Lisa Rademacher

Experience

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  Heartland Alliance

  Aug 1993 - Jun 2004

  Teacher

  In this innovative program, I provided instruction for school readiness to preK children who came as refugees from Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe. I developed a curriculum to meet the unique needs of the children, in cooperation with researchers at the Erikson Institute, which was published in a book about our program entitled, "Strengthening Refugee Families." I prepared daily reports on the progress of the children and summative assessments several times per year. I prepared materials and facilitated learning for an after school program for refugee children aged 5-18. I built relationships with caregivers through home visits, parent education, and referrals to needed services. I taught English to adults. I helped administer the Even Start grant that funded some of these programs. Show less

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  Associated Colleges of the Midwest

  Aug 2006 - Dec 2007

  Teacher

  In this role, I taught Urban Studies courses to college students who were studying in Chicago for a semester. I mentored and assessed students' independent study projects on urban issues.

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  Little Inspirations Preschool

  Aug 2011 - Jun 2013

  Teacher

  In this fairly new program, I developed, implemented, and documented innovative pre-K curriculum and created a classroom environment that nurtured social/emotional development through conflict resolution and problem-solving skills. I collaborated successfully with a classroom team. I assessed student development through checklists, observations, portfolios, and work samples. I communicated with families through weekly newsletters, photos, and seasonal conferences. I initiated a preK garden with the children that incorporated early learning benchmarks. Show less

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  Chicago Public Schools: Irvin Mollison Elementary School

  Aug 2013 - Jun 2014

  Teacher

  I started the preK program where I created and implemented a project based curriculum. We explored and practiced conflict resolution. I created vegetable gardens with my students, from which we harvested throughout the spring and summer. I facilitated daily meetings and projects with the children. I documented the students' learning through photographs and reports. I communicated with parents daily and within a weekly newsletter. I managed most aspects of the program including registration, paperwork, and preassessment. I worked closely with our teaching assistant to meet the needs of every child. Show less

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  Chicago Free School

  Aug 2014 - now

  Early Childhood Educator

  I am a preK/Kinder founding teacher in a democratic free school. I use the project approach in which the children and I construct knowledge together based on their interests. I teach conflict resolution and problem-solving intentionally every day. I strive to create a nurturing, loving, safe, and beautiful environment for our classroom community.In addition to teaching, I have held a variety of administrative roles within the school. At the moment, I coordinate the use of Title funds and facilitate SEED sessions for both staff and parents. Show less