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Introduction

My name is Cara Quinn. My journey to Connecticut started in 1998 when I received a


scholarship to play women's lacrosse at the University of Connecticut. Originally from New
Jersey, I became a full-time Nutmegger after I graduated and completed my student teaching in
Manchester, CT at Illing Middle School. In my eleven years of teaching, I have taught grades 711, but my passion is for 10th grade, and I have been with this grade-level for the past eight
years. As the department leader for English and history, I modeled best practices in the
classroom for both new and veteran teachers across all disciplines. I attended meetings with
other department leaders from across our district in order to collaborate on revising curriculum,
transitioning from CAPT to SBA and the Common Core shift, and trying to ensure a common
learning experience for all of students regardless of which school within our district they
attended. Additionally, I facilitated team meetings, was a member of the interview committee
for the hiring of new teachers within the humanities department, and I met frequently with our
principal to provide feedback and relay information back to team members. I am also a TEAM
mentor to new teachers building.
In the classroom, my instructional approach is a balance of explicit teaching, student
generated discourse, and project based learning. My students use mediums such as the written
word, image, performance, and discussion in order to express their understanding of the material
presented to them. Instruction is based on on-going assessment and an understanding of each
student as an individual. Teaching decisions are sometimes made on-the-spot and varied from
class to class in order to ensure that every student is able to understand the teaching point. There
are observable and accessible systems for recording student data in the classroom which

aggregate information about individual students such as portfolios, graphs, and work samples
displayed.
I use specific engagement strategies such as small group work, partner work, individual
writing, whole group discussion, visual imagery, listening to text, reading text aloud, and
mnemonic devices to encourage participation by students and to help ensure that each student is
able to have access and buy-in to the learning. In my classroom, technology aids in student buyin through the use of individual laptops, headphones, a Smartboard, a document camera and a
CD player that are used frequently and accessible as resources in the physical environment to
support learning. However, I think that the most important piece of ensuring a high-quality
education is the climate that is created in my classroom. It is the relationships that are formed
with each one of my students that enables me to understand each of their learning styles and the
reciprocity of respect that fosters a nurturing, safe environment in which students feel motivated
to tackle complex ideas or challenging concepts.
Finally, when I am not in the classroom, I am a full-time wife and mom. My little boy is
eighteen-months old, and he is the absolute love of my life. We are expecting his brother in
August. I am an avid runner and hiker, and as a family we enjoy doing outdoor activities. My
husband and I have enjoyed vacationing in Vermont and Florida during school vacations for the
past 10 years, and are now enjoying being new homeowners and semi-professional home
renovators.
Self-assessment results
For the self-assessment survey, I made two copies. I filled in the first copy and gave the
second blank copy to my mentor to fill in. While I was deciding on areas upon which I wanted
to focus my internship, I was immediately interested in developing my skills and increasing my

exposure to collaborating with community members and responding to diverse community


interests and needs because I work in a district of magnet schools. While fifty percent of our
students reside in the city of Hartford, we also pull students from over thirty-six surrounding
districts across the state of Connecticut. We are a diverse community, so therefore focusing on
responding to a diverse communities interests and needs would enhance my understanding of
my own district, school, students and family
What I hope to learn
My goal in this endeavor is continue to be a life-long learner. Professional development
is an on-going effort, and it is never completed. Education is a field that is constantly changing
and expanding and the CAGS program is an opportunity for me to advance my understanding of
the latest developments and expand my knowledge of educational research. Furthermore, I
would like to increase my involvement in the professional community by sharing my insights,
strategies and techniques with other educators. I know that it is ones professional colleagues
that are ones greatest resource in teaching. I have been a TEAM mentor in my building for the
past six years, and I have really enjoyed mentoring new educators. I would like to continue this
role of giving back to the teaching community with the gained insight from a leadership
program.
Goals
Since I believe that every child can learn at the highest level, my ultimate objective is
always to provide students with a challenging and compassionate learning environment that will
prepare them for advanced course work in the future, and foster a life-long love of literature and
the arts.
As a leader of educational excellence, I will make a commitment to actively promote my

district's mission statement and goals by modeling best practices in and out of the classroom to
ensure that high expectations for student achievement are consistently being met. I will fulfill
my responsibility to act in a professional manner employing the core values of honesty, integrity,
empathy and impartiality. I will foster and facilitate a culture of respect, collaboration, open
communication, and caring between and among students, staff and the community, in order to
support positive relationships and cultural sensitivity.
For this internship and project, my goal is to shadow my mentor and develop a better
insight into the daily decision making of an administrator. I would like to create a bridge
between the community and the school by expanding our school newspaper into the local
Windsor Journal. Our school has not been presented in the local paper, so I would like to
highlight our school accomplishments and activities in the paper by working with the students in
the newspaper club and the editor of the local paper collaboratively.
Data collection
For this leadership project, there will be collaboration between the Windsor Journal and
the schools Academy Times. I will serve as the liaison between the Windsor papers editor and
the students in the newspaper club to promote our schools accomplishments and upcoming
events in the local paper.
Schedule of activities
March

Contact the local newspapers editor of the Windsor Journal to discuss a


collaboration between the local paper and our schools newspaper the
Academy Times.

April

For the April edition of the schools monthly paper, select articles with the
students in the newspaper club that they would like highlighted in the
community.

May

Bring the students in the newspaper club to the local paper to see the editing
process, layout and distribution of a local paper first hand.

June

Collaborate again with the local paper to have our students articles
displayed in the paper.

July

Plan to have the collaboration between the local paper and the schools
paper maintained throughout the next school year to keep the community
apprised of what is happening in the school.

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