REBECCA SELLA
A Teaching Portfolio
PHILOSOPHY OF STEM EDUCATION
Global issues can and will be solved with improvements in STEM education. Teachers are at their best when they provide students with the tools necessary to navigate their world, make critical and informed judgments, and impact change. Think of the best teacher you ever had. What tool(s) did he or she supply that you still use today? How will you influence change in the world using STEM tools?
"The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see."
Alexander K. Trenfor
HOW I GOT HERE
Planting the Seeds
Music clicked for me. I sang in three choirs, performed onstage multiple times; I would study voice. I figured out early touring colleges that music would be a trying and tiring career choice. Music education seemed a more realistic balance between passion and reality.
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Nurturing Growth
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At 18 I applied on a whim to help direct a KAIROS retreat. I was humbled to be selected as rector, namely, the student boss. I helped design and facilitate freshman and sophomore retreats before, so I threw myself into planning, meeting often with fellow student leaders.
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Enjoying the Beauty
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During the retreat, a classmate asked me, "Are you going to be a teacher? Because you should." It was the first time I pictured myself in that role, and it was an easy yes. Shortly after, I accepted my offer from Duquesne University, packed my bags, and headed north. I have never looked back since.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION
ST. JUDE REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL
September 2021 - Present
Develop engaging, relevant lessons with student feedback, adapt instruction to various learning styles, integrate technology into daily activities
PAYCOM TRANSITION SPECIALIST REPRESENTATIVE
January 2021 - August 2021
Collaborate internally and externally to develop and implement appropriate timelines, facilitate client product optimization during live trainings, communicate best practices to all stakeholders
ST. JUDE REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL, TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR AND COMPUTER TEACHER
June 2018 - Present
Develop and implement relevant K-8 computer instruction, oversee teacher professional development, administer routine standardized testing, photograph school events, maintain website and school social media accounts, oversee Yearbook creation, manage on-site data, service devices routinely, volunteer for Archdiocese Standardized Test Committee and Archdiocese Technology Contract Committee
ST. JUDE REGIONAL CATHOLIC SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER
June 2016 - May 2018
Develop and implement grades 5-8 math instruction, incorporate technology into daily routines, adapt curriculum to make accessible to multiple learners
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND
September 2019 - May 2022
M.Ed. Teacher Leadership: Special Studies in STEM Education
DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY
September 2012 - May 2016
B.S.Ed. Middle Level Education, 4-8, Cum Laude & Dean's Fellow
ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
September 2008 - May 2012
Principal's Award Recipient