Heather Palmer

10921 N. McKinley Dr, Apt. 18304, Tampa, FL 33612

Phone: 203.470.8072 E-Mail: palmerh@mail.usf.edu
teachingwithmspalmer.weebly.com

Education
University of South Florida: Elementary Education, B.S.

May 2017

Minors: History and English & American Literature.

Member of Urban Teacher Residency Partnership Program. Please see below for UTRPP insert.

Chosen as one of almost 60 University of South Florida Elementary Education majors to participate
in a collaborative two-year long, full time elementary student teaching residency in a Kindergarten
to 5th grade setting in Hillsborough County Public Schools (Florida), the 8th largest school district in
the United States. In this program, residents accumulate almost 2,000 hours in high poverty schools
where university coursework is purposefully integrated with the realities of urban classrooms.
This program received the 2014 Award for Exemplary Professional Development School
Achievement from the National Association for Professional Development Schools, the 2014
Distinguished Program in Teacher Education Award from the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE),
and the 2014 Spirit of Partnership Award from the University of South Carolina PDS National
Conference.
College of Education Deans List
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Spring & Summer 2016

Top 10% of College of Education students, based on GPA, are named to the Deans List.

Oxford Brookes University

Spring 2015

One of six students selected for the exchange program between USF and Oxford Brookes
University.

Coursework included: Romantic Literature, The Crisis of the West, and Culture, Community &
Family in Britain.

Honors India: Yoga & Ancient Healing Traditions

Spring 2014

Enrolled in three credit hour course Spring 2014 semester in a class of 22 Honors College
students.

Travelled India for two weeks with professors and peers to explore traditional healing practices;
visited hospitals, universities, and health retreats throughout southern India.

Honors College at USF

2013 - 2017

Required 3.25 GPA or higher to maintain good standing within the college.

Completion of an Honors Thesis is required for graduation with Honors distinction.

Brookfield High School: Brookfield, CT

June 2013

Field Experience
Mort Elementary School: 5th Grade
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Aug. 2016 May 2017

Returned to Mort Elementary, the newly inaugurated Community School in Tampa Bay; four full
school days/week.

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Collaborated with three Cooperating Teachers to analyze data, plan lessons, differentiate
content, and meet student needs in a 22 student 5th grade classroom.

5th grade classroom has a roster of 16 current ESOL students, and 3 ESOL graduates. Language
content is adapted to meet the needs of our diverse classroom.

Attend staff meeting, Professional Learning Communities, Professional Development, and data
meetings to integrate into the Mort Elementary School.

Cottenham Primary School: Year 6

June July 2016

Completed four week full time internship in a Cambridgeshire, UK primary school.

Responsible for collaborating with classroom teachers to develop co-teach lessons for the
classroom of 28 Year 6 students.

Immersed in the culture of England education, terminology, and school community. Developed
relationships with Irish Traveller Community students to integrate vast cultural experiences into
the classroom.

Mort Elementary School: 2nd Grade

Aug. 2015 - May 2016

Mort Elementary is a high poverty Renaissance school in urban Tampa Bay, school population
reaches over 800 students.

First year placement for UTRPP program in a departmentalized second grade classroom;
approximately 20 hours/week spent in the classroom.

Collaborated with two Cooperating Teachers to plan and implement lessons for two classes of 18
children each.

Employment History
Substitute Teacher: Kelley Services, Hillsborough County, FL

April 2016 - Present

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Day to day substitute teacher in K-6 classrooms across the 8 largest school district in the
nation.

Responsible for implementing lesson plans, monitoring behavior, and ensuring the safety of
children in a variety of school settings.

Tutor: Tutor A - Bull at USF, Tampa, FL

Aug. 2015 Present

Worked with K-12 students at Joshua House to evaluate academic progress, create needs
specific enrichment lessons, and support classroom learning.

Developed mentor-mentee relationships to hold students accountable with academic success,

attendance, and behavior.

Joshua House is a safe community home for abused, abandoned, and neglected children who
have either been removed from their homes or have been long time foster children.

Assistant Teacher: Country Kids Play Farm, Brookfield, CT

March 2013 Aug. 2015

Employed as an after school assistant teacher in the two year old classroom. Responsible for
maintain a safe environment for students to explore and discover.

Worked full time throughout summer and winter breaks as a substitute in the following
classrooms: 14 20 months, two year old, three year old, and four year old on a day to day or
week long basis.

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Responsibilities included: implementation of potty training schedules, provide healthy meals to
children, supervision on playground, gymnasium and swimming pool, implement lessons that
develop fine and gross motor skills.

Research Experience
Homework Effectiveness: A Look at the ELL and non-ELL Experience

2015-2016

nd

A yearlong independent inquiry conducted in the 2 grade field experience classroom. An

intensive examination at the role homework plays in the lives of English language students as
compared to native English speakers.

Poster presentation at the National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) in
March 2016. From the presentation sessions, was selected to publish research in the 2016 PDS
Partners Magazine.

Poster presentation at USF Research & Arts Colloquium in April 2016. From the presentation and
evaluations, was selected as a recipient of the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award.

Come (Butter)fly With Me!

2016

Developed a STEM lesson in collaboration with three other students of UTRPP, science resource
teacher, Cooperating Teachers, and Science methods professor.

Lesson study format allowed the lesson to be taught, revised, and adjusted in three separate
second grade classrooms.

Hillsborough County published the final lesson plan in their STEM Lesson resource book.

Delivered a concurrent session at Florida Association of Science Teachers Conference: Oct. 2016

Community Involvement
Order of the Golden Brahman
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October 2016 Present

Active member of the Order; a selective and confidential society for leaders in the USF
community.

National Science Teachers Association at USF

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April 2016 - Present

Active student member of NSTA on the USF campus

SCATTER: Leaders for Education

Aug. 2015 - Present

Active member of SCATTER for a full academic year.

Membership requirements: attend minimum 5 professional development workshops each

semester in addition to 10 hours of community service a semester.

Active member of SCATTER for my final year at USF; same membership requirements remain.

Elected to the position of Secretary on the Leadership Board of SCATTER.

Educational Blog & Webspace: teachingwithmspalmer.weebly.com

Aug. 2015 - Present

Maintenance of a professional website to reflect on educational practices and to track

professional growth as a pre-service teacher.

Cultivates appropriate social media extensions to network with other educational professions;
instagram: @teachingwithmspalmer; twitter: @Ms_HPalmer

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Spring 2015

Global Buddy Organization at Oxford Brookes University

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Networked with current students at Oxford Brookes University in addition to other international
students in order to bridge international relationships.

Her Campus USF Contributing Writer

Aug. 2014 - Present

Over the course of my involvement at Her Campus, over two dozen articles have been
published to the online national magazine.

Contributed a Study Abroad blog throughout my semester exchange program at Oxford Brookes
University.

Y Reads Volunteer

Aug. 2014 Dec. 2015

Committed to twice weekly hour-long tutoring sessions at Pizzo Elementary School in Tampa, FL.

Responsibilities included the design and implementation of phonics and comprehension lessons
for 3rd grade students.

Approximately 18 students enrolled in the after school Y Reads program through YMCA; lead
small group lessons with three to five students.

Awards & Certifications

Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Certified

Sept. 2016

Certified by the American Red Cross for Adult, Pediatric, and Infant first aid, CPR, and AED use.

Certification is current until September 2018.

Genshaft Greenbaum Study Abroad Scholarship

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Awarded the scholarship from USFs President Judy Genshaft to apply to my study abroad
program, Cambridge Schools Experience.

Excellence in Undergraduate Research

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April 2016

April 2016

Awarded as a result of my poster presentation at the USF Research & Arts Colloquium. One of
30 recipients selected from the over 500 Undergraduate research presentations.

Y Reads Volunteer of the Year

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Selected as the Volunteer of the Year for my dedication and commitment to the Y Reads
program at Pizzo Elementary School.

Honors Travel Abroad Scholarship

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May 2014

Awarded the scholarship from the Dean of the Honors College at USF to apply to my Honors
India study abroad experience.

Green & Gold Honors Scholarship

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2014

Awarded an admission-based scholarship from the Office of Admission at USF.

2013