Elspeth Beardsley

Experience

• 

  Central Presbyterian Church

  Aug 2016 - Jun 2018

  Children's Ministry Intern
• 

  Restore Merced

  Jun 2019 - Jul 2019

  Crew Lead
• 

  Central Presbyterian Church

  Sept 2019 - Sept 2023

  I direct, plan, and oversee the children's department at CPC. Responsibilities include: oversee regular and special events for children, including scheduling of events, volunteer recruitment, publicity, & organization. Keep current on pertinent COVID regulations & recommendations, implementing appropriate measures to keep families safe. Coordinate with other staff and board regarding events and ministry goals and vision. Supervise interns, assigning weekly duties and ensuring tasks are completed. Write monthly newsletter regarding past & upcoming children's events. Show less

  • Director of Children & Family Ministries

    Sept 2019 - Sept 2023

  • Interim Director of Children & Family Ministries

    Sept 2019 - Sept 2023
• 

  Big Picture Elementary School

  Aug 2023 - now

  Work with elementary school children who are below grade level in certain subjects such as Math or Reading. Practice foundational skills in small groups to help children build the knowledge they need to be closer to grade level. Assess students consistently to track their growth. Plan activities to help students build skills, taking their interests and learning style into consideration. Be a part of the team helping students to reach their academic goals and building relationships with them.

  • Response to Intervention Paraprofessional

    Jan 2024 - now

  • Substitute Teacher

    Aug 2023 - now
• 

  ELOP Lead

  Aug 2024 - now

  Leadership Experiences

  I work as the lead ELOP tutor for the school where I work, Big Picture Elementary. I care for the early arrivers at school and provide enrichment activities as well as academic activities for the children each morning before breakfast. I then supervise them at breakfast until it is over.

• 

  Mastery of TPE 1

  Oct 2024 - now

  Mastery of TPEs

  "I have developed a strong foundation in TPE 1 and am actively implementing its key elements in my current role as a Response to Intervention (RTI) paraprofessional. I recognize the importance of building meaningful relationships with students by understanding their interests, prior experiences, social-emotional skills, and funds of knowledge. Additionally, I prioritize ongoing communication with families, regularly sharing student progress and positive feedback to foster a supportive learning environment.In my instruction, I strive to make learning relevant by connecting lessons to students' real-world experiences and incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies to ensure all students, regardless of ability level, can actively engage in learning. I encourage students not only to recall information but also to ask thoughtful questions, conduct independent research, and reflect on their findings.I have gained valuable strategies to support and engage English Learners in instruction and, as a bilingual educator, I utilize Spanish to help students build their English skills while fostering a welcoming and inclusive classroom. Recognizing the creative strengths of my students, I integrate artistic expression into lessons whenever possible to enhance engagement and self-expression.Furthermore, I understand the critical role of assessment in refining my instructional practices. When students struggle with content, I adjust my approach and implement new strategies to support their understanding. While I continue to grow in certain areas, I am committed to embedding TPE 1 into my teaching practices and continuously developing as an educator." Show less

• 

  Teaching Statement

  Oct 2024 - now

  Teaching Staement

  I believe in teaching the whole child by fostering strong relationships, incorporating diverse learning styles, and creating an inclusive classroom where students feel valued, empowered, and inspired to thrive academically and emotionally.

• 

  Mastery of TPE 2

  Oct 2024 - now

  Mastery of TPEs

  I have learned a lot about TPE 2 and have started to implement them into my instruction as an RTI paraprofessional as well as in my planning for future instruction as an elementary school teacher. I understand how interlocked social emotional learning is with academic learning. I have prioritized relationships with my students which has increased their academic gains as well as emotional gains. I have worked to promote positive interactions between myself and the students as well as the students with each other. We use lots of collaborative learning to teach students to support each other and students know that I am always available to answer questions or help them. I give praise often and try to be encouraging to students as often as possible. I have worked to be an inclusive teacher, making my students feel safe and cared for as well as trying to differentiate instruction so that as many learning styles are addressed as possible. I have also tried to incorporate for choices for students to give them autonomy over their learning. I address any act of bullying or intolerance with my students and ensure they are aware of how serious their act. When I become aware of a students' needs, I connect them with the appropriate staff at my school to connect them with resources. I play close attention to my students and have trusting relationships with them. They know I am there to help them. I try to hold all of my students to high expectations, but also ensure that they know I am there to help them reach these expectations. I am always circulating the class to help students who need it. I hold my students to the school and classroom rules and communicate these rules with them frequently so that we are all on the same page. Parens are aware of school rules due to monthly newsletters and Parent Square reminders as well as from their enrollment process and parent teacher contact. Show less

• 

  Field Work Sim School

  Jan 2025 - now

  Field Experiences

  I have completed extensive online fieldwork using SimSchool, an interactive classroom simulation tool. Through these simulated teaching sessions, I experimented with various strategies for classroom management and supporting students who were struggling. By analyzing student profiles, I gained insights into their individual needs and tailored my approach accordingly. This experience has provided me with valuable practice in adapting instruction and management techniques for real-world classroom application.As part of this training, I successfully completed the simulations Teaching Diverse Learners, Exceptionalities and Student Success, and Classroom Management: Grade 1, further strengthening my ability to support diverse student populations and create an inclusive learning environment. Show less