I currently have a Bachelor’s Degree in English along with a Master’s Degree in Education

from California Lutheran University.  I also hold a certified Preliminary Multiple Subject

Teaching Credential through the State of California.  I have also passed the California

Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST), California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET),

and Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) at highest levels.  I have also

just cleared the Preliminary Credential, started my single subject credential in English, and

will begin taking courses for my Doctorate’s degree in summer 2012.

I enjoy spending time with my husband, stepson, two dogs, friends and family.  I have

very blessed to have so many wonderful people (and pets) in my life!  I love going to

church and spending time with my women’s Bible study.  I also enjoy being outdoors,

working out, watching sports, hiking, camping, going to Disneyland, and anything that

has to do with physical activity.  I have a passion for writing and am currently writing a book.

I love reading, especially when the subject is medieval literature (King Arthur in particular),

westerns, Elvis Presley (the greatest singer over), and health.

Throughout my studies and experiences with teaching, I have accumulated strategies to

connect with the student’s background by finding out what disabilities/abilities the student

has.  I use a variety of instructional strategies, resources, and technologies to meet the

diverse learning needs of the student.  I also monitor the student’s learning and adjust

the instruction, while teaching, by incorporating strategies in a lesson to check for

understanding.  An effective environment is created and maintained for student learning

by promoting social development and responsibility within a caring community where

each student is treated fairly and respectfully.  The physical and virtual learning

environments are created to promote student learning, reflect diversity, and encourage

productive and constructive interaction among students.  I understand and organize

subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks.  I apply

knowledge of student development and proficiencies to ensure student understanding

of the content.  I also utilize instructional strategies that are appropriate to the subject

matter and the student’s learning.

By providing students with methods and strategies to develop their academic progress

and promote appropriate behavior, students are given a fair chance amongst other

students with different cultural, ethnic, social, economic, and academic backgrounds.

I have been working the school system for 7 years, teaching for 4 years.  I wrote my

Master thesis on finding different strategies to help Attention Deficit Hyperactive (ADHD)

students stay focused in class.  White conducting this research, I found that using many

different strategies based on the students learning needs benefited all of the students,

whether or not they had a learning disability to begin with.  I have applied this knowledge to

my classroom setting and all of my students have been showing a positive increase in

their academics and behavior.

I really enjoy the “family” atmosphere that Pinecrest provides.  I love how I almost every

student by name and have a wonderful working relationship with the parents and child.

My stepson also goes to Pinecrest it is wonderful how the teachers contact us whenever

there is a problem.  I love the close-knit relationship between staff, parents, and students.

I fell that as a parent of a Pinecrest student, I know my stepson will be well take care of

even when I am not there.

One of the most memorable moments for me was when I had a student who didn’t

celebrate Christmas.  I taught the class about her special holiday and we made art

pieces for it.  I didn’t really think much about it expect that I wanted her to feel special

and included.  A few days later her mom wrote me the nicest note about how much it

meant to her daughter and family.  She said that I would always be a significant part of

her daughter’s life and to me that was the best gift of all.   My goal is to be a teacher that

every student has a positive memory of when they grow up.

dwilliams@pinecrestschools.com