Crystal Nanes
Special Education ParaProfessional
Columbia
Summary
Organized and dependable candidate successful at managing multiple priorities with a positive attitude. Willingness to take on added responsibilities to meet team goals.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
Work History
Paraeducator, Special Education
Howard County Public Schools
Columbia, MD
08.2024 - Current
- Worked with the ALS (Alternative Learning Scholars) program students in grades K-5.
- Supported inclusion as well as pullout education for students.
- Delivered personalized educational, behavioral, and emotional support to individual students to enable positive learning outcomes.
- Participated in professional development opportunities focused on new strategies for supporting special education learners successfully in the classroom.
- Promoted self-advocacy skills by teaching students how to express their needs effectively within the classroom setting.
- Coordinated with related service providers to ensure comprehensive support for special education students, including occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and school psychologists.
Behavior Technician
Verbal Beginnings
Columbia, MD
11.2023 - 08.2024
- Worked in the Early Intervention Clinic with clients ages 3-6.
- Developed strong rapport with clients and their families, fostering trust and open communication throughout the therapeutic process.
- Monitored client progress to provide continued guidance and consistent feedback to families.
- Provided one-on-one support to clients with autism spectrum disorders, addressing unique behavioral needs.
- Implemented crisis intervention strategies when necessary to maintain a safe environment for both staff and clients alike during high-stress situations.
- Observed, monitored and recorded problem behaviors through accurate behavior-consequence data collection, graphs, and anecdotal notes.
- Worked as part of collaborative team to address changing needs of children and families.
- Promoted positive behaviors by reinforcing desired actions and effectively addressing challenging issues.
- Documented interventions, assessments and progress reports on database to enable tracking history and maintain consistent records.
Student Wholeness Specialist
Office of the Whole Child, Baltimore City Public Schools
Baltimore, MD
09.2022 - 11.2023
- Member of the 5th cohort of Student Wholeness Specialists in the district
- Run and Manage the Wholeness Room at a Pre-k through grade 8 school
- Ensure that the core competencies of SEL (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Building, and Responsible Decision Making) are present throughout the school building
- Member of the school’s wellness team, discuss student challenges and action plans
- Facilitate Restorative Circles (RP) when needed, both with students and teachers.
- Lead Student Wholeness Committee, run meetings, and ensure there is follow-through
- Part of the Schools Inclusion and Diversity team, equity and inclusion.
- Establish rapport and positive relationships with all students
- Listen and problem-solve in 1:1 sessions with students who are having difficulties in the classroom, with peers, or at home
- Facilitate small groups/lunch bunches for students based on needed topics such as (but not limited to) making/keeping friends, appropriate language and behavior in the classroom, and boundaries
- Record data for each student that enters the room, including session notes and ABC data.
- Input data into the Hanover system, once a week, to ensure each session is accounted for and recorded
- Help implement behavior protocols, as needed
- Attend IEP and 504 meetings for student’s on primary caseload
- Classroom Push-in sessions on SEL incompetency's, character building and restorative practices
- Attend monthly trainings on various topics to continue learning and growing within role trainings have included: Restorative Practices, MindSet, OneLove, among others.
Special Education Paraprofessional, Acting as, Kindergarten Literacy Interventionist
Dallas F Nicholas, Sr. Elementary School - BCPSS
Baltimore, MD
08.2021 - 09.2022
- Work in a general education kindergarten classroom
- Build rapport and create bonds with all students in the room
- Teach FunDations to Tier 2 students, in small groups
- Develop my lesson plans based on FunDations
- Attend Interventionist PD’s and trainings
- Assist the scholars with different learning needs and help with scaffolding in general lessons, as needed
- Progress Monitor and take both academic (bi-weekly) and attendance data (daily)
- Help out in the daily running of the general classroom, push-in when students need assistance with a task
- Intervene when students are having behavioral or emotional issues- create/try new things to help students succeed
- Have lunchroom duty of all 30 kindergarteners, by myself. Intervene, as needed, for behaviors, and help with general needs (ie opening of milk)
Shift Manager/Barista Trainer
Starbucks Coffee Company
Baltimore, MD
01.2018 - 06.2022
- Run shifts of up to 6 baristas, delegating tasks and positions as needed
- Run shifts during the busiest times of day
- Make sure each person on shift is in uniform and adheres to Starbucks's mission and values
- Ability to work fluidly with any person, meeting them where they are in that moment and coaching should to shoulder- when necessary
- Responsible for money management tasks- Counting and assessing till’s throughout shift, counting and adjusting the safe, and sealing/verifying the deposit at the end of closing shifts.
- Adjusting and receiving the change order when necessary.
- Responsible for Inventory Management pillar, with other shifts, keep track of inventory and inventory changes/deficits, make sure pars are up to date, and place the weekly bulk order.
- Solely in charge of Training pillar- Made sure all staff were up to date on mandated training, coached baristas when needed, informed team of changes, and trained new baristas.
- Previously ran stores’ Instagram page and planned events for the community.
Assistant Teacher/Lead ABA Instructor
Tangram School (Arrow Child and Family Ministries)
Towson, MD
06.2013 - 01.2018
- Work in a high-intensity data-driven school program for children on the Autism Spectrum
- Design and implement academic programming based on child’s IEP (up to 6 students) and run ABA or VBA programs, based on the child
- Take over instruction when the Lead Teacher is not there
- Take daily behavioral and academic data, data input (both academic and behavioral), including toileting data, and upkeep of academic programming binders
- Designed a modified Foundations of Theatre Course for upper grades elective, created materials, and taught course material. Modified upper school course to fit lower school curriculum, trained other staff on how to implement.
- Other duties, as assigned
- Worked in Upper School classroom with grades 8-12, the caseload of 6 students For 1.5 years)- 3 with ED components, previously Lower School grades 2-6 (2.5 years)
Education
Associate of Science - Social Work
Community College of Baltimore County
Catonsville, MD 05.2001 -
High School Diploma -
The Catholic High School of Maryland
Baltimore, MD 05.2001 -
Skills
- Google Suite
- Social-Emotional Learning
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Special Education
- Crisis Intervention
- Case Management
- Organizational Skills
- Data collection
- Multidisciplinary team collaboration
- IEP compliance
- Student accommodation
- Calm and patient demeanor
Certification
Restorative Practices- Advanced Practitioner
Timeline
Paraeducator, Special Education
Howard County Public Schools
08.2024 - Current
Behavior Technician
Verbal Beginnings
11.2023 - 08.2024
Student Wholeness Specialist
Office of the Whole Child, Baltimore City Public Schools
09.2022 - 11.2023
Special Education Paraprofessional, Acting as, Kindergarten Literacy Interventionist
Dallas F Nicholas, Sr. Elementary School - BCPSS
08.2021 - 09.2022
Shift Manager/Barista Trainer
Starbucks Coffee Company
01.2018 - 06.2022
Assistant Teacher/Lead ABA Instructor
Tangram School (Arrow Child and Family Ministries)
06.2013 - 01.2018
Associate of Science - Social Work
Community College of Baltimore County
05.2001 -
High School Diploma -
The Catholic High School of Maryland
05.2001 -