929 Lyon St.

NE
Grand Rapids, MI, USA 49503
RITA MERCEDES POHLAD +1 (616) 813.7872
ritapohlad@gmail.com
ritapohlad.weebly.com

OBJECTIVE Seeking a full-time position to utilize my education, experience, and passion

to raise student awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the visual
arts through creative instruction.
EDUCATION
Ann Arbor, MI School of Art & Design, University of Michigan
Sept 2005 - May 2009 Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Grand Rapids, MI School of Education, Aquinas College

Jan 2010 - May 2012 Master of Education (M.Ed)
• Elementary Education
• English as a Second Language
• Language Arts
EXPERIENCE
Kentwood, MI Discovery Elementary School, Kentwood Public Schools
Aug 2014 - Present English Learner (EL) Teacher
• Deliver quality instruction to English Learners in grades K-5 using the
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model
• Incorporate visual arts throughout lessons to support language development
• Collaborate with administrators and colleagues, sharing and analyzing
pertinent data for student growth
• Coordinate schedules and arrange interpreter services to ensure strong
communication between school and home
• Organize and lead events celebrating cultural diversity represented
throughout the school
• Lead district elementary EL staff meetings and train new staff
• Administer annual standardized language proficiency assessments
Kentwood, MI Discovery Elementary School, Kentwood Public Schools
Aug 2014 - Present ARCH After School Academic Teacher
• Provide academic support to elementary students after school in grades 1-5
• Assist with weekly homework assignments and enrichment lessons to
strengthen understanding of grade-level concepts
• Incorporate visual arts throughout activities to enhance learning experience
Greenville, MI Cedar Crest Elementary School, Greenville Public Schools
Aug 2012 - June 2014 3rd Grade Teacher
• Delivered differentiated lessons to meet all student needs
• Collaborated with colleagues on intervention strategies based on student
observations and assessment data
• Served as chair of school improvement math committee and technology lead
• Organized and led after school running club
 929 Lyon St. NE
Grand Rapids, MI, USA 49503
RITA MERCEDES POHLAD +1 (616) 813.7872
ritapohlad@gmail.com
ritapohlad.weebly.com
EXPERIENCE
Ann Arbor, MI School of Art & Design / School of Education, University of Michigan
Jan - May 2009 Detroit Connections & Elementary Art Teacher Assistant
• Completed two college courses focused on elementary art education
• Traveled weekly to Detroit Public Schools to provide art education to students
whose school did not offer art classes
• Created lesson plans for 2D, 3D, and computerized art experiences
• Assisted an elementary art teacher in Ann Arbor Public Schools with preparing
for and delivering creative visual art lessons
Kentwood, MI Meadowlawn Elementary School, Kentwood Public Schools
June - Aug EL Summer School Lead Teacher
2009 - Present • Work with Newcomer immigrant and refugee English Learner (EL) students
who are new to the U.S. to provide academic support during summer break
• Deliver differentiated lessons to build vocabulary, sight word knowledge,
sentence structure, and comprehension strategies
• Introduce and build upon mathematical concepts appropriately
• Incorporate visual arts throughout lessons to support language development
• Apply strong emphasis on students’ home cultures, languages, customs, and
background knowledge throughout lessons
Grand Rapids, MI RML Photography
May 2009 - Present Photographer
• Professional photographer - fine art, wedding, and portrait photography
• Meet with clients to discuss aesthetic preferences, locations, and composition
of photography sessions
• Work with assistant photographers who help with lighting, props, and
additional shooting of subjects
• Skillfully edit photographs in Adobe Photoshop to client’s liking
• Utilize graphic design skills to create custom layouts and displays of
photographs with text, such as photo albums, pamphlets for businesses, large
displays, posters, birth announcements, invitations, etc.
• Create and maintain professional online portfolio

SKILLS + • Strong leadership and organizational skills; detail oriented

• Positive attitude toward change and new environments
ACHIEVEMENTS
• Skilled in the art of fine art, wedding, and portrait photography
• Photography exhibitions for three consecutive years in the international art
competition, ArtPrize, in Grand Rapids, Michigan (2009, 2010, 2011)
• Proficient in web and graphic design; Adobe PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator;
Microsoft Office; Google Documents
• Trained in Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)
• Trained in Lindamood-Bell literacy programs - Seeing Stars and Visualizing &
Verbalizing
References available • Skilled with both Macintosh and PC computer systems
upon request. • Experience in numerous team athletic endeavors
• Conversational Spanish