Nancy S.

Wong
nancy_s_wong@yahoo.com 617-608-8990 Teaching Portfolio: nancyswong.weebly.com

Professional Skills
➢ Devoted to developing the whole child to become an active and creative learner and an involved citizen
➢ Proficient at curriculum development and unit planning for various programs including inquiry-based and constructivist
approaches, and the Primary Years Program (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB)
➢ Accomplished at differentiating lessons for students of varying abilities, including English for Speakers of Other Languages
(ESOL), learning and behavior difficulties, and autism
➢ Successful at leading and collaborating with colleagues to develop lessons that are connected across various subjects
➢ Effective in fostering open and positive parent-teacher communication
➢ Adaptable to various curricula and school structures and cultures
➢ Competent at speaking Spanish at an intermediate level

Teaching Experience
The School at Columbia University, New York, New York
First-Grade Teacher August 2019-present
Co-teach 21 students. Develop and implement lesson plans in literacy, guided reading, math, social studies, and
social-emotional learning in collaboration with co-teacher.
• Apply Teacher’s College Reading and Writing Workshop programs and units of study.
• Craft and lead Number Strings to teach students number sense and computation strategies.
• Collaborate with math and literacy liaisons and learning support specialists to plan units, to decide on best
teaching methods, and to develop support plans for students.
• Mentor an Associate Teacher on how to plan lessons and units and how to teach lower primary students.
• Co-lead parent conferences and write detailed reports on students’ progress.
• Post weekly updates to parents on Instagram about what students are learning and doing in school.

The Jerusalem American International School, Jerusalem, Israel

Grade 1 Teacher August 2015-June 2018
Taught 7-13 students. Planned and engaged students with lessons that were student-centered and hands-on.
• Redesigned science and social studies curricula to make them related to the school’s context and environment
and connected across subjects such as reading and writing.
• Contributed to the process of reaccreditation by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges.
• Worked closely with specialists to teach students with autism and behavioral issues.
• Initiated student-led conferences, led parent-teacher conferences, wrote detailed narrative report cards, and
created biweekly newsletters for parents using MailChimp.

The American International School of Mozambique, Maputo, Mozambique

Grade 1 Teacher August 2012-June 2014
Taught 15-17 students. Implemented a concept-based PYP curriculum. Created transdisciplinary units of inquiry
and wrote unit planners.
• Collaborated with music, drama, language, technology and ESOL teachers and with literacy and math
coordinators to integrate all subjects into the curriculum as fully and authentically as possible.
• Participated in the preparation and process for PYP reauthorization by the IB Organization.
• Mentored Teaching Assistant who became a head classroom teacher at the school.
Grade 2 Teacher August 2008-June 2012
Taught 15-18 students. Developed units of inquiry that better aligned with the PYP, which had been recently
authorized at the school.
Leader of Grades 1-2 Professional Learning Community & Member of Primary Leadership Team August 2010-June 2014
Directed monthly collaborative meetings among homeroom teachers and teaching assistants in Grades 1 and 2.
Took part in policy decision-making for the Primary School.
• Facilitated professional workshops about concept-based learning, constructivist approaches in math, literacy
teaching methods, differentiation, and transdisciplinary opportunities in the curriculum.
• Coordinated collaborative meetings to align literacy standards and skills across Grades K through 3.
The International School of Panama, Panama City, Panama
Second-Grade Teacher October 2006-June 2008
Replaced teacher in October 2006. Taught 19-23 students with varying abilities.
• Initiated and implemented guided reading, writers workshop, and learning centers.
• Participated in working groups to assess the effectiveness of the school’s 6+1 writing traits program, to align
the science curriculum from the lower school to the upper school, and to perform self-assessments for
reaccreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

The Discovery School, Tegucigalpa, Honduras

First-Grade Teacher August 2002-June 2004
Taught reading, math, writers workshop, and social studies. Led modular science lessons based on the scientific
method. Developed and wrote the first-grade curriculum for successful reaccreditation by SACS.

The QSI International School of Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Year 5 and Year 6 (Kindergarten and Grade 1) Head Teacher September 2001-June 2002
Taught all subjects to a combined class of kindergarten and first-grade students.
Year 6 (Grade 1) Head Teacher February-June 2001
Replaced teacher mid-year. Taught reading, writing, math, science, and cultural studies.

The Nightingale-Bamford School, New York, New York

Class II (Grade 2) Head Teacher September 1999-June 2000
Responsible for a class of 22 students. Taught math, reading, creative writing, and social studies. Led formal parent
conferences and wrote detailed narrative reports on students twice a year.
Class II and Class III (Grade 2 and 3) Bridge Teacher September 1998-June 1999
Taught ability-grouped reading and math classes in both grades. Collaborated with other Class II and Class III faculty
in teaching creative writing and social studies. Directed weekly after-school workshop on making books.

Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

Independent Teacher November 1996-June 1997
Taught US and Pakistani curricula to 7 children of two families

The Dwight School, New York, New York

First-Grade Teacher September 1994-June 1996
Taught all subjects to a mainstream class, including students with learning disabilities and varying English-language
skills. Directed weekly afterschool Arts and Crafts Club.

Kaliningrad Public Schools No. 4 and No. 23, Kaliningrad, Russia

English as a Second Language Teacher in the Second and Third Grades September 1993-May 1994

The Pike School, Andover, Massachusetts

Intern in the First and Third grades September 1992-June 1993

Certification
Massachusetts Teaching Certification, Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) July 1993

Education
Lesley College, Cambridge, Massachusetts May 1993
Master of Education, Elementary Education (Grades 1-6)

Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Cambridge, Massachusetts June 1992

Bachelor of Arts, English and American Literature, cum laude
 Professional Development
2020 Multisensory Reading Instruction: PAF part 1—Windward Institute, New York

2019 August Writing Institute—Teachers College, Columbia University, New York

Responsive Classroom: Elementary Core Course—Center for Responsive Schools, New York
Intro to Mathematical Routines: Grades K-2—Mathematics in the City, City College of New York, New York
Handwriting Without Tears—Learning Without Tears, New York
Developing Strong Number Sense with Students in the Elementary Math Classroom Through the Practice of Number
Strings—Julie Broderick, Teach 21, The School at Columbia University, New York
Big Talks with Small People: Using Picture Books to Navigate Tricky Topics—Malory Hom and Katie Pabarue, Teach 21,
The School at Columbia University, New York
Teaching Tolerance: Critical Conversations—The School at Columbia University, New York
Art in the Classroom 101—Michelle Lee and Yoshiko Mariuwa, Teach 21, The School at Columbia University, New York
American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR AED Training—The School at Columbia University, New York

2018 Number Sense 101—Christina Tondevold, online video course

2017 Assessment, Category 2 Primary Years Program (PYP) Workshop—online

2016 Empower Student Learning with Digital Portfolios—EdTech Teacher, Massachusetts

Google for Education: Training Center-Fundamentals Training—online
Student Centered Learning—Dr. Fran Prolman, Jerusalem American International School, Jerusalem

2014-2013 “Constructivist Mathematics” Workshops—Jessica Boland, American International School of Mozambique (AISM)
• Problem Solving in the Primary Classroom
• Integrating Arithmetic and Algebra into the Elementary School

2013 Conceptual Learning in the PYP, Category 3 PYP Workshop—AISM, Mozambique

The iPad Classroom—EdTech Teacher, Massachusetts

2012 Teaching and Learning, Category 2 PYP Workshop—American International School of Lusaka, Zambia

2010 Reading like a Writer to Discover the Craft of Writing with the 6 Traits and Best Practices in Writing Instruction and
Writing Workshop ELC-Gr2— Carrie Ekey, AISM, Mozambique

2009 Inquiry and Questioning in the PYP—AISM, Mozambique

Differentiating Instruction: Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners—WIDE World Online, Harvard Graduate
School of Education

2008 Making the PYP Happen, Category 1 PYP Workshop—AISM, Mozambique

Classroom-Based Assessment: Putting the Pieces Together (and Staying Sane)—Bonnie Campbell Hill, East Africa
Teachers’ Conference,” Association of International School in Africa, Swaziland

2007 Literacy Strategies—Virginia P. Rojas, International School of Panama, Panama

2004 Hands-on Activities—Jill Bookner, Florida Association for Volunteer Action in the Caribbean and the Americas (FAVACA),
Creativity in the Classroom Conference, Discovery School, Honduras
Early Literacy Activities: Phonics, Fluency, and Vocabulary—Dr. Sharon McGee, FAVACA, Creativity in the Classroom
Conference, Discovery School, Honduras
2003 Teaching Vocabulary to EFL Students—Dr. Rebecca Oxford, Honduras
Cooperative Learning Techniques—Jill Bookner, FAVACA, Innovation in the Classroom Conference,” Discovery School,
Honduras

2002 Behavior Management—Jill Bookner, FAVACA, Teaching Strategies Conference, Discovery School, Honduras

2000 Choosing and Assessing Multicultural Literature— Bank Street College, New York
Reading with Accuracy and Comprehension, and Writing with Clarity and Strength: Flip Sides of the Language Coin—
Priscilla Vail, New York

2000-1998 How to Diversify the Curriculum of the Lower School—Educators for Social Responsibility, Nightingale-Bamford
School, New York

1999 Explaining Racism to Our Children—William Ayers, Lisa Delpit, David Mura, Patricia Williams, New York
Learning Differences—Dr. Mel Levine, Nightingale-Bamford School, New York

1998 Writing Effective Reports and Comments—Mark Donovan, Nightingale-Bamford School, New York
People of Color Conference—National Association of Independent Schools, Puerto Rico