I am currently teaching seventh grade writing and social studies. In the past, I have taught third grade, fifth grade (self-contained), fifth grade language arts and sixth grade language arts.

As you will see from my resume, I am a career changer, coming into education after spending more than a decade working in finance. I was working in finance firms while studying toward my Masters in Literature at New York University, and fell into some editing opportunities that seemed too good to pass up at the time. I survived the fall of Lehman Brothers (transitioning into Barclays Capital as they purchased the North American brokerage business) but it was always just a job to me, never truly a career.

I had left graduate school after getting my first Masters degree in Literature because I knew I didn’t want to be a college professor, or compete in the cutthroat world of academic publishing (no joke!), but at every job I had, I kept finding myself in a teaching position. For example, at Lehman Brothers, I wrote the global guidelines manual for our group, as well as a separate U.S. manual, and I also conducted training sessions for all our incoming staff members.

Finally, in my 40s, I decided to take the plunge and do work that was satisfying on a deeper level and that’s when I began my graduate work at UIC.  I originally entered UIC in the Literacy program, planning to get a research degree, but during that fall semester, I began volunteering and observing in my teacher classmates’ classrooms and realized that teaching was what I truly wanted to do.

Carolyn M. Strug

H: 773-935-6712 / C: 773-369-4453
MsStrug@gmail.com

CERTIFICATION & ENDORSEMENTS

Illinois Type 03 (K-9) IEIN 926717

Middle school language arts; middle school social sciences

Pending: ESL (expected 2016)

EDUCATION

Master of Education in Instructional Leadership: Elementary Education, December 2011

University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL  /  GPA 4.0

Master of Arts in Literature, 1993, New York University Graduate School of Arts & Science New York, NY

Bachelor of Arts in Classics, Cum Laude, 1990, Gustavus Adolphus College St Peter, MN

TEACHING

Teacher, Seventh Grade Writing and Social Studies, Mary Lyon Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2015-2016 school year (present)

  • Teach writing and social studies to four seventh-grade classes in a departmentalized setting
  • Design responsive, Common Core standards-based curriculum
  • Differentiate classwork and instruction for a diverse range of learners using a literature-based curriculum, reading workshop format, and leveled guided reading groups
  • Collaborate with diverse learners (SPED) teacher and bilingual services teachers to design comprehensive unit plans, as well as weekly lesson plans

Teacher, Fifth Grade Language Arts, Alfred Nobel Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2014-15 school year

  • Teach language arts to three fifth-grade classes in a departmentalized setting
  • Use a variety of progress monitoring tools (running records, IRIs, DRA reading assessments, district and teacher-designed assessments) to analyze, set, and track individual student goals
  • Provide before- and after-school support and enrichment for both struggling and gifted students
  • Lead after-school book club for fifth-grade students
  • Participate in school-wide teacher collaboration and reflection, including a grades 3-5 study group

Teacher, Fifth Grade (self-contained), Alfred Nobel Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2013-2014 school year

  • Taught all content areas
  • Collaborated with fifth-grade team to design and implement all content units
  • Represented Nobel grades 3-5 at Network 5 Math Teacher Leader meetings and provided teachback to colleagues
  • Led after-school book club for fourth-grade students

Teacher, Fifth Grade & Third Grade, Alfred Nobel Elementary School Chicago, IL, Oct 2012-June 2013

Permanent position opened due to high enrollment.

  • Co-teacher in a self-contained fifth-grade classroom
  • Principal reorganized staff placements after one month
  • Teacher in a self-contained third-grade classroom
  • Collaborated with third-grade team to design and implement all content units
  • On the Spring 2013 NWEA tests, 100% of my students met their growth goals in math

Teacher, Sixth Grade Language Arts, Northwest Middle School Chicago, IL, Sept-Oct 2012

Permanent position closed due to low enrollment.

  • Taught language arts to three sixth-grade classes in departmentalized setting
  • Co-taught and collaborated on lesson and unit planning for one class with the bilingual services teacher
  • Raised funds for and organized an entirely new classroom library in under a month
  • Collaborated with sixth-grade team to plan literacy units for the school year
  • Conducted benchmark and formative assessments for purposes of grouping and progress monitoring

Teacher, Sixth Grade Language Arts, Northwest Middle School Chicago, IL, May-June 2012

Seven-week TAT position.

  • Taught language arts and social studies in a departmentalized setting
  • Differentiated classwork and instruction for a diverse range of learners using a literature-based curriculum and leveled guided reading groups
  • Collaborated with sixth-grade team to plan and implement school-wide World’s Fair project

 Student Teacher, Seventh and Eighth Grade Social Science, Talcott Elementary School Chicago, IL, Sept-Dec 2011

  • Managed all aspects of the classroom—curriculum development, instruction, conferring, meeting with parents
  • Integrated literacy skills with social studies content
  • Developed an Age of Exploration unit from the critical viewpoint of perspective: Whose Voice Is Missing?

Classroom Observer

  • Taught occasional language arts, science and math lessons and assisted teacher with small groups and classroom routines; chaperoned field trips

Boone Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2011

Goudy Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2011

Stockton Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2010

Northwest Middle School Chicago, IL, 2010

Nettelhorst Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2010

Lewis Elementary School Chicago, IL, 2010

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Teaching Assistant, Spectrum Cohort (Seventh and Eighth Grades)

Center for Talent Development, Northwestern University Evanston, IL, Summer 2012

  • Independently led evening study sessions and assisted with daily classroom instruction

Mentor, Minds Matter, New York, NY, 2001-2003

  • Mentored inner-city high school juniors and seniors

Kindergarten Music Teacher, Tri-County School, Karlstad, MN, 1985-1986

  • Taught music to the kindergarten class as a high school senior

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Vice President & Supervisory Analyst

Barclays Capital / Lehman Brothers, Chicago, IL / New York, NY, June 2001-July 2009

  • Analyzed, reviewed and approved equity research products from a compliance and regulatory perspective
  • Researched and developed U.S. and global S.A. guideline manuals
  • Trained new team members in our policies and procedures

Editor, Equity Research, Lehman Brothers, New York, NY, March 2000-June 2001

Editor, Equity Research, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., New York, NY, June 1999-March 2000

Copy Editor, Sport Magazine, New York, NY, March 1998-June 1999

Advertising Assistant, Petersen’s Photographic Magazine, New York, NY, April 1997-March 1998

Equity Research Assistant, Smith Barney, Inc., New York, NY, November 1994-April 1997

Executive Assistant, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, New York, NY, October 1992-November 1994

COMPUTER SKILLS: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Aperture, iMovie, IMPACT (CPS), SMART Notebook