they need to succeed academically, and the skills they will need to love themselves and others. As a teacher, I have great power to change lives. This power is humbling, exhilarating, and at times overwhelming, but always extraordinarily worthwhile. There are a variety of effective teaching methods to be used in the classroom. Just as you and I have varied interests, so do children. In my lessons, I start with a single topic, and then present it in a variety of ways, such as through books, music, art, and dramatic play. This keeps the topic fresh and interesting for all of the children, as every child is different and has individual preferences. It is very important as a teacher to remember that not everyone likes the same things, and not everyone absorbs information in the same way. Howard Gardner, psychologist and Professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, once said: “An intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings.” Howard Gardner claims that all human beings have multiple intelligences. These multiple intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened. He believes each individual has eight intelligences:  Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence -- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words  Mathematical-Logical Intelligence -- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns  Musical Intelligence -- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber  Visual-Spatial Intelligence -- capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly  Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence -- ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully  Interpersonal Intelligence -- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others  Intrapersonal Intelligence -- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes  Naturalist Intelligence -- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature Finding ways to tap into one or more of the above intelligences allows for a more relaxed and successful learning experience. If there are numerous ways that children can learn, it must be assumed there are many ways to evaluate the learning process. When children are given the opportunity to perform through different assessments, they can adequately show their strengths and weaknesses. I do
not rely solely on paper tests to measure the knowledge acquisition of the students in my class. Additional options of assessment are journals, presentations, projects and interviews. I run my classroom with the help of the students. By distributing jobs among the children, allowing everyone participation in the classroom, the students form a sense of togetherness. This creates a community within the classroom. This community of learners is essential for the students to perform effectively and efficiently. They feel comfortable in the environment and are not afraid to take risks and ask questions. There should be many points of view exemplified in each subject area, as the students will be able to share their opinion and listen to their peers’ ideas. My role as teacher also makes me a member of this community, and I do not present myself as unapproachable, nor am I the only source of information in the classroom. The students look to other resources for knowledge, including each other, books, and technology. The use of manipulatives and interactive tools allow the students to engage in learning while having fun. Educational philosophy is an idea that has changed over the decades. Still today not everyone is in total agreement on the subject, but one thing is certain: philosophy is the foundation of educational styles. Some of the educational philosophies I subscribe to are the social cognitive, socio-cultural and constructivism theories, as I find some truth and value in each.  Social Cognitive—This theory focuses on how people learn by observing others, and how they eventually assume control over their own behavior. Children take in what others give them, set goals for themselves, and then direct their behavior to achieve their goals. Similar to Behaviorism Theory, teachers serve as a model by demonstrating how to acquire and process new information.  Socio-Cultural—Extending upon the idea that children learn through social observation, this perspective emphasizes the importance of society and culture in promoting cognitive development. This reminds me of the old African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”.  Constructivism—Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own “rules” and “mental models,” which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences. The theories may vary a bit, but all philosophies strive towards the same goal, which is to better our education system. I use the aforementioned theories as a major influence of my teaching style. I adjust and customize the standard curricula to include my students’ prior knowledge. I emphasize hands-on problem solving, which focuses on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Using the constructivist theory as a guideline, I encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information, and I use open-ended questions to promote extensive dialogue among the students. The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct
his or her own meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s understanding. It is my job as teacher to provide an environment that makes this possible, while at the same time having fun. In my classroom, children will build concepts and memories that will last a lifetime. With my daughter at a CAEYC convention Former students
About Me and My Teaching Experiences I earned my Master of Arts in Teaching degree and my Multiple Subject Teaching credential from the University of Southern California. Before I earned my credential, my first classroom teaching experience was as a preschool teacher, eventually leading to the title of Curriculum Specialist for the school. During these years I equipped myself with all early education functions such as creating a fun, safe, and thriving environment where I provided instruction to students by creating an engaging curriculum. This experience also required me to effectively communicate both verbally, and in writing, with parents and colleagues regarding the program and the progress of students. I currently work for Galveston ISD. My first assignment with this district was a first grade classroom. I collaborated with four other teachers to create identical lesson plans to meet the expectations of the school leader. This past school year, I’ve been teaching PreK 3. I have a great relationship with my partner teacher that I know will continue beyond the end of the school year. We meet daily to create developmentally appropriate activities to engage our students based on TEA’s Early Childhood Outcomes & Prekindergarten Guidelines. We also use data from assessments to drive our instruction. Our students have shown tremendous growth throughout the year. At Leadership Learning Academy (LLA), I taught a 2nd grade homeroom, and I was the Math Specialist and created the math curriculum for grades 1-3. This school uses the Project Child model where elementary students rotate (like middle school students) through 3 main teachers in the same day: math, reading, and writing. I formed partnerships with the other two math teachers and worked closely with my partner teachers within our “cluster”. I have experience teaching English Language Learners (ELL) and with curriculum design. When I taught first grade at Pacific Heritage Academy, I constructed my own curriculum, using the Expeditionary Learning Model, which does not rely on traditional textbooks. Expeditionary Learning schools strive to provide a real-world experience, and expose students to the concept of “service learning”. I successfully created a sense of unity and respect among the many cultures that made up our team. My students numbered up to 34, consisting of children at various learning stages, including those needing intervention, and my class had the most ELL students in the school. I differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students using flexible groupings and student choice of projects. I created an afterschool-reading program to further aid reading comprehension and fluency. At Iftin Charter School, I worked as a teacher in a 4th grade classroom. I received the job one business day before the beginning of the school year, and I was responsible for setting up the room and creating and implementing a 4th grade level curriculum. The school itself is comprised of approximately 96% English Language Learners, many of them from refugee families, and 100% of the families are socio-economically disadvantaged. I also had the unique opportunity to teach in Shenzhen, China for 6 weeks. I had four classes each day, one from each grade level 1st through 4th, and most of my students spoke only a few
words of English (if I was lucky!). The purpose of the experience was to provide an American classroom environment in which these children could be completely immersed within the English language, while at the same time exposing traditional Chinese teachers to our "whole student" idea of teaching. Much of the Chinese education still relies on rote learning through lecture and workbooks, but the administration is interested in developing techniques to connect to their students in a whole new form of learning. It was an amazing experience that truly put me to the test of finding ways to communicate with students with whom I did not share a common language. Collaborative and project based learning is near to my heart. When students are able to work together and with their hands, they truly get involved with their learning and take in so much more. My lessons engage cooperative learning and hands-on experiences that stretch across the curriculum. Upon my employment, I will design activities that meet the TEKS while applying fun activities that will also benefit the structure and beauty of the school. I find students learn best when they do not even realize learning is taking place, and they tend to take more pride and ownership of their education when there is a final result to be shared with others. Getting to know my students is extremely important to me. I reach out to each one and make myself available as much as I possibly can. I am willing to stay after hours, and when time permits, I use my personal time to attend my students' sporting events, dance performances, or any other type of activity in which they may be involved. I feel this helps deepen the level of trust and enriches my relationship with my students. My first graders at Pacific Heritage Academy
China Experience 1st /2nd graders in Shenzhen, China First time seeing my room....Two giant ping pong tables, a pile of drums, no chairs, and it was filthy!!! A mistake was made in room assignments, but I decided to keep it anyway. I broke apart the two tables to make four in the room.
Interesting first meeting... I was assigned four classes of 25 students. I was told all of the students and parents would wander in randomly to say hello, that I would not need to have anything planned or prepared. Change of plans (without being told), I had just one of my classes in my room for over an hour! I did not have my supplies yet, and did not anticipate having to entertain students for so long. I whipped out some chalk and told the students to draw on the tables. They were timid at first, like they would get in trouble, but once they began, they got very excited!! I’d say it was a successful first meeting :) My students paired up to create posters that represent the people in their community and where they work.
First Grade Fun! Part of our curriculum was learning about clouds and the weather they bring. My students used watercolors, cotton balls, and glue to create cloud posters. They used real pictures of clouds as a visual aid.
Storytelling was a major theme throughout the year. We used stories to explore the following questions: What does it mean to be a good citizen? How do cultures tell their stories? Man first communicated through cave paintings and rock art. After exploring several famous caves loaded with prehistoric art, we came up with our own creations.
I raised $900 to bring a “hands on” life science experience to my classroom. We witnessed the life cycles of caterpillars, ladybugs, frogs, and plants. My students kept observation records in their science journals.
Super Second Grade! What a busy year in 2nd Grade! My students loved everything science! Some big themes this year were: bats, simple machines, animal habitats, and plants. My students were fascinated by the unit on simple machines. We watched 8th grade videos on Youtube, and my class wanted to make their own machines. They were asked to use at least 2 of the 6 different types, and they were to ring a bell from about a meter away. Here are some of their projects: They come in all shapes and sizes! So much fun!!
Bats! Bats! Bats! My kiddos were fascinated with bats! For 3 days straight we did everything bats, and we had a great time! One of the facts we learned about bats that we find extremely cool is the fact some bats can eat between 600 and 1000 mosquitoes in one hour! And we're talking bats that are only 3 inches in length (body, not wingspan)!! The kids partnered up and did a cut and paste of 100 mosquitoes onto a sheet of paper. The picture above demonstrates what 1100 mosquitoes look like. The students who were previously scared of bats decided they would rather have one bat than all those mosquitoes!! The students broke into groups to work on “Bat Facts” posters. Facts were posted around the room for them to use. I was impressed with the final posters and the level of cooperation displayed.
The story of bat rescue workers really resonated with this group of girls. They learned baby bats are unable to fly and often fall from their nests, making them easy prey for predators. They were happy to hear some organizations focus their efforts on saving baby bats.
Animal Habitats My students enjoyed learning about animals and their habitats so much they chose an animal to write a report about and designed a visual about the habitat in which their animal lives. We held a mini fair about what we learned, and we invited other classes to have a look. Some examples of visuals were dioramas, posters, and clay sculptures.
Playing (and Learning!) with PreK 3! There were good (and crazy!) times to be had in PreK 3! I believe young children learn best through exploration and play. My morning class had a wonderful year with our student teacher Jordan!
Examples of Previous Lesson Plans (California State Standards) Watercolor Art (Chinese focus) 3rd grade Heather Wulff Common Core Standard(s): Visual Arts—Objective 2: Create works of art using the elements and principles.  Discover how an artist has thoughtfully used all of the space within an artwork.  Create a work of art that uses all of the space on the paper. Objective: Students will be able to create their own watercolor artwork, using pictures of the real China countryside and Chinese artists’ renditions of nature as a guide. Length of Time: Depending on how much time is devoted to art, this project can be done in 2-3 days. The final stage cannot be started until the paint has fully dried. Materials needed:  Copies of Chinese watercolor artwork to display  Pictures of the real China countryside for display  Plain white paper (construction paper will be best)  Pencils for sketching  Watercolor paints  Black felt tip marker Pedagogical Practice 1. Motivation: Share watercolor artwork, created by Chinese artists, with the class. 2. Demonstrate Talk to the class about style and color use in the art. Point out how the artists’ use all of the space in their work. 3. Check for Understanding Ask the class if they have any questions about the art they are viewing. 4. Guided Practice To save time prepare in advance 3 separate stages of the same artwork. For the first stage, simply sketch most of the picture to be shared with the class. For the second stage, have the same design sketched out fully, and have some of the design pre-painted. The third stage will be the completed project, the same design fully painted, with a black marker
used to trace over the pencil sketches that showed through the watercolors. This gives emphasis and pop to the design. Explain to the class that the art has been prepared in advance to save time. Share the first stage. Be sure to save some details to be added in front of the class. Talk to them about sketching lightly. This way, if they change their mind it can easily be erased. Depending on how quickly the students work, this may be the only step done the first day. The second stage comes after the students have finished sketching their picture. Show them how to use the watercolors. Be sure to point out how too much water can ruin the paper. Also, let them know that they use less water to have more vivid colors in their art. After the art is dry, they can begin using a black felt tip marker to trace over the pencil lines that show through the watercolors. 5. Independent Practice Post copies of the Chinese artwork around the room for the students to reference. Set up a slide show of real pictures of China’s countryside to play while the students are working. Pass out the materials the students will need to complete their original art.
Gallon Land Using Gallons, Quarts, Pints, and Cups 3rd grade Standard(s): Measurement and Geometry 1.0 Students choose and use the appropriate units and measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects 1.1 Choose the appropriate tools and units and estimate and measure liquid volume. Objective: Students will be able to understand the relationships between gallons, quarts, pints, and cups. They will learn a short story (Gallon Land) accompanied by a visual that will help them with measurement conversions. Materials needed:  Real objects to represent a gallon, quart, pint, and cup  Paper and pencil for students to create the Gallon Land story  Worksheet for assessment Pedagogical Practice Motivation Have objects set up to represent gallon, quart, pint, and cup. Ask the class to estimate how many quarts are in a gallon, pints in a quart, cups in a pint, and other conversion possibilities using the four measurements listed. Demonstrate Tell the class the story of Gallon Land and draw the visual representation on the board. On the side of the board write the words: gallon, quart, pint, and cup. Check for Understanding Ask the students to identify the parts that make up the visual: “Can you tell me what the “G” represents?” “What does the “Q” represent?”…and so on with the “P” and the “C”
Structured Practice Retell the story of Gallon Land, and have the class draw the visual as the story is being told. Guided Practice Have the students find a partner. They will turn over the paper they used to draw Gallon Land. The students will tell their partner the story and redraw the graphic on the blank side of their paper. Independent Practice Have the students complete the worksheet on measurements. Assessment The first part of assessment is done by walking around listening to the conversations about Gallon Land. Are the students recanting the story correctly? Is the Gallon Land visual being drawn accurately? A more formal assessment is done by judging the correctness of the worksheet. Each question on the sheet only has one correct answer. The Story of Gallon Land Once upon a time in Gallon Land there lived four queens. Each queen had a prince and a princess. Each prince and princess had two cats, and they all lived happily ever after. The End… Instructions: 1. Begin by drawing a large “G” on the board. (Once upon a time in Gallon Land…) 2. Draw four Q’s inside the G. (…there lived four queens.) 3. Below each “Q”, draw two P’s. (Each queen had a prince and a princess.) 4. Below each “P”, draw two letter C’s. (Each prince and princess had two cats.) ***Attached is the assessment worksheet.
Name ______________________ Gallon, Quarts, Pints, and Cups Use Gallon Land to answer the following questions: 1. How many cups fill 1 pint? ___________________________ 2. How many cups fill 3 pints? ___________________________ 3. How many pints fill 1 quart? ___________________________ 4. How many cups fill 2 quarts? ___________________________ 5. How many quarts fill 1 gallon? ___________________________ 6. How many pints fill in 1 gallon? ___________________________ 7. How many cups fill one gallon? ___________________________ 8. How many quarts fill 2 gallons? ___________________________ 1. Amy bought 1 gallon of milk. How many cups of milk are in the gallon? ______________________________ 2. Josh bought 1 quart of ice cream. How many cups of ice cream are in the quart? ______________________________ 3. Sally has 4 pints of juice. How many quarts does she have? ______________________________ 4. Cathy has 2 quarts of water. How many pints does she have? ______________________________ 5. Brenda’s mom made fruit punch with a pint of orange juice, a quart of pineapple juice, and a gallon of apple juice. How many cups of each juice did she use? Orange juice _____________________ Pineapple juice _____________________ Apple juice _____________________ 6. If Brenda’s mom adds a cup of grape juice to the punch, how many total cups of juice she did she use to make the punch? _______________________________
Gallon Land Art (Follow up to Gallon Land) 3rd grade Standard(s): Visual Arts: 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts Math: Measurement and Geometry 1.0 Students choose and use the appropriate units and measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects 1.1 Choose the appropriate tools and units and estimate and measure liquid volume Objective: Students will have a better understanding of the measurements that make up a gallon. They will use the Gallon Land visual as a guide to draw a picture of Gallon Land, including all of its characters. Materials needed:  Large, white construction paper  Colored pencils  Estimate and Measure Capacity Worksheet (Houghton Mifflin, can be found at http://www.eduplace.com/math/mw/practice/3/homework/13_5.pdf) Pedagogical Practice Motivation Retell the Gallon Land Story, or randomly choose a student to come to the board to retell, and then state the objective. Explain that this will help them to better remember the different types of liquid measurements. Demonstrate Write on the board the prompts to be drawn in the picture:  Gallon Land background (gallon)  4 queens (quarts)  4 princes and 4 princesses (pints)  16 cats (cups)
Check for Understanding Ask questions to indicate whether or not the students understand the relationships between the Gallon Land characters and the measurements. “What do the queens represent?” “Remind me. How many princes and princesses live in Gallon Land?” Give each student a copy of the worksheet and go over as a class. Structured Practice Explain to the class that they are going to draw a picture of Gallon Land. Let them know the picture needs to tell a story because they will be writing a Gallon Land story later on. All of the characters need to be in the picture. All 4 queens, 4 princes, 4 princesses, and all 16 cats must be in the drawing. Guided Practice Ask for volunteers to suggest ideas that can be drawn in the picture. Write the ideas on the board. If not suggested by a student, add the idea of incorporating actual measurements into the picture. Independent Practice Each student will be given a sheet of white construction paper. On the back of the paper they are to write their name and draw the Gallon Land visual. On the front side they are to draw a picture of Gallon Land and all of its characters. The drawing should be a lead into the story they will be writing. Assessment Did the student include every single character as instructed? Did they have the correct Gallon Land visual on the back of their picture? ****Next Lesson is Gallon Land Story Writing
Gallon Land Story Writing (Follow up to Gallon Land Art) 3rd grade Standard(s): Math: Measurement and Geometry 1.1 Choose the appropriate tools and units and estimate and measure liquid volume. English Language Arts: 1.0 Writing Strategies Students will write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (e.g. prewriting, drafting, revising, editing successive versions). 2.1 b. Include well chosen details to develop the plot. Objective: Students will further reinforce their familiarity and understanding of the measurements that make up a gallon by creating a story to complement the Gallon Land picture they drew. Students will be able to use creativity when designing the plot of their story. Materials needed:  Gallon Land artwork (this is made before writing the story)  Graphic Organizer to help plan their Gallon Land stories (Houghton Mifflin Story Map 2 found at http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/storymap2_eng.pdf)  Lined paper for writing a final draft of their story Pedagogical Practice Motivation Retell, or choose a volunteer to retell, the Gallon Land story and write the visual on the board (story is attached to this document). Let the students know they will be writing a creative story about Gallon Land that will later be used as a dramatic storytelling.
Demonstrate Write on the board the characters that live Gallon Land: • Gallon Land background (gallon) • 4 queens (quarts) • 4 princes and 4 princesses (pints) • 16 cats (cups) Check for Understanding Ask questions to indicate whether or not the students understand the relationships between the Gallon Land characters and the measurements. “What do the queens represent?” “Remind me. How many princes and princesses live in Gallon Land?” Structured Practice Use the story map to help students layout their story. On the board or document camera, give the students the prompt for the beginning of their story: “Once upon a time, in Gallon Land, there lived four queens. Each queen had a prince and a princess. Each prince and princess had two cats.” The students are to create the rest of the story. Guided Practice “What are some of the things that can happen in Gallon Land?” Ask for volunteers to suggest ideas that can be written into the story. Write the ideas on the board. Independent Practice If previously collected, give each student their Gallon Land art to use as a reference for writing their story. They were given instructions to think about a storyline as they were creating their Gallon Land pictures. Make sure each student has a graphic organizer to assist with the writing of their story. Students are to begin with the posted prompt, and then continue writing a creative story about the characters of Gallon Land. When the students are finished filling in their organizer, they will begin writing a full draft. (This step will probably need to be done the next day.) Assessment Observe the students’ participation in the lesson. Are they on task? Evaluate the prewriting before they begin writing a full draft. Did the students have a beginning, middle, and an end to their story? Does the story make sense?
H2O to Go 3rd grade Standard(s): Measurement and Geometry  Students choose and use appropriate units and measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects. Physical Education—Standard 5 Social Interaction  5.4 Use appropriate cues for movement and positive words of encouragement while coaching others in physical activities.  5.5 Demonstrate respect for individual differences in physical ability Group Dynamics  5.6 Work in pairs or small groups to achieve an agreed-upon goal Objective: Students will be able to measure the amount of water transferred from one place to another and determine how much water was lost during transport. They will record their findings on a prepared worksheet. Materials needed:  Buckets (2 per team)  Sponges (equal to the number of teams)  Gallon of water for each team  Measuring cup  Worksheet to record measurements (see attached) Pedagogical Practice Motivation Take the students outside and show them the buckets and sponges. Tell them they will be running a timed relay race. State the objective. Demonstrate Arrange students into teams of four or five. (If one team has fewer members than the others, students on that team will participate more often than those on the other
teams.) Draw a start line for each team. Set a bucket filled with one gallon of water and a dry sponge at each start line. Set up an empty bucket about 50 feet from the start line. Explain how the race will work. Check for Understanding Ask the class if they have any questions about how the race. Structured Practice Blow a whistle to signal the start of the sponge relay race. The first student in line dips the team's sponge into the bucket of water. He or she pulls out the soaking sponge, runs to the bucket that has been set up 50 feet away, and squeezes the water out of the sponge. A team member will already be lined up on the other side next to the bucket to be filled. After the first person squeezes their sponge into the bucket, they pass the sponge to the waiting team member. Then that student runs back to the team, passes the sponge to the next classmate in line, and then goes to the end of the line. The students will keep running through the line and transferring water until the time limit has been reached. Guided Practice Each team will be given a sheet to record their measurements. Read through the sheet and check for understanding. Each team began with one gallon of water in the first bucket at the start of the race. Their task is to use the measuring cup to measure the remaining water, if any, in the first bucket and record it on their sheet. Then, they are to measure the amount of water in the second bucket. Independent Practice The final task is to approximate how much water was lost during the transport. This is more difficult than the measuring alone. Back inside the classroom give each student the two measurements from their group. Allow them time to independently figure out how much water was lost between bucket number one and bucket number two. Assessment For the most accurate assessment, the teacher needs to measure the water, or witness the measurement, of each bucket. Check to see how exact the students were in their measurements. Assessment can also be done through observation. Did each student willingly participate? How well did the groups work together? **If time allows, combine the water back into one bucket, and begin a new race. This time the students will not have exactly a gallon at the start of the race, so they will need to measure the amount they have at the start of the race. After the second race, the students can compare the results of both races. Did they manage to save some water the second time around?
H2O to Go Write the names of each group member on the lines below: _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ Measurement of water at the beginning of the race: _____________________ Measurements at the end of the race Total water in bucket 1 _____________________ Total water in bucket 2 _____________________ How many quarts? _____________________ How many quarts? _____________________ How many pints? _____________________ How many pints? _____________________ How many cups? _____________________ How many cups? _____________________ How many ounces? _____________________ How many ounces? _____________________ Total water loss during race ____________________________
June 3, 2015 To Whom It May Concern: It is my pleasure to recommend Heather Wulff for employment with your district. I work for the Human Resources Department of Galveston I.S.D. I am in charge of all of our new teachers and our mentor program. In addition, I supervise the Student Teachers from UHCL. I have worked with Ms. Wulff for the past school year (2014-2015). Ms. Wulff has been in our New Teacher Academy since she was not only new to our District but new to the state of Texas. She is currently teaching 1st grade at Coastal Village Elementary School. Prior to teaching here, she taught in California and Utah. Ms. Wulff has many strengths. She is a very passionate and enthusiastic teacher. Her creativity and energy make her so valuable in her work with small children. She has a passion for teaching and it is evident in her planning and delivery. Her compassion and concern for children is evident in all that she does. Her management and organizational skills are excellent. She willingly takes responsibility for getting the job done. She is a team player and has done everything they ask of her. Ms. Wulff demonstrates a heart for children and a love for learning. She will be an asset to any campus. I am pleased to recommend her for any teaching position. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. (Dana_miller@gisd.org 409 766-5152) Sincerely, Dana Miller
June 4, 2014 To whom it may concern, This is a letter of recommendation for Heather Wulff. It has been my pleasure to work with Ms. Wulff at Leadership Learning Academy over the past year. As the Speech Pathologist and Special Education Director, I had the opportunity to work with Ms. Wulff, who had some of our special education students in her classroom. She demonstrated the ability to motivate her students and engage them in learning. She also exhibited good classroom management and promoted appropriate student behaviors to optimize the learning experience. As an employee, she is a team player and works to build good relationships with her coworkers, students and the parents of her students. She enjoys interactions with her students and is a positive influence for them. She is dependable and efficient in her work habits. She is motivated to find and develop strategies to engage her students in learning. I recommend Ms. Wulff as an employee at your facility due to her work ethics and love for teaching. She is willing to research new ideas and then implement them with accuracy. She does not back away from challenging situations or difficult students, but formulates plans to handle these situations. She also develops effective communication and interactions with her students’ parents, which facilitates academic growth in her students. Thank you for your time and consideration. You may contact me at (801) 643-2238 if you have any additional questions in regards to Ms. Wulff. Sincerely, Kayleen Rodemack M.S., CCC-SLP
Nicole Cobabe Elementary School Teacher 1057 S 2300 W Syracuse, UT 84075 801-336-7804 nicole@cobabe.com May 5, 2014 To Whom It May Concern: Mrs. Wulff is leaving our school and I offered to write her a reference letter because I believe she is an amazing teacher. Over the past year we have worked together in a “primary cluster” of first, second and third grade students, where the students rotate between classes and subjects. Heather taught math and I taught writing. She has a wealth of knowledge and teaching resources, and helped me tremendously as this was my first year teaching. I have looked up to her as a mentor and she has provided me with so many ideas, resources, and encouragement. I have really enjoyed working with her as a team. As a teacher in the classroom, she is absolutely wonderful. You will not find a more dedicated teacher to her students and her students love her. She truly cares about all of her students and wants them all to reach their potential. She takes the time to work with them individually as needed and she takes the time and focus to make sure each student’s needs are met. I have watched her work with parents, and she is very good about communicating with them. I believe that all she does revolves around her classroom and the students she teaches, including going the extra mile in preparation outside of class. I am a mother of five children. My oldest will be heading to BYU. I have two children in high school on the high honor roll. I have a sixth and a third grader as well. I have been very involved in my children’s education, engaged with teachers and faculty in their schools. I know their teachers, and I request those teachers I believe will be the best for my children. I would love to have Ms. Wulff teach my children. Ms. Wulff is an amazing teacher and will be a great asset to any school she decides to make home. Please feel free to call me at any time as a reference for Ms. Wulff, one of the best teachers I know. Thank You Nicole Cobabe
To Whom It May Concern, I enthusiastically recommend Ms. Heather Wulff for your consideration as a professional and caring educator. Ms. Wulff was my daughter’s second grade teacher during the 2013-14 school year at Leadership Learning Academy located in Layton, Utah. I assure you that she is an outstanding teacher who willingly invests her talents, means, and time to support her students. Leadership Learning Academy is a unique setup in regards to Charter Schools. Three teachers work as team members in a “cluster” to take responsibility for 3 full classes of students, while specializing in Math, Reading, or Writing. The primary clusters consist of one class each of 1st , 2nd , and 3rd grades. Each class is instructed for a certain amount of time each day by each teacher/specialist. My daughter came into second grade with a very limited reading skill level. My concern was that without that foundation of reading, she would fall behind in each of the other subjects. Ms. Wulff was responsible for teaching Math to the classes, and I briefly mentioned my concern during a Parent/Teacher conference. Nearly two months into the school year, my husband and I counselled with the principal whether or not we should move our second grader back to first grade. I spoke to Ms. Wulff about our decision, and she took the time to meet with us to discuss our daughter’s progress. She also expressed sincere support for our decision, however she encouraged us to leave our daughter in her class because of the potential she saw. Although Ms. Wulff was the Math Specialist, she offered my daughter ample opportunity in her class to practice and improve her reading skills. Because of this one struggling student, Ms. Wulff asked for authorization to invite any interested student to remain after school for academic tutoring in smaller groups. Not only was a math group formed, but a reading group and a writing group! Although it was open to all students, the children that frequently attended were those that needed the extra help. It would be interesting to see the improvement results on paper, but as a parent, I definitely saw the marked improvement in my daughter. Ms. Wulff’s dedication and sincere concern for my daughter’s education has been proven over and over again when my daughter reads to me at night, when she writes pages and pages of her own stories, when she delights in a new book. And above all, my daughter has retained her love for math and science. I am continually impressed at the various and important skills Ms. Wulff inspires her students to develop. She is the Math specialist, and yet she strengthens her students in all academic skills. Only a fantastic and adept teacher would offer that much of her time and effort to help those few students who might have fallen behind! Ms. Wulff is frequently found at the school spending her own time and money to create a welcoming and educational environment. My daughter and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Ms. Wulff and learning from her expertise. I have even had other teachers in the school comment to me how impressed they were with Ms. Wulff’s dedication and devotion of time and effort. Thank you for your sincere consideration of Ms. Heather Wulff joining your teaching team. Sincerely, Sasha Witte Leadership Learning Academy PTO Board Member (801)580-2218
April 26, 2013 To Whom It May Concern: I am pleased to be able to highly recommend Heather Wulff for a teaching position at your school. As a former director at Pacific Heritage Academy, I have had the pleasure of interacting with Ms. Wulff over the past year while she provided a solid educational foundation to first graders at our school. Ms. Wulff has excellent communication skills and a love for each of her students. She uses this to her advantage by encouraging her students to think and learn from real world examples by practicing these tools within her classroom environment. She works tirelessly to inspire her students to perform to a very high level. Her dedication to her students is reflected in her positive relations with their parents/guardians. She has taken the initiative in starting an after school reading program for struggling readers and creates hands-on learning experiences that elevates student core knowledge. I wish her all the best for her future and know for certain that she will be a great asset to your institution. If you have any questions please contact me at (801)499-4762. Very respectfully, Ka’au Alapa Administrator/Behavioral Specialist
June 25, 2011 To Whom It May Concern: This letter highly recommends to you Ms. Heather Wulff, a talented teacher whom I had the great pleasure to bring to Shenzhen, China as part of a cross-cultural teacher exchange program, the American Scene English Immersion Summer Camp In 2010. Each year our program managers screen, select, and train 25 Americans out of hundreds of applicants. Heather participated in this unique; fun-filled three weeks of training in English through multidisciplinary courses In Stories, Games, Music, Visual Arts and Performance. We selected Heather not only based on her resume and recommendations but for her creative curricula designed for Kindergarten children. We had her teach visual arts to the youngest and least fluent campers. Although she professed not to be an artist, in this capacity she excelled in our summer program. During the weekly performances, her costumes and artwork displays were outstanding. Heather developed a lovely art classroom and provided her students with a quality environment even though the school lacked many basic items. She skillfully incorporated computer technology and visuals to enhance the language learning. She always had a smile and obvious good feelings towards the children in her classroom and a genuine curiosity about how the children were trying to communicate with her. In this way I observed her deeply engaged with the young Chinese children. Heather's good nature and flexibility during difficult situations proved her to be a professional. Colleagues in the American Scene Summer Camp program also related very well with Heather and respected her viewpoints and ideas. She made a great contribution to the overall success of hundreds of children learning English for the first time. Again, I highly recommend Ms. Wulff as a teacher and colleague. Should you have any further questions about Heather Wulff, please do not hesitate to email me at elisabethmontgomery@yahoo.com Sincerely, Elisabeth P. Montgomery, Ph.D. President, InterLangua LLC Emeryville, California USA Office: 001+ 510-301-2104 www.lnterLangua.com .President, InterLangua Software (Shenzhen), LLC Shenzhen Office: 011+86+755-8621-8355 China Mobile: 15899776918 www.lnterLangua.cn
Phone: 409.766.5100

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Teacher Portfolio 2016

  • 1.
    Educator of OurFuture Heather Wulff
  • 2.
    619.569.9987 kumuheather@gmail.com University ofSouthern California GPA 3.64  Master of the Art of Teaching  Multiple Subject Teaching Alliant International University GPA 3.86  Graduated Magna cum Laude  Liberal Studies for Education California Credential— Multiple Subject Teaching Credential SB 2042—#110104597 Objective: To provide an exceptional classroom experience for all students I have a serious commitment to be the best teacher for each group of students I have the opportunity to teach. I work hard to be a positive influence in the lives of my students, their parents, and my fellow teachers. To keep up with the most effective teaching methods, I attend workshops and interact with other teachers for advice and exposure to fresh, new ideas. Galveston Independent School District, Galveston, Texas (August 2014-present) PreK 3 Teacher (currently) 1st Grade Teacher Leadership Learning Academy, Layton, Utah (July 2013-June 2014) 2nd Grade Homeroom Teacher and Math Specialist for Grades 1-3 Pacific Heritage Academy, Salt Lake City, Utah (Aug 2012-Jun 2013) 1st Grade Teacher Iftin Charter Elementary, San Diego, Ca (Sep 2011-Dec 2011) 4th Grade Teacher InterLangua (SZ) LLC - USA & Pacific Rim (July /Aug 2010) Teaching Experience in China—Art Teacher for Grades 1-4 Santee School District (Dec 2010-June 2012) Guest Teacher for grades K-8 I have also worked as a preschool teacher (Head Teacher and Curriculum Specialist). My student teaching was with 1st grade and also a 3rd /4th grade combo class. Before that I spent half a year working in a K/1 combo classroom, and then another half year working in a 3rd grade classroom. Over the years I’ve coached soccer (indoor and outdoor) for both boys and girls, aged 7 through high school.
  • 3.
    Created a developmentallyappropriate program for PreK3 students based on TEA guidelines Prepared a 2nd Grade Curriculum based on the Common Core and Utah State Standards to develop academic and social needs of students (Leadership Learning Academy) Designed a first grade curriculum, using standards based lessons (Common Core) in language arts, math (with manipulatives), science, and social studies to promote both academic and social growth Create lessons that engage cooperative learning and hands-on experiences that stretch across the curriculum Integrate reading, writing, arts and crafts into all subjects Create differentiated math and literacy stations where students learn/review key standards through independent practice and/or small group work Differentiate instruction to meet the needs of all students through the use of flexible groupings and student choice of projects Evaluate student academic and social growth, keep accurate records, prepare progress reports and communicate with administration and parents on individual progress. Collaborate with partner teachers Provide a safe and respectful environment to foster a culture of mutual trust Effectively taught a multi-cultural classroom, including ELL and intervention, of up to 34 students Familiar with Fountas and Pinnell’s reading program Enforce school rules and regulations Teacher representative for Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) Prepare individualized activities for our special needs children Use interactive bulletin boards to further engage student learning Mentor new teachers Receive high praise for the creativity of classroom lessons from students, parents and faculty Incorporated Physical Education as a regular part of the classroom routine Organized and launched an after school homework program to help struggling students with various subjects (Leadership Learning Academy) Set up an after school reading program to aid with reading comprehension and fluency (PHA) Raised $900 through Donors Choose to bring a hands on life science program into my classroom Raised almost $1700 through DonorsChoose.org to purchase much needed classroom supplies and furniture (Leadership Learning Academy) Related to China Position Attended curriculum planning meetings before the teaching event in Shenzhen, China My lesson ideas were published as a permanent part of their curriculum Coordinated lessons with language arts, music, performance and games teachers Provided hands on experiences to encourage my students to communicate in English (they all had minimal prior experience with the English language, and I do not speak their language) Trained Chinese teachers to look past traditional workbook/rote learning and showed them methods to engage the whole child Teamed with other teachers to create a weekly student centered performance for the parents
  • 4.
    References Stevie Gonzales Instructional Coach GalvestonISD StevieGonzales@gisd.org 409.939.7265 Ana Torres PK3 Partner Teacher Galveston ISD AnaTorres@gisd.org 409.354.9926 Demetrius Campbell Writing Specialist/Partner Teacher 1st Grade Homeroom Teacher Leadership Learning Academy DemetriusTracy@gmail.com 832.221.5697 Ka’au Alapa Director Pacific Heritage Academy kaaulei@yahoo.com 801.499.4762 Dana Miller Human Resources/Mentor Teacher Galveston ISD Dana_miller@gisd.org 409.766.5152 Kalli Savell 1st Grade Teacher Galveston ISD KalliSavell@gisd.org 936.689.0732 Nicole Bott PTO President Parent of my student Leadership Learning Academy Nicole_bott@hotmail.com 801.643.4115 Esther Thompson Director of Curriculum and Instruction Pacific Heritage Academy esther.thompson@phlearning.org 801.301.7847
  • 5.
    Teaching Philosophy It maysound cliché to say that teachers shape our nation’s youth, but being cliché does not make it less true. Children need someone to nurture them, and lift them up. They need to see the beauty, power and courage inside them, even if they do not always see it for themselves. Children will leave my class with more confidence, compassion, and enthusiasm for life and learning, than they had before entering it. I will provide the skills they need to succeed academically, and the skills they will need to love themselves and others. As a teacher, I have great power to change lives. This power is humbling, exhilarating, and at times overwhelming, but always extraordinarily worthwhile. There are a variety of effective teaching methods to be used in the classroom. Just as you and I have varied interests, so do children. In my lessons, I start with a single topic, and then present it in a variety of ways, such as through books, music, art, and dramatic play. This keeps the topic fresh and interesting for all of the children, as every child is different and has individual preferences. It is very important as a teacher to remember that not everyone likes the same things, and not everyone absorbs information in the same way. Howard Gardner, psychologist and Professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education, once said: “An intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings.” Howard Gardner claims that all human beings have multiple intelligences. These multiple intelligences can be nurtured and strengthened, or ignored and weakened. He believes each individual has eight intelligences:  Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence -- well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the sounds, meanings and rhythms of words  Mathematical-Logical Intelligence -- ability to think conceptually and abstractly, and capacity to discern logical or numerical patterns  Musical Intelligence -- ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and timber  Visual-Spatial Intelligence -- capacity to think in images and pictures, to visualize accurately and abstractly  Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence -- ability to control one's body movements and to handle objects skillfully  Interpersonal Intelligence -- capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the moods, motivations and desires of others  Intrapersonal Intelligence -- capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes  Naturalist Intelligence -- ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and other objects in nature Finding ways to tap into one or more of the above intelligences allows for a more relaxed and successful learning experience. If there are numerous ways that children can learn, it must be assumed there are many ways to evaluate the learning process. When children are given the opportunity to perform through different assessments, they can adequately show their strengths and weaknesses. I do
  • 6.
    not rely solelyon paper tests to measure the knowledge acquisition of the students in my class. Additional options of assessment are journals, presentations, projects and interviews. I run my classroom with the help of the students. By distributing jobs among the children, allowing everyone participation in the classroom, the students form a sense of togetherness. This creates a community within the classroom. This community of learners is essential for the students to perform effectively and efficiently. They feel comfortable in the environment and are not afraid to take risks and ask questions. There should be many points of view exemplified in each subject area, as the students will be able to share their opinion and listen to their peers’ ideas. My role as teacher also makes me a member of this community, and I do not present myself as unapproachable, nor am I the only source of information in the classroom. The students look to other resources for knowledge, including each other, books, and technology. The use of manipulatives and interactive tools allow the students to engage in learning while having fun. Educational philosophy is an idea that has changed over the decades. Still today not everyone is in total agreement on the subject, but one thing is certain: philosophy is the foundation of educational styles. Some of the educational philosophies I subscribe to are the social cognitive, socio-cultural and constructivism theories, as I find some truth and value in each.  Social Cognitive—This theory focuses on how people learn by observing others, and how they eventually assume control over their own behavior. Children take in what others give them, set goals for themselves, and then direct their behavior to achieve their goals. Similar to Behaviorism Theory, teachers serve as a model by demonstrating how to acquire and process new information.  Socio-Cultural—Extending upon the idea that children learn through social observation, this perspective emphasizes the importance of society and culture in promoting cognitive development. This reminds me of the old African proverb “It takes a village to raise a child”.  Constructivism—Constructivism is a philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own “rules” and “mental models,” which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences. The theories may vary a bit, but all philosophies strive towards the same goal, which is to better our education system. I use the aforementioned theories as a major influence of my teaching style. I adjust and customize the standard curricula to include my students’ prior knowledge. I emphasize hands-on problem solving, which focuses on making connections between facts and fostering new understanding in students. Using the constructivist theory as a guideline, I encourage students to analyze, interpret, and predict information, and I use open-ended questions to promote extensive dialogue among the students. The purpose of learning is for an individual to construct
  • 7.
    his or herown meaning, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s understanding. It is my job as teacher to provide an environment that makes this possible, while at the same time having fun. In my classroom, children will build concepts and memories that will last a lifetime. With my daughter at a CAEYC convention Former students
  • 8.
    About Me andMy Teaching Experiences I earned my Master of Arts in Teaching degree and my Multiple Subject Teaching credential from the University of Southern California. Before I earned my credential, my first classroom teaching experience was as a preschool teacher, eventually leading to the title of Curriculum Specialist for the school. During these years I equipped myself with all early education functions such as creating a fun, safe, and thriving environment where I provided instruction to students by creating an engaging curriculum. This experience also required me to effectively communicate both verbally, and in writing, with parents and colleagues regarding the program and the progress of students. I currently work for Galveston ISD. My first assignment with this district was a first grade classroom. I collaborated with four other teachers to create identical lesson plans to meet the expectations of the school leader. This past school year, I’ve been teaching PreK 3. I have a great relationship with my partner teacher that I know will continue beyond the end of the school year. We meet daily to create developmentally appropriate activities to engage our students based on TEA’s Early Childhood Outcomes & Prekindergarten Guidelines. We also use data from assessments to drive our instruction. Our students have shown tremendous growth throughout the year. At Leadership Learning Academy (LLA), I taught a 2nd grade homeroom, and I was the Math Specialist and created the math curriculum for grades 1-3. This school uses the Project Child model where elementary students rotate (like middle school students) through 3 main teachers in the same day: math, reading, and writing. I formed partnerships with the other two math teachers and worked closely with my partner teachers within our “cluster”. I have experience teaching English Language Learners (ELL) and with curriculum design. When I taught first grade at Pacific Heritage Academy, I constructed my own curriculum, using the Expeditionary Learning Model, which does not rely on traditional textbooks. Expeditionary Learning schools strive to provide a real-world experience, and expose students to the concept of “service learning”. I successfully created a sense of unity and respect among the many cultures that made up our team. My students numbered up to 34, consisting of children at various learning stages, including those needing intervention, and my class had the most ELL students in the school. I differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all students using flexible groupings and student choice of projects. I created an afterschool-reading program to further aid reading comprehension and fluency. At Iftin Charter School, I worked as a teacher in a 4th grade classroom. I received the job one business day before the beginning of the school year, and I was responsible for setting up the room and creating and implementing a 4th grade level curriculum. The school itself is comprised of approximately 96% English Language Learners, many of them from refugee families, and 100% of the families are socio-economically disadvantaged. I also had the unique opportunity to teach in Shenzhen, China for 6 weeks. I had four classes each day, one from each grade level 1st through 4th, and most of my students spoke only a few
  • 9.
    words of English(if I was lucky!). The purpose of the experience was to provide an American classroom environment in which these children could be completely immersed within the English language, while at the same time exposing traditional Chinese teachers to our "whole student" idea of teaching. Much of the Chinese education still relies on rote learning through lecture and workbooks, but the administration is interested in developing techniques to connect to their students in a whole new form of learning. It was an amazing experience that truly put me to the test of finding ways to communicate with students with whom I did not share a common language. Collaborative and project based learning is near to my heart. When students are able to work together and with their hands, they truly get involved with their learning and take in so much more. My lessons engage cooperative learning and hands-on experiences that stretch across the curriculum. Upon my employment, I will design activities that meet the TEKS while applying fun activities that will also benefit the structure and beauty of the school. I find students learn best when they do not even realize learning is taking place, and they tend to take more pride and ownership of their education when there is a final result to be shared with others. Getting to know my students is extremely important to me. I reach out to each one and make myself available as much as I possibly can. I am willing to stay after hours, and when time permits, I use my personal time to attend my students' sporting events, dance performances, or any other type of activity in which they may be involved. I feel this helps deepen the level of trust and enriches my relationship with my students. My first graders at Pacific Heritage Academy
  • 10.
    China Experience 1st /2nd graders inShenzhen, China First time seeing my room....Two giant ping pong tables, a pile of drums, no chairs, and it was filthy!!! A mistake was made in room assignments, but I decided to keep it anyway. I broke apart the two tables to make four in the room.
  • 11.
    Interesting first meeting...I was assigned four classes of 25 students. I was told all of the students and parents would wander in randomly to say hello, that I would not need to have anything planned or prepared. Change of plans (without being told), I had just one of my classes in my room for over an hour! I did not have my supplies yet, and did not anticipate having to entertain students for so long. I whipped out some chalk and told the students to draw on the tables. They were timid at first, like they would get in trouble, but once they began, they got very excited!! I’d say it was a successful first meeting :) My students paired up to create posters that represent the people in their community and where they work.
  • 12.
    First Grade Fun! Partof our curriculum was learning about clouds and the weather they bring. My students used watercolors, cotton balls, and glue to create cloud posters. They used real pictures of clouds as a visual aid.
  • 13.
    Storytelling was amajor theme throughout the year. We used stories to explore the following questions: What does it mean to be a good citizen? How do cultures tell their stories? Man first communicated through cave paintings and rock art. After exploring several famous caves loaded with prehistoric art, we came up with our own creations.
  • 14.
    I raised $900to bring a “hands on” life science experience to my classroom. We witnessed the life cycles of caterpillars, ladybugs, frogs, and plants. My students kept observation records in their science journals.
  • 16.
    Super Second Grade! Whata busy year in 2nd Grade! My students loved everything science! Some big themes this year were: bats, simple machines, animal habitats, and plants. My students were fascinated by the unit on simple machines. We watched 8th grade videos on Youtube, and my class wanted to make their own machines. They were asked to use at least 2 of the 6 different types, and they were to ring a bell from about a meter away. Here are some of their projects: They come in all shapes and sizes! So much fun!!
  • 17.
    Bats! Bats! Bats! Mykiddos were fascinated with bats! For 3 days straight we did everything bats, and we had a great time! One of the facts we learned about bats that we find extremely cool is the fact some bats can eat between 600 and 1000 mosquitoes in one hour! And we're talking bats that are only 3 inches in length (body, not wingspan)!! The kids partnered up and did a cut and paste of 100 mosquitoes onto a sheet of paper. The picture above demonstrates what 1100 mosquitoes look like. The students who were previously scared of bats decided they would rather have one bat than all those mosquitoes!! The students broke into groups to work on “Bat Facts” posters. Facts were posted around the room for them to use. I was impressed with the final posters and the level of cooperation displayed.
  • 18.
    The story ofbat rescue workers really resonated with this group of girls. They learned baby bats are unable to fly and often fall from their nests, making them easy prey for predators. They were happy to hear some organizations focus their efforts on saving baby bats.
  • 19.
    Animal Habitats My studentsenjoyed learning about animals and their habitats so much they chose an animal to write a report about and designed a visual about the habitat in which their animal lives. We held a mini fair about what we learned, and we invited other classes to have a look. Some examples of visuals were dioramas, posters, and clay sculptures.
  • 20.
    Playing (and Learning!)with PreK 3! There were good (and crazy!) times to be had in PreK 3! I believe young children learn best through exploration and play. My morning class had a wonderful year with our student teacher Jordan!
  • 21.
    Examples of PreviousLesson Plans (California State Standards) Watercolor Art (Chinese focus) 3rd grade Heather Wulff Common Core Standard(s): Visual Arts—Objective 2: Create works of art using the elements and principles.  Discover how an artist has thoughtfully used all of the space within an artwork.  Create a work of art that uses all of the space on the paper. Objective: Students will be able to create their own watercolor artwork, using pictures of the real China countryside and Chinese artists’ renditions of nature as a guide. Length of Time: Depending on how much time is devoted to art, this project can be done in 2-3 days. The final stage cannot be started until the paint has fully dried. Materials needed:  Copies of Chinese watercolor artwork to display  Pictures of the real China countryside for display  Plain white paper (construction paper will be best)  Pencils for sketching  Watercolor paints  Black felt tip marker Pedagogical Practice 1. Motivation: Share watercolor artwork, created by Chinese artists, with the class. 2. Demonstrate Talk to the class about style and color use in the art. Point out how the artists’ use all of the space in their work. 3. Check for Understanding Ask the class if they have any questions about the art they are viewing. 4. Guided Practice To save time prepare in advance 3 separate stages of the same artwork. For the first stage, simply sketch most of the picture to be shared with the class. For the second stage, have the same design sketched out fully, and have some of the design pre-painted. The third stage will be the completed project, the same design fully painted, with a black marker
  • 22.
    used to traceover the pencil sketches that showed through the watercolors. This gives emphasis and pop to the design. Explain to the class that the art has been prepared in advance to save time. Share the first stage. Be sure to save some details to be added in front of the class. Talk to them about sketching lightly. This way, if they change their mind it can easily be erased. Depending on how quickly the students work, this may be the only step done the first day. The second stage comes after the students have finished sketching their picture. Show them how to use the watercolors. Be sure to point out how too much water can ruin the paper. Also, let them know that they use less water to have more vivid colors in their art. After the art is dry, they can begin using a black felt tip marker to trace over the pencil lines that show through the watercolors. 5. Independent Practice Post copies of the Chinese artwork around the room for the students to reference. Set up a slide show of real pictures of China’s countryside to play while the students are working. Pass out the materials the students will need to complete their original art.
  • 23.
    Gallon Land Using Gallons,Quarts, Pints, and Cups 3rd grade Standard(s): Measurement and Geometry 1.0 Students choose and use the appropriate units and measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects 1.1 Choose the appropriate tools and units and estimate and measure liquid volume. Objective: Students will be able to understand the relationships between gallons, quarts, pints, and cups. They will learn a short story (Gallon Land) accompanied by a visual that will help them with measurement conversions. Materials needed:  Real objects to represent a gallon, quart, pint, and cup  Paper and pencil for students to create the Gallon Land story  Worksheet for assessment Pedagogical Practice Motivation Have objects set up to represent gallon, quart, pint, and cup. Ask the class to estimate how many quarts are in a gallon, pints in a quart, cups in a pint, and other conversion possibilities using the four measurements listed. Demonstrate Tell the class the story of Gallon Land and draw the visual representation on the board. On the side of the board write the words: gallon, quart, pint, and cup. Check for Understanding Ask the students to identify the parts that make up the visual: “Can you tell me what the “G” represents?” “What does the “Q” represent?”…and so on with the “P” and the “C”
  • 24.
    Structured Practice Retell thestory of Gallon Land, and have the class draw the visual as the story is being told. Guided Practice Have the students find a partner. They will turn over the paper they used to draw Gallon Land. The students will tell their partner the story and redraw the graphic on the blank side of their paper. Independent Practice Have the students complete the worksheet on measurements. Assessment The first part of assessment is done by walking around listening to the conversations about Gallon Land. Are the students recanting the story correctly? Is the Gallon Land visual being drawn accurately? A more formal assessment is done by judging the correctness of the worksheet. Each question on the sheet only has one correct answer. The Story of Gallon Land Once upon a time in Gallon Land there lived four queens. Each queen had a prince and a princess. Each prince and princess had two cats, and they all lived happily ever after. The End… Instructions: 1. Begin by drawing a large “G” on the board. (Once upon a time in Gallon Land…) 2. Draw four Q’s inside the G. (…there lived four queens.) 3. Below each “Q”, draw two P’s. (Each queen had a prince and a princess.) 4. Below each “P”, draw two letter C’s. (Each prince and princess had two cats.) ***Attached is the assessment worksheet.
  • 25.
    Name ______________________ Gallon, Quarts,Pints, and Cups Use Gallon Land to answer the following questions: 1. How many cups fill 1 pint? ___________________________ 2. How many cups fill 3 pints? ___________________________ 3. How many pints fill 1 quart? ___________________________ 4. How many cups fill 2 quarts? ___________________________ 5. How many quarts fill 1 gallon? ___________________________ 6. How many pints fill in 1 gallon? ___________________________ 7. How many cups fill one gallon? ___________________________ 8. How many quarts fill 2 gallons? ___________________________ 1. Amy bought 1 gallon of milk. How many cups of milk are in the gallon? ______________________________ 2. Josh bought 1 quart of ice cream. How many cups of ice cream are in the quart? ______________________________ 3. Sally has 4 pints of juice. How many quarts does she have? ______________________________ 4. Cathy has 2 quarts of water. How many pints does she have? ______________________________ 5. Brenda’s mom made fruit punch with a pint of orange juice, a quart of pineapple juice, and a gallon of apple juice. How many cups of each juice did she use? Orange juice _____________________ Pineapple juice _____________________ Apple juice _____________________ 6. If Brenda’s mom adds a cup of grape juice to the punch, how many total cups of juice she did she use to make the punch? _______________________________
  • 26.
    Gallon Land Art(Follow up to Gallon Land) 3rd grade Standard(s): Visual Arts: 2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts Math: Measurement and Geometry 1.0 Students choose and use the appropriate units and measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects 1.1 Choose the appropriate tools and units and estimate and measure liquid volume Objective: Students will have a better understanding of the measurements that make up a gallon. They will use the Gallon Land visual as a guide to draw a picture of Gallon Land, including all of its characters. Materials needed:  Large, white construction paper  Colored pencils  Estimate and Measure Capacity Worksheet (Houghton Mifflin, can be found at http://www.eduplace.com/math/mw/practice/3/homework/13_5.pdf) Pedagogical Practice Motivation Retell the Gallon Land Story, or randomly choose a student to come to the board to retell, and then state the objective. Explain that this will help them to better remember the different types of liquid measurements. Demonstrate Write on the board the prompts to be drawn in the picture:  Gallon Land background (gallon)  4 queens (quarts)  4 princes and 4 princesses (pints)  16 cats (cups)
  • 27.
    Check for Understanding Askquestions to indicate whether or not the students understand the relationships between the Gallon Land characters and the measurements. “What do the queens represent?” “Remind me. How many princes and princesses live in Gallon Land?” Give each student a copy of the worksheet and go over as a class. Structured Practice Explain to the class that they are going to draw a picture of Gallon Land. Let them know the picture needs to tell a story because they will be writing a Gallon Land story later on. All of the characters need to be in the picture. All 4 queens, 4 princes, 4 princesses, and all 16 cats must be in the drawing. Guided Practice Ask for volunteers to suggest ideas that can be drawn in the picture. Write the ideas on the board. If not suggested by a student, add the idea of incorporating actual measurements into the picture. Independent Practice Each student will be given a sheet of white construction paper. On the back of the paper they are to write their name and draw the Gallon Land visual. On the front side they are to draw a picture of Gallon Land and all of its characters. The drawing should be a lead into the story they will be writing. Assessment Did the student include every single character as instructed? Did they have the correct Gallon Land visual on the back of their picture? ****Next Lesson is Gallon Land Story Writing
  • 28.
    Gallon Land StoryWriting (Follow up to Gallon Land Art) 3rd grade Standard(s): Math: Measurement and Geometry 1.1 Choose the appropriate tools and units and estimate and measure liquid volume. English Language Arts: 1.0 Writing Strategies Students will write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (e.g. prewriting, drafting, revising, editing successive versions). 2.1 b. Include well chosen details to develop the plot. Objective: Students will further reinforce their familiarity and understanding of the measurements that make up a gallon by creating a story to complement the Gallon Land picture they drew. Students will be able to use creativity when designing the plot of their story. Materials needed:  Gallon Land artwork (this is made before writing the story)  Graphic Organizer to help plan their Gallon Land stories (Houghton Mifflin Story Map 2 found at http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/storymap2_eng.pdf)  Lined paper for writing a final draft of their story Pedagogical Practice Motivation Retell, or choose a volunteer to retell, the Gallon Land story and write the visual on the board (story is attached to this document). Let the students know they will be writing a creative story about Gallon Land that will later be used as a dramatic storytelling.
  • 29.
    Demonstrate Write on theboard the characters that live Gallon Land: • Gallon Land background (gallon) • 4 queens (quarts) • 4 princes and 4 princesses (pints) • 16 cats (cups) Check for Understanding Ask questions to indicate whether or not the students understand the relationships between the Gallon Land characters and the measurements. “What do the queens represent?” “Remind me. How many princes and princesses live in Gallon Land?” Structured Practice Use the story map to help students layout their story. On the board or document camera, give the students the prompt for the beginning of their story: “Once upon a time, in Gallon Land, there lived four queens. Each queen had a prince and a princess. Each prince and princess had two cats.” The students are to create the rest of the story. Guided Practice “What are some of the things that can happen in Gallon Land?” Ask for volunteers to suggest ideas that can be written into the story. Write the ideas on the board. Independent Practice If previously collected, give each student their Gallon Land art to use as a reference for writing their story. They were given instructions to think about a storyline as they were creating their Gallon Land pictures. Make sure each student has a graphic organizer to assist with the writing of their story. Students are to begin with the posted prompt, and then continue writing a creative story about the characters of Gallon Land. When the students are finished filling in their organizer, they will begin writing a full draft. (This step will probably need to be done the next day.) Assessment Observe the students’ participation in the lesson. Are they on task? Evaluate the prewriting before they begin writing a full draft. Did the students have a beginning, middle, and an end to their story? Does the story make sense?
  • 30.
    H2O to Go 3rdgrade Standard(s): Measurement and Geometry  Students choose and use appropriate units and measurement tools to quantify the properties of objects. Physical Education—Standard 5 Social Interaction  5.4 Use appropriate cues for movement and positive words of encouragement while coaching others in physical activities.  5.5 Demonstrate respect for individual differences in physical ability Group Dynamics  5.6 Work in pairs or small groups to achieve an agreed-upon goal Objective: Students will be able to measure the amount of water transferred from one place to another and determine how much water was lost during transport. They will record their findings on a prepared worksheet. Materials needed:  Buckets (2 per team)  Sponges (equal to the number of teams)  Gallon of water for each team  Measuring cup  Worksheet to record measurements (see attached) Pedagogical Practice Motivation Take the students outside and show them the buckets and sponges. Tell them they will be running a timed relay race. State the objective. Demonstrate Arrange students into teams of four or five. (If one team has fewer members than the others, students on that team will participate more often than those on the other
  • 31.
    teams.) Draw astart line for each team. Set a bucket filled with one gallon of water and a dry sponge at each start line. Set up an empty bucket about 50 feet from the start line. Explain how the race will work. Check for Understanding Ask the class if they have any questions about how the race. Structured Practice Blow a whistle to signal the start of the sponge relay race. The first student in line dips the team's sponge into the bucket of water. He or she pulls out the soaking sponge, runs to the bucket that has been set up 50 feet away, and squeezes the water out of the sponge. A team member will already be lined up on the other side next to the bucket to be filled. After the first person squeezes their sponge into the bucket, they pass the sponge to the waiting team member. Then that student runs back to the team, passes the sponge to the next classmate in line, and then goes to the end of the line. The students will keep running through the line and transferring water until the time limit has been reached. Guided Practice Each team will be given a sheet to record their measurements. Read through the sheet and check for understanding. Each team began with one gallon of water in the first bucket at the start of the race. Their task is to use the measuring cup to measure the remaining water, if any, in the first bucket and record it on their sheet. Then, they are to measure the amount of water in the second bucket. Independent Practice The final task is to approximate how much water was lost during the transport. This is more difficult than the measuring alone. Back inside the classroom give each student the two measurements from their group. Allow them time to independently figure out how much water was lost between bucket number one and bucket number two. Assessment For the most accurate assessment, the teacher needs to measure the water, or witness the measurement, of each bucket. Check to see how exact the students were in their measurements. Assessment can also be done through observation. Did each student willingly participate? How well did the groups work together? **If time allows, combine the water back into one bucket, and begin a new race. This time the students will not have exactly a gallon at the start of the race, so they will need to measure the amount they have at the start of the race. After the second race, the students can compare the results of both races. Did they manage to save some water the second time around?
  • 32.
    H2O to Go Writethe names of each group member on the lines below: _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ Measurement of water at the beginning of the race: _____________________ Measurements at the end of the race Total water in bucket 1 _____________________ Total water in bucket 2 _____________________ How many quarts? _____________________ How many quarts? _____________________ How many pints? _____________________ How many pints? _____________________ How many cups? _____________________ How many cups? _____________________ How many ounces? _____________________ How many ounces? _____________________ Total water loss during race ____________________________
  • 34.
    June 3, 2015 ToWhom It May Concern: It is my pleasure to recommend Heather Wulff for employment with your district. I work for the Human Resources Department of Galveston I.S.D. I am in charge of all of our new teachers and our mentor program. In addition, I supervise the Student Teachers from UHCL. I have worked with Ms. Wulff for the past school year (2014-2015). Ms. Wulff has been in our New Teacher Academy since she was not only new to our District but new to the state of Texas. She is currently teaching 1st grade at Coastal Village Elementary School. Prior to teaching here, she taught in California and Utah. Ms. Wulff has many strengths. She is a very passionate and enthusiastic teacher. Her creativity and energy make her so valuable in her work with small children. She has a passion for teaching and it is evident in her planning and delivery. Her compassion and concern for children is evident in all that she does. Her management and organizational skills are excellent. She willingly takes responsibility for getting the job done. She is a team player and has done everything they ask of her. Ms. Wulff demonstrates a heart for children and a love for learning. She will be an asset to any campus. I am pleased to recommend her for any teaching position. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions. (Dana_miller@gisd.org 409 766-5152) Sincerely, Dana Miller
  • 35.
    June 4, 2014 Towhom it may concern, This is a letter of recommendation for Heather Wulff. It has been my pleasure to work with Ms. Wulff at Leadership Learning Academy over the past year. As the Speech Pathologist and Special Education Director, I had the opportunity to work with Ms. Wulff, who had some of our special education students in her classroom. She demonstrated the ability to motivate her students and engage them in learning. She also exhibited good classroom management and promoted appropriate student behaviors to optimize the learning experience. As an employee, she is a team player and works to build good relationships with her coworkers, students and the parents of her students. She enjoys interactions with her students and is a positive influence for them. She is dependable and efficient in her work habits. She is motivated to find and develop strategies to engage her students in learning. I recommend Ms. Wulff as an employee at your facility due to her work ethics and love for teaching. She is willing to research new ideas and then implement them with accuracy. She does not back away from challenging situations or difficult students, but formulates plans to handle these situations. She also develops effective communication and interactions with her students’ parents, which facilitates academic growth in her students. Thank you for your time and consideration. You may contact me at (801) 643-2238 if you have any additional questions in regards to Ms. Wulff. Sincerely, Kayleen Rodemack M.S., CCC-SLP
  • 36.
    Nicole Cobabe Elementary SchoolTeacher 1057 S 2300 W Syracuse, UT 84075 801-336-7804 nicole@cobabe.com May 5, 2014 To Whom It May Concern: Mrs. Wulff is leaving our school and I offered to write her a reference letter because I believe she is an amazing teacher. Over the past year we have worked together in a “primary cluster” of first, second and third grade students, where the students rotate between classes and subjects. Heather taught math and I taught writing. She has a wealth of knowledge and teaching resources, and helped me tremendously as this was my first year teaching. I have looked up to her as a mentor and she has provided me with so many ideas, resources, and encouragement. I have really enjoyed working with her as a team. As a teacher in the classroom, she is absolutely wonderful. You will not find a more dedicated teacher to her students and her students love her. She truly cares about all of her students and wants them all to reach their potential. She takes the time to work with them individually as needed and she takes the time and focus to make sure each student’s needs are met. I have watched her work with parents, and she is very good about communicating with them. I believe that all she does revolves around her classroom and the students she teaches, including going the extra mile in preparation outside of class. I am a mother of five children. My oldest will be heading to BYU. I have two children in high school on the high honor roll. I have a sixth and a third grader as well. I have been very involved in my children’s education, engaged with teachers and faculty in their schools. I know their teachers, and I request those teachers I believe will be the best for my children. I would love to have Ms. Wulff teach my children. Ms. Wulff is an amazing teacher and will be a great asset to any school she decides to make home. Please feel free to call me at any time as a reference for Ms. Wulff, one of the best teachers I know. Thank You Nicole Cobabe
  • 37.
    To Whom ItMay Concern, I enthusiastically recommend Ms. Heather Wulff for your consideration as a professional and caring educator. Ms. Wulff was my daughter’s second grade teacher during the 2013-14 school year at Leadership Learning Academy located in Layton, Utah. I assure you that she is an outstanding teacher who willingly invests her talents, means, and time to support her students. Leadership Learning Academy is a unique setup in regards to Charter Schools. Three teachers work as team members in a “cluster” to take responsibility for 3 full classes of students, while specializing in Math, Reading, or Writing. The primary clusters consist of one class each of 1st , 2nd , and 3rd grades. Each class is instructed for a certain amount of time each day by each teacher/specialist. My daughter came into second grade with a very limited reading skill level. My concern was that without that foundation of reading, she would fall behind in each of the other subjects. Ms. Wulff was responsible for teaching Math to the classes, and I briefly mentioned my concern during a Parent/Teacher conference. Nearly two months into the school year, my husband and I counselled with the principal whether or not we should move our second grader back to first grade. I spoke to Ms. Wulff about our decision, and she took the time to meet with us to discuss our daughter’s progress. She also expressed sincere support for our decision, however she encouraged us to leave our daughter in her class because of the potential she saw. Although Ms. Wulff was the Math Specialist, she offered my daughter ample opportunity in her class to practice and improve her reading skills. Because of this one struggling student, Ms. Wulff asked for authorization to invite any interested student to remain after school for academic tutoring in smaller groups. Not only was a math group formed, but a reading group and a writing group! Although it was open to all students, the children that frequently attended were those that needed the extra help. It would be interesting to see the improvement results on paper, but as a parent, I definitely saw the marked improvement in my daughter. Ms. Wulff’s dedication and sincere concern for my daughter’s education has been proven over and over again when my daughter reads to me at night, when she writes pages and pages of her own stories, when she delights in a new book. And above all, my daughter has retained her love for math and science. I am continually impressed at the various and important skills Ms. Wulff inspires her students to develop. She is the Math specialist, and yet she strengthens her students in all academic skills. Only a fantastic and adept teacher would offer that much of her time and effort to help those few students who might have fallen behind! Ms. Wulff is frequently found at the school spending her own time and money to create a welcoming and educational environment. My daughter and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Ms. Wulff and learning from her expertise. I have even had other teachers in the school comment to me how impressed they were with Ms. Wulff’s dedication and devotion of time and effort. Thank you for your sincere consideration of Ms. Heather Wulff joining your teaching team. Sincerely, Sasha Witte Leadership Learning Academy PTO Board Member (801)580-2218
  • 39.
    April 26, 2013 ToWhom It May Concern: I am pleased to be able to highly recommend Heather Wulff for a teaching position at your school. As a former director at Pacific Heritage Academy, I have had the pleasure of interacting with Ms. Wulff over the past year while she provided a solid educational foundation to first graders at our school. Ms. Wulff has excellent communication skills and a love for each of her students. She uses this to her advantage by encouraging her students to think and learn from real world examples by practicing these tools within her classroom environment. She works tirelessly to inspire her students to perform to a very high level. Her dedication to her students is reflected in her positive relations with their parents/guardians. She has taken the initiative in starting an after school reading program for struggling readers and creates hands-on learning experiences that elevates student core knowledge. I wish her all the best for her future and know for certain that she will be a great asset to your institution. If you have any questions please contact me at (801)499-4762. Very respectfully, Ka’au Alapa Administrator/Behavioral Specialist
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    June 25, 2011 ToWhom It May Concern: This letter highly recommends to you Ms. Heather Wulff, a talented teacher whom I had the great pleasure to bring to Shenzhen, China as part of a cross-cultural teacher exchange program, the American Scene English Immersion Summer Camp In 2010. Each year our program managers screen, select, and train 25 Americans out of hundreds of applicants. Heather participated in this unique; fun-filled three weeks of training in English through multidisciplinary courses In Stories, Games, Music, Visual Arts and Performance. We selected Heather not only based on her resume and recommendations but for her creative curricula designed for Kindergarten children. We had her teach visual arts to the youngest and least fluent campers. Although she professed not to be an artist, in this capacity she excelled in our summer program. During the weekly performances, her costumes and artwork displays were outstanding. Heather developed a lovely art classroom and provided her students with a quality environment even though the school lacked many basic items. She skillfully incorporated computer technology and visuals to enhance the language learning. She always had a smile and obvious good feelings towards the children in her classroom and a genuine curiosity about how the children were trying to communicate with her. In this way I observed her deeply engaged with the young Chinese children. Heather's good nature and flexibility during difficult situations proved her to be a professional. Colleagues in the American Scene Summer Camp program also related very well with Heather and respected her viewpoints and ideas. She made a great contribution to the overall success of hundreds of children learning English for the first time. Again, I highly recommend Ms. Wulff as a teacher and colleague. Should you have any further questions about Heather Wulff, please do not hesitate to email me at elisabethmontgomery@yahoo.com Sincerely, Elisabeth P. Montgomery, Ph.D. President, InterLangua LLC Emeryville, California USA Office: 001+ 510-301-2104 www.lnterLangua.com .President, InterLangua Software (Shenzhen), LLC Shenzhen Office: 011+86+755-8621-8355 China Mobile: 15899776918 www.lnterLangua.cn
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