Wanda Long
Lake Saint Louis
Summary
Dynamic education professional with a strong background in developing standards-aligned curriculum and designing instructional materials that foster student achievement in early childhood and elementary education. Holds an Educational Specialist degree in Curriculum & Instruction and a Reading Specialist certification. Expertise includes curriculum development, assessment design, differentiated instruction, educational technology, and special education. Proven ability to collaborate effectively with instructional leaders, teachers, and multidisciplinary teams to create engaging and inclusive learning experiences that enhance instructional quality and elevate student outcomes. Committed to leveraging extensive classroom and curriculum expertise in a Curriculum Specialist role to drive educational excellence.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
City of Saint Charles School District
Saint Charles, MO
08.2024 - Current
- Design individualized education plans to meet diverse learning needs of students.
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to assess student progress and adjust interventions.
- Implement behavior management strategies to create positive classroom environments.
- Develop engaging, developmentally appropriate curricula aligned with state standards.
- Train and mentor new staff on best practices in early childhood special education.
- Advocate for resources and support services to benefit students and families effectively.
- Analyze student data to inform instructional adjustments and improve educational outcomes.
- Assess student progress regularly through formative and summative assessments, adapting instruction accordingly to meet individual needs.
- Maintain accurate records of student performance, using data analysis tools to inform ongoing instructional planning and decision making.
- Foster a positive classroom environment by implementing effective behavior management strategies and promoting respect among students.
- Create and managed IEPs to define student learning objectives and educational strategies, in addition to applying instructional knowledge and methods to support goals.
- Assist struggling students to maintain progress levels by designing individualized lesson plans focused on areas for improvement.
- Redirect students using Positive Behavior Support (PBS).
- Implement data-driven instructional practices, resulting in improved student performance on assessments and increased mastery of key concepts.
- Coordinate with related service providers to ensure seamless delivery of supports for students requiring additional interventions or therapies.
- Increase parent involvement in the learning process by maintaining open communication and providing regular updates on student progress.
- Support inclusion efforts by differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs of students with special needs.
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Memphis Shelby County School District
Memphis, TN
01.2018 - 05.2024
- Second Grade Teacher
- First Grade Teacher
- Taught fundamental ELA, and social studies to second grade students-departmentalized
- Taught fundamental reading, writing, math, social studies, and science skills to first grade students
- Virtually taught ELA and Social Studies using Microsoft Teams, Nearpod, Seesaw, and Google Slides
- Prepared lesson plans/PowerPoints for ELA & Social Studies including higher order questioning and thinking as well as including gradual release of eventual independence of the student.
- Used guided reading (small group reading instruction) that provides differentiated teaching that supports students developing reading proficiency.
- Used of performance-based objectives that sets measurable, reasonable standards that describes the required student performance
- Used formal and informal testing for placement and instructional purposes (I-Ready, Mastery Connect, Illuminate, Informal Reading Inventory, Common Assessments, Developmental Reading Assessment, Do Now’s, and Exit Tickets.
- Collaborated with teams that consists of teachers, counselors, instructional facilitators, and PLC coaches to analyze data from assessments to enhance student achievement
- Implemented RTI (Response to Intervention) Program that identifies students with specific learning needs and applies specific instruction in the areas of reading/math to increase student achievement
- Implemented Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies within the educational environment to increase desired/acceptable/appropriate behavior
- Taught children (in the areas of cognition, social/emotional, physical (fine & gross motor), and language skills; ages 3-5 with disabilities
- Prepared lesson plans in the areas of pre-reading, math, writing, science, and social studies that are differentiated to address each individual student’s need
- Wrote individualized Education Plans that address children’s specific individual developmental needs
- Established clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicated those objectives to students
- Collaborated with related services (Speech/Language Pathologist) to enhance student achievement
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Cape Girardeau School District
Cape Girardeau, MO
01.2016 - 01.2018
- Taught children (in the areas of cognition, social/emotional, physical (fine & gross motor), and language skills; ages 3-5 with disabilities
- Prepared lesson plans in the areas of pre-reading, math, writing, science, and social studies that are differentiated to address each individual student’s need
- Wrote individualized Education Plans that address children’s specific individual developmental needs
- Established clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicated those objectives to students
- Collaborated with related services (Speech/Language Pathologist) to enhance student achievement
- Implemented Positive Behavior Intervention strategies within the education environment
- Implemented RTI (Response to Intervention) Program for pre-school aged children that identified specific learning needs and applies specific instruction to increase student achievement
Kindergarten & First Grade Teacher
Saint Louis Public School District
Saint Louis, MO
01.2013 - 01.2016
- Taught fundamental reading, writing, science, social studies, and math skills to kindergarten and first grade students
- Prepared lesson plans for ELA, Writing, Math, Social Studies, and Science that modeled student and teacher thinking; included questions that prompted student thinking and aligned with the objective; also included gradual release of eventual independence of the student
- Established clear objectives for lessons and projects, and communicated those objectives to students
- Used SIPP (Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Sight Words) to teach new and struggling readers to build reading skills.
- Used guided reading (small group reading instruction) that provided differentiated teaching that supported students developing reading proficiency.
- Used formal and informal testing for placement and instructional purposes (I-Ready, Collaborative Literacy, Informal Reading Inventory, Common Assessments, Developmental Reading Assessment, Do Now’s, and Exit Tickets.
- Collaborated with grade level and collaborative planning teams to enhance student achievement
- Implemented the Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies within the educational environment to increase desired/acceptable/appropriate behavior
- Collaborated with parents to increase parental support in homework and behavior management
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Hazelwood School District
Saint Louis, MO
01.2002 - 01.2013
- Taught children (in the areas of cognition, social/emotional, physical (fine & gross motor), and language skills; ages 3-5 with disabilities
- Prepared lesson plans in the areas of pre-reading, math, writing, science, and social studies that are differentiated to address each individual student’s need
- Wrote individualized Education Plans that address children’s specific individual developmental needs
- Established clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects, and communicated those objectives to students
- Collaborated with related services (Speech/Language Pathologist) to enhance student achievement
- Implemented Positive Behavior Intervention strategies within the education environment
- Implemented RTI (Response to Intervention) Program for pre-school aged children that identified specific learning needs and applies specific instruction to increase student achievement
- Delivered special education services to students who attended daycare and preschool within the district on a one-on-one basis (Itinerant Teacher)
Education
Education Specialist - Curriculum & Instruction
Missouri Baptist University
Saint Louis, MO05-2011
Masters of Arts - Education, Reading Specialist K-12
Maryville University-Saint Louis
Saint Louis, MO01-2007
Bachelors of Science - Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education
Fontbonne University
Saint Louis, MO01-2001
Master of Science - Educational Administration
Missouri Baptist University
Saint Louis, MO05-2028
Skills
- Play-based learning
- Language development strategies
- Visual supports implementation
- Data collection and analysis
- Verbal and nonverbal communication
- Individual Education Plans
- Collaborative teamwork
- Lesson planning
- Parent communications
- Large, Small, and One on One Instruction
- Differentiated instruction
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
Interests
Sports (golf, volleyball, football, tennis), family time, reading, organizing, traveling, teaching, volunteering, tutoring, and cooking
Certification
- Early Childhood (Birth thru 3rd Grade)
- Early Childhood Special Education (Birth thru 3rd Grade)
- Reading Specialist K-12
Timeline
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
City of Saint Charles School District
08.2024 - Current
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Memphis Shelby County School District
01.2018 - 05.2024
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Cape Girardeau School District
01.2016 - 01.2018
Kindergarten & First Grade Teacher
Saint Louis Public School District
01.2013 - 01.2016
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Hazelwood School District
01.2002 - 01.2013
Masters of Arts - Education, Reading Specialist K-12
Maryville University-Saint Louis
Bachelors of Science - Early Childhood, Early Childhood Special Education
Fontbonne University
Education Specialist - Curriculum & Instruction
Missouri Baptist University
Master of Science - Educational Administration
Missouri Baptist University
Professional Development
Differentiated Instruction, Teaching Children with Autism, Incorporating Literacy and Music, Social Studies Curriculum, Science Curriculum, Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports, Math & Literacy, Assessment Literacy, IEP Manual Training, Professional Learning Communities, CPI Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, Child Abuse Prevention, Phonological Awareness and Print Concepts, Written Expression, Adverse Childhood Experiences Training, All Teachers are Language Teachers, Microsoft Teams for Classroom Instruction, Microsoft Teams Accessing Student Email, Microsoft Teams for School Collaboration, Our Digital Transformation with Digital Citizenship, What Does Standards-Aligned Personalized Learning Look Like, K-5 Program Overview McGraw-Hill Wonders, K-5 Teaching Math Practices; Mathematics Progressing; 360 Early Reading Training; TN Pulse Training: Functional Behavior Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plan Training FBA/BIP