kirahg27@gmail.

com
Kira Geselowitz, M.Ed.

EDUCATION:
▪ Completed Core Classes for M.A. in Special Education LBS I
Northeastern Illinois University, August 2018 – May 2019
▪ Advanced doctoral student in Curriculum & Instruction – Teacher Quality & Teacher Education program,
with focuses on Equitable Leadership, Educational Psychology, & International/Language Studies
University of Washington, September 2013 – June 2016
▪ Master’s in Education for Curriculum and Instruction – Teaching & Curriculum concentration with focuses
on Equitable Practices, Educational Psychology, & Neuroscience – University of Washington, August 2013
▪ Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Spanish minor – Northwestern University, June 2008
▪ Graduated with honors in the International Baccalaureate Program – Sebastian River High School, June 2004

PRESENTING, TEACHING, & FACILITATING:

▪ Community Professional Panelist discussing “Navigating Empathy” for the Design for America Summit:
With(In) Communities at Northwestern University, August 2019
▪ Foreign expert teacher and facilitator with Teachers Who TECH for two week-long workshops on The
Integration and Application of Teaching Technology Through Project-Based Learning for the Chaoyan District
Professional Development initiative in Beijing, March 2017
▪ Teacher and facilitator as a volunteer with the UW Pipeline Program, re-designed and taught the seminar for
undergraduate students on “Challenges & Possibilities in K-12 Education,” winter, spring, & fall 2016
▪ Collaborator and tutor support as a volunteer with the Freedom of Education Project Puget Sound (FEPPS) - a
college degree program at the Washington Correction Center for Women. Designed and co-taught “Intro to
Higher Education” workshop for new FEPPS students in which students designed their own unique course
syllabus and proposal, January 2015 - June 2016
▪ Presentation: Building Bridges from Assessment to Teaching & Interventions - Cross-Modal Approaches to Understanding
Unique Learners and Their Lives at the Gonzaga School of Education Assessment Conference, April 2015
▪ Grader/facilitator for the UW Elementary Teacher Education Program (EL-TEP) course on “Multilingual
Socialization & Development & Linguistic Foundations, ELL endorsement,” summer 2014
▪ Organizer, facilitator, and guest presenter for How Do I Learn summer institute – a week-long professional
development workshop and ongoing community through the UW LIFE Center connecting local educators,
administrators, families, and neuroscientists to explore the science and joy of learning, 2013 & 2014
▪ Presented & led group discussions in Cognition & Perception and Diversity Science seminars through the UW
Dept. of Psychology about learning models, combining cognition and neuroscience, and the importance of
stronger connections between teacher education and psychological researchers, winter 2013 & winter 2014

OUTREACH & CONNECTIONS:

▪ Organized and facilitated 3 partnership projects with undergraduates in the Northwestern Design Thinking
and Communication (DTC) course through the Segal Design Institute to learn from and with participants at
the Esperanza Community Services day program, January-December 2019
▪ Worked with parent-school mentorship initiatives in Seattle public schools to better understand learning
environments and student support teams with diverse parents as collaborators, December 2015-June 2017

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 ▪ Organizer of the Teacher Education Research Interest (TERI) group at UW and collaborator with the
International Students of the College of Education (IECE). Helped coordinate and facilitate social events
and seminars on Globalization & International Perspectives with fellow students and professors, 2014-2017
▪ Member of the UW Grad School’s Core Program Student Advisory Board, Fall 2015-Spring 2016
▪ Active Board Member & Past President of the Northwestern University Alumni Club of Seattle, also
supported through admission interviews and building connections for young alumni, 2010-2016
▪ Volunteer adult ESL development tutor at Literacy Source organization, Jan 2012-Aug 2013
▪ Event Implementation Chair, Northwestern Univ. Undergraduate Psychology Association, 2007-2008
▪ Student Coordinator of Tertulias – semi-weekly Spanish language chat group at Northwestern, 2006-2008
▪ GED prep and ESL volunteer tutor for Jane Addams Adult Learners Program Services, 2006-2008
▪ 2007 Recording Secretary and active board member of the Chicago Herpetological Society, 2004-2008
▪ Recipient of the 2006 Chicago Herpetological Society Merit Award
▪ Boatswain (troupe leader) of Sea Scouts Ship 512, 2000-2004
▪ Active member of the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), 1998-2001

PUBLICATIONS:
Berninger, V., Geselowitz, K., & Wallis, P. (2018). Multiple perspectives on the nature of writing: Typically
developing writers in grades 1, 3, 5, and 7 and students with writing disabilities in grades 4 to 9. In C.
Bazerman et al., The Lifespan Development of Writing. Ch. 5. Urbana, Illinois: National Teachers of English
Books Program.
Thompson, R., Tanimoto, S., Lyman, R., Geselowitz, K., Begay, K., Nielsen, K., Abbott, R., Nagy, W. Raskind, M.,
& Berninger, V. (2017). Effective instruction for persisting dyslexia in upper grades: Adding hope stories
and computer coding to explicit literacy instruction. Education and Information Technology.
Thompson, R., Tanimoto, S., Abbott, R., Nielsen, K., Geselowitz, K., Lyman, R., Habermann, K., Mickail, T.,
Raskind, M., Peverly, S., Nagy, W., & Berninger, V. (2016). Relationships between language input and letter
output modes in writing notes and summaries for students in grades 4 to 9 with persisting writing
disabilities. Assistive Technology, 1-9. DOI: 10.1080/10400435.2016.1199066

WORK EXPERIENCE:
▪ 10/2011 – Present: Private Tutor/Educator – KHG Learning, Seattle, WA
- Building on peoples’ strengths and personal communication style, I work with learners of all ages and
abilities with a growth mindset. Provide educational support as 1:1 tutor, consultant, and project
facilitator through paid and volunteer-based connections.
- Focusing mainly on study/organizational skills, English, and Spanish, I have worked with students from
kindergarten into adulthood on their ability to seek out information and put it into a holistic context,
understanding and analyzing their own motivations, goals, and epistemology.
- Designed and taught a before-school Spanish language enrichment program at a public school in Seattle
for students to enjoy the cultural and cognitive richness of learning to speak and understand a new
language. Students ranged from kindergarten to fifth grade and came from diverse backgrounds.

▪ 9/2018 – 2/2020: Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional (QIDP) – Esperanza

Community Services, Chicago, IL
- Worked with the clients and staff in the adult Community Day Services program as their friend, fellow
learner, and advocate in an often unpredictable and fast-paced environment.
- Responsibilities included creating and managing monthly outcomes and implementation strategies for
continued growth and learning during the day program, connecting with families and guardians
regarding any concerns or insights on participants (often in Spanish), coordinating Person-Centered Plan
meetings, and finding more opportunities for clients to enrich their overall Esperanza experience.
- Established more electronic documentation, communication, and organizational systems.

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▪ 12/2017 – 7/2018: Substitute Teacher – Chicago Public Schools & Esperanza School,
Chicago, IL
- Multi-day lead teacher substituting positions included low and high incidence Special Education classes,
middle-school math, and 5th grade.
- Managed lesson-planning, teaching, and creating enrichment opportunities for students at mostly
bilingual schools with limited resources and students from low-income homes.

▪ 9/2016 – 10/2017: Learning Support Specialist – Northwest Neuropsychology, Learning and

Behavior Services, P.S., Bellevue, WA
- Provided 1:1 support and educational plans for unique learners of all ages to embrace strengths and
address challenges together. Incorporated mindfulness practice along with academic and socioemotional
cognitive enrichment, monitoring progress each week to better tailor for individual goals of each client.
- Conducted and reported on school observations to help connect families and educators in the
development of effective support systems for learners. Worked with families through meetings to
collaboratively create intervention plans for best practices both at home and at school.
- Administered and wrote behavioral reports for neuropsychological testing in attention, memory,
academic skills, and both intellectual and social/emotional development and well-being. Conducted and
reported on individual clinical interviews for concerning items.
- Assisted with general office management and organization to increase productivity and communication.

▪ 9/2014 – 6/2016: Graduate Research Assistant – Center for Oral & Written Language Learners
(OWLLs), University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Working with Professor Berninger, facilitated an intervention program to understand and help students
with a variety of reading and writing challenges. Supported students in 4th-9th grade using computerized
lessons targeted to help enhance morphological, phonological, and orthographic skills and awareness.
- Supported socio-emotional skills with students, connected with parents, and worked to create more
professional development opportunities for current and prospective educators.
- Fostered understanding of learning and diverse learning challenges through practice and research while
taking courses as a full-time doctoral student.

▪ 9/2013 – 6/2014: Life Skills Teacher – Lakeside Middle School, Seattle, WA

- Re-designed curriculum, created lesson plans, and taught the 7th grade course on Personal Development.
This bi-weekly class approached personal growth and understanding through open dialogue and
exploration of metacognition, mindfulness, and cognitive neuroscience.
- Worked with the Student Life department to review and align curriculum to create mentally and
emotionally enriching, integrated, and pertinent educational experiences for students and teachers.
- Acted as advisor and confidante to a smaller group of seventh grade students as they navigated their
academic and extracurricular lives, also connecting with their families to discuss accolades and concerns.

▪ 9/2011 – 9/2012: English Tutor – Bellevue Learning Center, Bellevue, WA

- One-on-one weekly tutor for students of Korean descent from first grade through to college. Focusing
on personal communication goals, worked with students to develop their verbal and written English
skills while encouraging them to always embrace and value their native language.

▪ 8/2009 – 6/2011: Associate Dean of Students – Eastside Preparatory School, Kirkland, WA

- Worked with the Dean of Students to create systems for the experiential education, extracurricular
activities, and events at a growing private school for over 200 students in grades 5-12.
- Established new school traditions and modes of communication including weekly updates for
faculty/students and a school Facebook page. Handled parent communications for all student events.
- Wrote articles and blurbs for the school magazine, website, and community publications.

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 - Organized and chaperoned school-wide community service days, grade-level overnight trips, week-long
spring excursions and various summer programs. Planned outreach, travel arrangements, schedules,
safety documentation, budgets, etc.
- Assisted with teaching and planning the Introduction to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology courses for high-
school juniors and seniors. Taught partner dancing as part of the 7th grade Healthy Living course.
- Shared personal interests with students through a weekly Spanish lunch table, dancing in school talent
shows, and assisting with training for the school’s Peer Mediation program.
- Created and ran an afternoon learning support program for middle school students
- Designed, decorated and ran over 7 school dances each year, often acting as both DJ and chaperone.
- Worked on the school Operations Team to ensure that all school events ran smoothly through clearer
communication. Coordinated and presented at every weekly school assembly.

▪ 2/2009 – 7/2009: Bilingual Legal Secretary/Receptionist – Rios & Cruz, P.S., Seattle, WA
- Acted as first line of contact for all clients at a busy immigration firm, alternating between English and
Spanish. This included explaining procedures, writing new contracts, and handling all client payments.
Kept legal filing system organized and up-to-date.
- Managed 8-line phone system and Outlook calendars for five lawyers and their legal assistants, each with
50+ clients. Included office communications via phone, e-mails, and legal internet system LawLogix.

▪ 12/2008 – 2/2009; 6/2012 – 8/2012

English Teacher – Bellevue Learning Center, Bellevue, WA
- Taught intensive 2-month ESL programs for visiting Korean students ages 11 to 17 to go beyond basic
grammar and vocabulary through differentiated instruction to support student needs.
- Combined a semi-structured curriculum with my own activities to engage students in language learning
through communication skills. Activities included journaling, drawing, peer feedback, cultural
discussions, and physical games to embrace movement.
- Tracked growth of each student for parents to extend work on individual strengths and challenges.

▪ 6/2006 – 6/2008: Program Assistant – Dispute Resolution Research Center,

Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, IL
▪ 6/2007 – 8/2007: Nature Director – Kids Camp, Kids Corporation, NJ
▪ 1/2006 – 5/2007: Research Aide – Family Institute, Northwestern University, IL
▪ 9/2004 – 12/2005: Lab Aide – Uhlenbeck Research Lab, Northwestern University, IL
▪ 6/2005 – 9/2005: Summer Lab Aide – Mayo Research Lab, Northwestern University, IL