résumé

Alex Guenther

Kanagawa-ken Yokohama-shi Naka-Ku, Japan • Glorio Tower Motomachi #901

Date of birth: 18/08/1975 • Marital status: Married • Nationality: American

Objective

To teach MYP English and Humanities at an international school, in order to use my experience, enthusiasm, humor and creativity to inspire student learning and achievement.

Skills

Experienced teacher of: IB Middle Years Program English (Language A) and Humanities (Individuals and Societies), IB Diploma Program Theory of Knowledge (TOK), High School English Literature, and EAL; experienced writer, translator and editor. Lifelong language learner, passionate and knowledgeable about literature, travel and linguistics, with international experience and cultural awareness to connect with students from around the globe. First language English; can read and speak German; can read and understand French and some Japanese; familiar with most Romance and Germanic languages.

Technology skills: High level of interest and experience in implementing gaming and 3D design in education (Minecraft, SketchUp); four years’ experience in a 1:1 laptop program, currently trialling 2:1 (iPad + MacBook Air 11” for students) with Grade 7; in-depth experience with a variety of Web 2.0 tools for education both for students and educators (blogs, wikis, podcasts, Google Apps for Education, Veracross, ManageBac, etc.); familiar with common PC, Macintosh and mobile applications; some experience with HTML coding and website design. Adept IT learner and teacher.

Full-Time Teaching Experience

Yokohama International School – Yokohama, Japan

Middle Years Program English and Humanities (Individuals & Societies) Teacher

English: August 2013 – present; Humanities: August 2010 – present

Collaborate with departmental teaching partners to develop, deliver and improve English and Humanities MYP curricula, based on MYP unit planning documents and subject-area aims and objectives. Focus on authentic, engaging, project-based learning, with and inquiry-based summative assessments supported by a palette of just-in-time and student-relevant formative assessments.
Plan and implement meaningful cross-curricular projects and learning opportunities which bring MYP English and Humanities together.
Devise and implement accommodations and modifications to the MYP curriculum for a diverse spectrum of language learners and those with additional needs, in collaboration with EAL and Learning Support teachers.
Integrate technology in the MYP classroom, to encourage more effective student collaboration, communication and learning, including use of 1:1 MacBooks, iPads, student blogs, collaborative Google Documents, and a variety of tech tools, services and networks such as MineCraft, VoiceThread, Google Earth, Quizlet, Goodreads and Shelfari.

Diploma Program Theory of Knowledge Teacher

August 2011 – present

Teach Grade 11 and 12 TOK in alternate years, culminating respectively in the Presentation and the final TOK Essay; plan and present occasional whole-grade TOK seminars on subjects of interest including History as an Area of Knowledge.

Pastoral Care / Homeroom Tutor

August 2010 – present

Collaborate with other grade-level tutors to plan and deliver Pastoral Care program during weekly Tutor Group class and daily homeroom; act as first contact for parent communication; coordinate EAL or Learning Support referrals for tutor group; act as Field Studies Week Chaperone; and deliver Digital Citizenship and other occasional specialized lessons to tutor group class throughout the year.

Other Responsibilities

DP Extended Essay Supervisor (History)
MYP Personal Project Supervisor
Digital Design Extra-Curricular Activity Leader
Brain Bowl Extra-Curricular Activity Supervisor
Timetable Redesign Committee
Middle School Philosophy Review Committee
Connected Learning Community Vision Development Committee
2:1 (iPad + MacBook Air 11”) Trial Committee

The American School of Bangkok – Bangkok, Thailand

Upper High School English Literature Teacher
August 2009 – June 2010

Designed curricula for, and taught courses in, American Literature, British Literature, Creative Writing and SAT Preparation for 10th, 11th- and 12th-grade students. Focuses included alignment with departmental standards and Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs); differentiation of planning and instruction for a linguistically and culturally diverse student population; and classroom integration of technology and 21st-century literacy skills.

ESL Department Head and Teacher (Middle and High Schools)
August 2008 – June 2009

Designed, updated and oversaw implementation of departmental curricula for all three divisional levels, oversaw in-school ESL testing and student placement decisions, coordinated ESL teachers’ schedules and ordered new materials. Supported core subject teachers to enable them to address the needs of ESL students in their classrooms.

Addressed the language learning needs of ESL students in the Middle and High Schools through a blend of sheltered pull-out courses, in-class support, and after-school assistance. Designed and delivered lessons to improve students’ reading, writing, speaking and listening skills, aligned with departmental curriculum and ESLRs.

Other Responsibilities

Scheduling and Calendar Committees
ESL and Learning Support Focus Group / Action Committee

Professional Development and Presentations

Minecraft in Education (presenter), YIS, 2014.
Professional Growth Plan focus on New Literacies, YIS, 2013.
Google Apps For Education Summit, American School in Japan, 2013.
What I’ve Learned from Video Games (presenter), YIS Pecha Kucha Night, 2012.
Certificate of Educational Technology and Information Literacy (COETAIL), SUNY, 2012.
Apple Education Leadership Summit, Hong Kong, April 2009.
“Interactive Whiteboards for Education” Seminar, Promethean; The American School of Bangkok, November 2008.
“Running Records for Elementary School Students” Workshop; Linda Faulkner, The American School of Bangkok, October 2008.
“Understanding the Commitment to IB Schools” Workshop; George Mason University College of Human Development, Center for International Education, 24 June, 2006.

Part-Time Teaching Experience

International School Bangkok – Bangkok, Thailand

Substitute Teacher, After School Academic Lab Instructor and After-School Tutor
August 2007 – June 2008

Mont’ Kiara International School – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Full-Time Replacement/Substitute Teacher, After-School Tutor and Adult ESL Instructor
August 2005 – June 2007

Munich International School – Munich, Germany
Tutor and Adult ESL Instructor
October 2000 – August 2005

Other Professional Experience

Freelance German-to-English Translator – Munich, Germany

2004 – 2010

Projects included the website of a major German porcelain manufacturer and the website of a German homeopathic medicine association.

WorldGuide Verlag – Munich, Germany

Copy Editor, Copy and Style Trainer, Events Editor, Writer, Proofreader, Freelance Correspondent
Writer and Editor: May 2001 – June 2005; Freelance Correspondent: June 2005 – 2010

Head copy editor and proofreader for all WorldGuide publications, including travel books, online articles, newsletters and maps; oversaw publications’ stylistic consistency; led staff training sessions on writing style; formulated, wrote and maintained WorldGuide’s style guidelines; researched and wrote travel and lifestyle articles; helped design and maintain WorldGuide’s internet portal.

Yukom Verlag – Munich, Germany

Freelance Editor
October 2000 – June 2005

Edited and proofread translated articles for various industry magazines, with emphasis on telecommunications industry.

Corporate Translations, Inc. – Mansfield Center, CT, USA

Senior Project Manager
June 1998 – August 2000

Oversaw progress of translation projects; interacted with translators, production staff and clients to ensure timely and error-free translation delivery; proofread, edited and corrected translations, using various programs and operating systems; assisted Formatting Department with desktop publishing and troubleshooting.

University of Connecticut College of Education
National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) – Storrs, CT, USA

Publications Editor/Proofreader/Assistant
May 1997 – June 1998

Assisted lecturers and organizers at Confratute, an internationally-known summer institute on gifted learning and teaching; edited, revised and proofread scientific research articles, doctoral dissertations and newsletters; designed, wrote and desktop published NRC/GT informational brochures and advertisements.

The Hartford Courant – Hartford, CT, USA

Intern (through Nutmeg Scholarship)
June – August 1994, 1995 and 1996

Helped plan, research, write and encode material for newspaper’s Electronic Publishing Department website; wrote computer game and website reviews for newspaper’s weekly computer section; researched and wrote short articles for newspaper’s Sunday Magazine, including several about Hartford’s first annual Mark Twain Days festival; helped write, edit and proofread festival’s official program.

University of Connecticut Daily Campus – Storrs, CT, USA

Comic Strip Author
Academic years 1995 and 1997

Wrote and drew daily comic strip for university newspaper.

Education

Master’s Degree and Teaching Certification

George Mason University – Fairfax, VA, USA

State of Virginia English as a Second Language (ESL, PK-12) Teacher Certification.
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction (completed July 2007).
English Literature Subject Area Certification Endorsement (completed July 2008).

Undergraduate Degree

University of Connecticut – Storrs, CT, USA

Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, December 1997.
Double Major, English/History. Grade point average 3.7.

Study Abroad

City University, London, UK
Academic year 1996-1997

Concentration in English and History. Grade point average 4.0.

Honors and Achievements

Nutmeg Scholar (1993-1996, full, four-year merit-based scholarship to U. of CT).
Winner, Robert Wooster Stallman Award for Excellence in the Study of English (1995).
National Council of Teachers of English Award for Excellence in Writing (1992).
National Merit Scholarship (1993); Robert C. Byrd Scholarship (1993); University of Connecticut Dean’s List, 8 semesters.
Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society; Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society; Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Special Interests

Linguistics, literature, writing, new literacies, interactive fiction, gaming, history, art history, travel.