Brenna DiColA
2100 North Line Street · Apartment I 203 · Lansdale, Pa 19446
Phone: 267-679-0841 · E-mail:
education
Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA
· Bachelor of Arts, May 2011
· Major: Spanish Language & Literature, Minor: Educational Studies
· Pennsylvania Elementary Teaching Certificate
· GPA: 3.94, Gertler Scholar 2008-2011
Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School, Gwynedd Valley, PA
· Graduated top of class, June 2007 on Music Scholarship for piano and voice
· School President, President of Mercy Melismatics (a cappella group), and President of Mathletes
· Member of the National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honors Society, and Spanish Honor Society
· Diocesan Scholar
Teaching Related Experience
· Student Teacher, Wilmington Friends Lower School, Wilmington, DE, Spring 2011
o Designed lesson plans and taught Math, Reading, Word Study, Vocabulary, and Writing for 12 weeks in a 5th grade class.
o Student Teaching Portfolio- blogs.swarthmore.edu/portfolios/bdicola1
· Teacher Assistant: included 30+ hours of classroom observation per placement
o Samuel Powel Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA, Fall 2010
§ Urban public 4th grade classroom.
o Gotwals Elementary School, Norristown, PA, urban 4th grade, Fall 2009
§ Worked with English language learners in a predominantly Spanish-speaking community.
o Harrington Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA, urban 3rd grade, Spring 2009
o Stetser Elementary School, Chester, PA , urban 1st and 2nd grade, Spring 2009
§ Designed lesson plans and taught students about music, dance, and art through the preparation of a performance based on a children’s story.
o Chester-Upland School of the Arts, Chester, PA , urban pre-k, Spring 2009
o Radnor Middle School, Radnor, PA, progressive suburban 8th grade, Fall 2008
§ Researched the effectiveness of group work through case studies.
o Wallingford Elementary School, Wallingford, PA, suburban 5th grade, Spring 2008
· Resident Assistant, Office of Residential Life, Swarthmore College, Fall/Spring 2010-2011
o Counseled and advised 25 students on residential life issues.
o Served as a liaison between students and administration.
o Coordinated hall and dorm events to foster a strong sense of community.
· Head Counselor, Camp Can-Do, Easter Seals, Montgomery County, PA, Summer 2009
o Camp Can-Do is a five-week day camp for children ages 6-21 with special needs.
o Created daily plans for a group of children with disabilities ranging from cerebral palsy, SMA, MR, autism, and multiple disabilities.
· Arts and Crafts Specialist, Camp Can-Do, Easter Seals, Montgomery, County, PA, Summer 2010
o Developed daily lesson plans for small groups.
o Adapted art projects to meet the needs of children with disabilities.
o Collaborated with counselors to plan camp-wide activities.
· Teaching Assistant, Linguistics Department, Swarthmore College, Fall 2009 and 2010
o Graded weekly homework sets and finals for Introduction to Linguistics and Syntax.
· Tutor and mentor, Dare 2 Soar Program, Chester, PA, Spring 2009
o Served as a mentor and role model for 4th grade students at Christopher Columbus Elementary School.
o Tutored twice a week in math and reading through an after-school program.
o Collaborated with a lead teacher to plan enrichment activities.
· Tutor/Child Care, 2007-2011
o Assisted local families in after-school childcare.
o Guided and helped students ranging from grades 1-8 with homework in all subject areas.
· Private Piano Teacher, 2003-2007
o Taught beginner lessons to students on a weekly basis.
Extracurricular Activities, skills, and interests
· Mixed Company, student-run co-ed a cappella group, Swarthmore College, 2007-2011
o Senior president, warm-up leader, voice part coach, arranger
· Campus Advisor, Orientation Committee, Swarthmore College, Fall 2008
o Planned ice breakers and activities during orientation, facilitating the transition from high school to college for a group of first-year students.
· Computers- Proficient in MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Word
· Languages- Fluent in Spanish
· Interests- singing, classical piano, theater, song-writing, knitting, traveling