Denise Plume

• Intermediate Team Leader at Walnut Road Elementary (2019–Present)- Lead a team of educators to foster a collaborative environment focused on achieving curriculum goals, facilitating resource allocation, and coordinating school-wide initiatives.
• Collaborated with colleagues to design and deliver reading and writing workshops for intermediate staff (2021-2023)- Developed workshops centered on the methodologies of Penny Kittle and Kelly Gallagher, using mentor texts to enhance student literacy. Aligned workshop content with school-wide literacy goals, supporting staff in implementing effective strategies to boost student engagement and literacy outcomes.
• Mentorship: Mentored a volunteer through required classroom hours as part of their teacher application process, providing guidance in instructional strategies, and classroom management, assessment, and curriculum planning. Following their graduation, the mentee successfully transitioned to become my job-share partner, contributing to a seamless collaborative teaching environment (2018-2020)
• Student Extracurricular Leadership and Sponsorship (2005–2024)-Dedicated to fostering student engagement and development, with extensive experience leading a wide range of extracurricular activities across the district. Demonstrates a strong commitment to creating supportive and enriching experiences for students beyond the classroom. Key contributions include:

Club Leadership: Established, led or co-coordinated clubs such as Leadership, Environmental, Ski, Bhangra Dance, Chess, and Rubik's Cube to promote and support diverse interests and skills.

Event Organization: Coordinated large-scale events like Sports Day, managing logistics and encouraging active participation from students and staff.

Intramural Sports: Organized intramural activities including floor hockey and flag football, supporting student fitness and teamwork in a fun, competitive environment.

Coaching: Coached or co-coached school teams in soccer, volleyball, basketball, and track and field, fostering athletic skills, discipline, and sportsmanship.

• Collaborated with colleagues to develop cross-curricular lesson plans, increasing students' understanding of how subjects interconnect.
• Established clear expectations for behavior and classroom management, creating a respectful, enjoyable and productive learning atmosphere.
• Exhibited sustained dedication to professional development by serving as Pro-D Chair at Maple Green (2006) and Walnut Road (2011), to lead initiatives to advance educational practices and faculty support. Actively contributed to Professional Development committees across multiple schools from 2006 to 2021

Impactful Professional Development:

Participated in ongoing professional development opportunities, staying current on best practices in education and refining instructional techniques

• Using ChatGPT, Canva and Diffit in the classroom to differentiate instruction- May 2024 & Oct. 2024
• Creating Positive School Culture- Harriette Chang- 2019
• Northwest Mathematics Conference: Clothesline Math & Diving into Decimals- Oct. 2018
• How Anxiety and ADHD present in the classroom-Carolyn Turner- Aug. 2017
• Social Emotional Learning in Schools with Mindful Practice: Molly Lawlor- 2017
• Gender/Sexual Diversity Awareness-Binder Parmar- Sept. 2017
• Resilience, Stress and School and What Students need to Flourish- Gordon Neufeld- Oct. 2017
• True Colors- Understanding the distinctive ways in which different personalities approach communication- Barb Kolbus- Aug. 2016
• Indigenous Perspectives: How to Integrate Indigenous ideas into classrooms- Aug. 2016.
• Making Sense of Anxiety-Colleen Drabot (Gordon Neufeld Institute)- Sept. 2015
• The Teachability Factor—Debroah MacNamara. Aug. 2013
• Workshop on Global Ethics: Examined how we address the social responsibility needs of students in the 21st Century? -May 2010
• Boy Smarts: Examined gender differences and how learning in the classroom is different for boys and what accommodations can be made- May 2009

• Individually instructed ESL for children aged 4-15. This included teaching two kindergarten classes. Subject areas of instruction included language arts, math, science, art, music, and P.E.
• Boosted student confidence in speaking abilities through consistent practice and constructive feedback.
• Developed strong rapport with students, fostering a positive learning environment that encouraged active participation.
• Took part in subject platooning and collaborative planning with fellow teachers (Korean and other foreign teachers). Developed lesson plans/tests for personal, co-worker, and company use. Presented to my fellow co-workers on ESL related topics
• Planned and taught adult education classes for English business correspondence