0 8 9 2 1 4 6 T H S T.

B L O O M I N G D A L E , M I 4 9 0 2 6
P H O N E 5 1 7 - 9 7 4 - 7 7 8 0 E - M A I L H E AT H E R J B U R L E S O N @ G M A I L . C O M

H E A T H E R J. B U R L E S O N
OBJECTIVE

To obtain my special education supervisors certificate.

EDUCATION

Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI

Administrator Program
Current
University of Phoenix Online, Phoenix, AZ
Masters of Arts in Education Special Education Cross
Categorical
December 31, 2009
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
BA English with two specialized Cognates in Educational
Psychology and Communications Summer 2007
Bloomingdale High School, Bloomingdale, MI
High School Diploma 2004
Van Buren Technology Center, Lawrence, MI
Cadet Teacher Academy: Introduction to
Program 2002-2004

Teaching

WORK EXPERIENCE

June 2014 to current, Bert Goens Learning Center,

Lawrence, MI; Self Contained MOCI Classroom
teacher for grade span 2-5. I teach all subjects. I am
in charge of one program assistant, 2 protg
students, 1 classroom helper. My daily job duties
include but are not limited to: Managing IEP
Paperwork, taking daily/monthly data, Communicating
with parents, ancillary staff, and other colleagues. I
make daily lesson plans that meet the individual
academic needs of the students in my class. I create
and manage individual and classroom level behavior
plans. I attend teaming meetings weekly and monthly. I
conduct Parent Teacher Conferences per the school
schedule. I attend Professional Development offered by
my district and others I seek out.

 November 2010 to June 2014, Bloomingdale High

School, Bloomingdale, MI; Self-Contained CI
Classroom Teacher for 6-12 Grades. I teach Language
Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and a Life Skills
Course. I also teach a Junior Advisory Class. I have a
caseload of 16 students. I am in charge of two
Teaching Assistants in my room. My daily job duties
include but are not limited to: Managing IEP
Paperwork, Progress monitoring IEP Goals,
Communicating with parents, ancillary staff, and other
colleagues. I make daily lesson plans that meet the
individual academic needs of the student in my class. I
have created a classroom curriculum and grade level
plans. I create and manage behavior plans for my
students that required them. I attend teaming
meetings weekly and monthly. I conduct Parent
Teacher Conferences per the school schedule and as
needed. I attend professional development offered by
the school and through our Intermediate School
District. I attended all of the SMART workshops. I am
the SMART Coach for our building. I also attend the
Transition Council Meetings to keep up on current
transition information.
February 2011 to April 2011 Learning Disabilities
Clinic, Covert, MI; I tutored an 11th grader in Reading
through the Learning Disabilities Clinic. I tested her
using a Slosson Reading Test and from her results
made an Individual Education Plan. In this plan I made
goals for her to work on and meet based on her
reading needs and abilities. We worked on decoding
skills, phonics skills and fluency. This student was
behind her same aged peers in reading and wanted to
boost her skills to help her on her ACT and for College.
When I was done with my tutoring sessions my student
raised her reading level and I helped to identify a
possible reading disability.
August 2010 to November 2010 Orangeburg-Wilkinson
High School, Orangeburg, SC; Self-Contained Teacher
of Mentally Disabled for 9-12 grades. I taught a
Science and English Class in a rotating model for a self
contained classroom. I had a caseload of 18 students
that I was in charge of their IEPs. I also had a
Teaching Assistant in my room. I conducted parent
conferences weekly; I made daily plans that met the
academic needs of the student in my class. I also
created and managed behavior plans for my students
that required them. I also made daily contact with the
teachers my students saw outside of my classroom. I
attended professional development offered by the
school. I attended classroom management

professional developments and Crisis Management

Prevention Training and Certification.
April 2010 to May 2010 Holland High School, Holland,
MI; Long term substitute for Hearing Impaired
Classroom for 9-12 grades. I taught in the Hearing
Impaired Resource room teaching a Basic English
Course and Resource room. There were seven
students I was in charge of. I conducted parent
teacher conferences, managed the interpreters and
their schedules, and made daily plans that met their
academic needs of the students for in the classroom
and out of the classroom.
February 2009 to May 2010. Professional Educational
Services Group LLC, (PESG), Caledonia, MI;
Substitute. I sub in some schools in Allegan County
and some schools in Van Buren County. I have subbed
in all types of classes gaining more classroom
experience and trying out different grades and schools.
September 2009 to December 2009, North Shore
Elementary, South Haven, MI; Student Teaching. I
student taught in a fourth grade special education
resource/inclusion room and in a fourth and fifth grade
cognitively impaired resource room. I completed this
requirement for my Masters program to finish my
degree.
June 2009 to August 2009, Telamon Corporation
Pullman Migrant Head Start, Pullman, MI; I was the
special services assistant for their summer program. I
oversaw all students 0-5 years with disabilities that
came into the program obtaining and maintaining the
services they need in order to be successful in the
classroom. I also administered developmental
screenings on the children and assisted teachers with
students who had IEPs.
February 2009 to May 2009, North Shore Elementary,
South Haven, MI; Long term substitute for a fourth
grade special education classroom. I taught in a 4 th
grade resource room teaching students in the
Language! Program, a connecting concepts math
program, a direct instruction reading group, and
helping in the general education classroom. I had 13
students with varying disabilities on my caseload and
completed end of the year IEPs. I also completed 2
initial IEPs and I attended IEP trainings.
October 2007 to February 2009, North Shore
Elementary, South Haven, MI; Paraprofessional I
worked one on one with a student who has Autism a
student who is diabetic and a student with Down
Syndrome. I worked with these students in the general
education classroom and in the special education

classroom. I provided assistance to their behavioral

needs, and educational needs by modifying and
supporting their curriculum according to their IEPs.
June 2008 to August 2008, Jaqua Realty, South Haven,
MI; Housekeeping Staff. I cleaned rental cottages for
Jaqua.
June 2008 to August 2008, South Haven, MI; Nanny for
two children eight and five years old. I assisted the
mother in their care for the summer.
January 2008 to June 2008, Homebound Tutor
Instruction for a high school student South Haven
High School. South Haven, MI; I tutored a sophomore
in high school to keep up with his academics.
June 2004 to August 2007 Michigan State University,
Oyer Speech and Hearing Clinic, East Lansing, MI;
Department Aide. I assisted in the daily secretarial
tasks of ordering supplies, making copies, answering
the phone, making appointments, assisting in projects
for the faculty of the department.
June 2006-December 2006, Okemos, MI; Nanny. I was a
nanny for three children five, three, one years old. I
also assisted with the five year old, who has sensory
processing disorder. I would help to keep him on task
and redirect his behavior if he was getting out of hand.
May 2005-May 2006, Residential Options Inc. Lansing,
MI; Personal Aide. Worked with developmentally and
handicapped individuals in their homes assisting the
family members with their child by helping the child in
their everyday life skills.
2003-2004 school years, Lawrence High School,
Lawrence, MI, Cadet Teacher Intern. I interned in a
classroom with kids that are MiCi Mentally Impaired
and Cognitively Impaired ages 12-16, assisted the
teacher in classroom activities. I was in charge of the
morning routine and reading group activities, assisted
with the math groups as well.
2002-2004, Central Wesleyan Church, Holland, MI;
Nursery Supervisor cared for 12 to 18 month old
babies.
March 2004-May 2004, The Vineyard, South Haven,
MI; Waitress
June to August 2003, Pullman, MI; Babysitter, for three
kids ages 8, 11, and 11. I took care of them during the
day.
2002-2003 school year, Van Buren ISD, Lawrence, MI;
Cadet Teacher Intern, in a classroom with kids that are
TMI trianably mentally impaired ages 5-8 assisted the
teacher in classroom activities.

VOLUNTEER/COMMITTE EXPERIENCE
Participated on our School Wide PBS Be the Change

Program for the past two years. I have worked on

coming up with assembly and activities for the students.
I have helped plan out the program and offer support
and suggestions. I have fully implemented the program
in my classroom.
Middle School Student Council Advisory. I have been
the advisor for two years now. I work with 6-8th graders
to plan for Homecoming and Winterfest Activities
including pep assemblies. I help organize and run our
school dances. I also help organize our fundraising
efforts.
Junior Class Advisor/Co Prom Advisor. I am the Junior
Class Advisor. This year we planned our 2014 Prom. I
assisted with all planning and coordinating our
fundraising events. I assisted with the overall setup and
tear down of prom. I worked closely with Junior Class
planning prom and other events throughout the year.
Middle School Cheerleading Coach. I am the coach for
our 7th-8th grade girls basketball cheerleading.
Coach for Girls on the Run, I am a coach for South
Haven Public Schools Van Buren County for 4th and 5th
grade girls. I coached my team of girls on the importance
of inner beauty and self confidence and team work while
training for a 5k run.
PTO- Parent Teacher Organization, during my student
teaching I participate in the PTO. I assisted and
participated in organizing and coming up with events
taking place in our school.
School Improvement Committee, during the 2008-2009
school year. I participated on North Shore Elementary
School Improvement Committee. I assisted in finding
ways to make North Shore a better place to learn and
what we could do to improve the education of our
students.
Volunteer/Mentor, I assisted two developmentally
handicapped twins age 22; I helped them get acclimated
to living on their own and assisted in everyday daily
living skills.
Volunteer/Mentor, I assisted and mentored a 21 year
old handicapped student assisting him in everyday skills
and just being a friend and confident to him.
Volunteer, Service Learning at Allen Street Elementary
School; 2004 for a semester in college. I worked in a
third grade classroom helping during Math and Reading
time. Awarded an award for Service Learning from
Michigan State University
Volunteer, ACEE Allegan County Equestrian Special

Needs Riding Camp, Allegan, MI; 2000-2003

LANGUAGES

American Sign Language; 2 years experience at the

College level
Spanish; 1 semester at College level will pursue
more if needed
SKILLS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Michigan
Department

of Education Provisional
Certificate- Special Education LD (Learning Disabled), K12 Endorsement, Provisional Certificate. Expires 6-30-16
Proficient in using and maintain IEP paperwork on Tie-

Net.

CPI Trained- I was recertified February 2014.

Proficient in using Pinnacle Grading System
Proficient with all Microsoft Programs and Google

References
Katy Holverstott- Regional Special Education Supervisor for Bloomingdale/Gobles Region
Phone: 269-330-4089
E-mail: KHolverstott@vbisd.org
Karla Vandenberg- Social Worker for Bloomingdale/Gobles Region
Phone: 269-492-4772
E-mail: KVandenberg@vbisd.org
Melissa Jackson- High School Resource Special Education Teacher
Phone: 269-993-6363
E-mail: mjackson@bdalecards.og