About Ms. Skendzic
Welcome!
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Student Teacher (Clinical Practice I)
Escondido Union High School, Escondido, CA – August-December 2013
Student Teacher (Clinical Practice II)
Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista, CA – January-June 2014
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Artistic Director & Choreographer, Morava Junior Folklore Ensemble - San Diego, CA ○ January 2011-Present
INTERESTS
AFFILIATIONS
LANGUAGES
TECHNOLOGY PROFICIENCY
Student Teacher (Clinical Practice I)
Escondido Union High School, Escondido, CA – August-December 2013
- Mentored 9th Grade special needs students, demonstrating the ability to develop effective learning relationships.
- Differentiated instruction to meet the needs of individual students.
- Participated actively in staff meetings to coordinate curriculum.
- Developed lessons and instructed 11th grade students aligned with the ELA Common Core Standards and grade level expectations.
- Launched a professional website for colleagues, students, and parents.
- Created positive behavior management plan to actively engage students and limit behavior issues.
Student Teacher (Clinical Practice II)
Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista, CA – January-June 2014
- Adapted classroom instruction and assessments by using visual aids, graphic organizers, and real-world examples to optimize student achievement.
- Instructed and communicated with culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse students
- Created lessons and instruction for students with special needs, including a few with high-functioning Autism; worked with special education teacher to form strategies for individual students.
- Designed units in a backwards design fashion with objectives aligned to Common Core State Standards
- Created and maintained a collaborative learning environment in the classroom.
- Introduced the use of Google Chromebooks to enhance English curriculum and utilized technology competently and comfortable.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
Artistic Director & Choreographer, Morava Junior Folklore Ensemble - San Diego, CA ○ January 2011-Present
- Research and construct original choreographies from Balkan regions, including drama, dance, music, and traditional vocal folk songs. Historical context of traditional folk art is embedded in weekly dance lessons.
- Teach original choreographies from Serbia and surrounding regions in weekly dance lessons. Curate original ethnic dance costumes and distribute to dancers for performances that are historically accurate.
- Piloted new software before distribution to clients and provided feedback for improvement. After release, provided private coaching of how to use aforementioned software to clients.
- Conceptualized, wrote, shot, edited, and presented YouTube videos during the construction of the company’s 20TH anniversary manifesto.
INTERESTS
- Cultural studies, dance ethnography, technology, graphic design, creative writing, innovative teaching methods & tools
AFFILIATIONS
- Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society, Founding Member
- N. American Society for Serbian Studies, Member
LANGUAGES
- Serbo-Croation (Native)
- English (Fluent)
- Spanish (Elementary Fluency)
TECHNOLOGY PROFICIENCY
- Windows/iOS operating systems, Microsoft Office & Adobe Creative Suite, most social media platforms, Blackboard, Moodle, website creation & maintenance, screencasts, creation & implementation of educational resources using technology