Professional Resume
JULIE CLAIRE BERNARD
College
May 1995, Bachelor of Arts Degree, Major in English Education,
Minor in Social Studies Education,
Jr. College
August 1986, Legal Secretary Diploma, Information Processor Operator Diploma, Typist Clerk Diploma, and Secretary-Stenographer Diploma,
South Louisiana Vocational-Technical Institute
Teaching
August 1995 - Present, English II,
English II Honors,
June 1995 - May 1995, English III
Summer School,
South T
Professional
Association
Memberships
Alpha Lambda Delta
National Honor Society
Phi Eta Sigma
Honor Society
Nu Alpha Epsilon
Honor Society
Kappa Delta Pi Academic
Honor Society
Staff
Development
1999-2000, Learning Styles
Workshop
1998 - 1999, Writing Assessment
Team (20 hrs.)
Inclusion Team (10 hrs.)
CCC Workshop (6 hrs.)
Computer Workshop
Drug Awareness
1997 - 1998, Gang Activity in
Our Schools
Drug Education
Improving Test Scores
Classroom Management and Discipline
Windows 95 Workshop
1996 - 1997, Scope & Sequence
(12 hrs.)
4-Mat Workshop (12 hrs.)
“Power Play” Workshop
504 Workshops (12 hrs.)
1995 - 1996, Aids Presentation
Cooperative Learning (16 hrs.)
Scope and Sequent (12 hrs.)
4-Mat Workshop (12 hrs.)
Study Skills (12 hrs.)
Current Best Strategies (6 hrs.)
Awards
1998 - 1999
THS Teacher of the year
1996 - 1997
LEARN Grant Award
1995 - 1996
MY PROFESSIONAL BIOGRAPHY
From an early age, I always enjoyed school, evening playing school with friends. As a teenager, my love of school continued, and I enjoyed doing well in academics, as well as participating in extra-curricular activities such as Student Council, Key Club, and Cheerleading. I have always associated school with fun! During my childhood, it had always been a set plan that I was to attend college and attain some profession. However, during my senior year here at THS, my forty-eight-year-old father passed away, and my life and plans changed. Upon graduation, I did not go to college. Instead I married my high school sweetheart and went to South Louisiana Vocational and Technical Institute where I received four secretarial diplomas. I subsequently worked as a legal secretary for two years. During this time, I also began tutoring English to high school students. The attorney I was working for decided to move to another state, leaving me unemployed. By this time, I was twenty-five years old! With a little persuading from family and friends, I took a leap of faith and started attending college. My natural inclination was toward English Education, probably because of the advanced placement English class I had taken in high school. My teacher, Mr. Kenneth Royston has always stood out in my mind as having an influence in my appreciation of literature.
I am now into my 15th year of teaching, and recently when cleaning out my attic, I came upon something that clarifies the answer to the question of what factor most influenced me into becoming a teacher - it has to be God. In 1982, when I was a sophomore at Terrebonne High School, Father Max Broussard led me to become a born-again Christian. On a church program pamphlet , Father Broussard wrote, “Sweetheart, through you God is going to change Terrebonne High School. The influence you have on friends will now be used to bring Him glory.” What was prophesied over me in 1982, became reality fifteen years later when I signed on as a Terrebonne High School teacher!
We all have a special calling in our lives. Listen to your own heart and those around you who love you. In deciding what you will do with the rest of your life, don't be misled by promises of fortune and glory, but carefully consider your calling. You will find that if you have a job in which you love, you will be rich!
"Terrebonne Tradition" - A Poem I Wrote for the Centennial of our School
MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
My philosphy of teaching is that I don't want to teach English to students! I want to teach students English! Working with this philosophy places more emphasis on the student than it does on the curriculum. This is not to say that the Grade Level Expections of the state are not achieved. On the contrary, since I have been teaching at THS, the English, Language Arts, and Compostion scores on the GEE 21 test have risen each year, and very few of my students failed these parts of the test. I believe that I stand out as a teacher because of my genuine care for each student, not only academically, but personally as well. I know that my students sense that I not only care about preparing them for the next English test, but I am concerned with preparing them for life after high school. My educational philosophy involves making learning fun. My teacher friends and family laugh at what I call my daily routine. I call it putting on a show. Creating interesting and thought-provoking lessons does not just happen, it takes careful planning and preparation, which often means staying up late and waking up early to be thoroughly prepared. Planning is the key to a successful teaching day. Distinguishing students' learning styles and appropriately placing them into cooperative learning groups is also a vital part of the plan. Memorization and recitation, although from the "old school," seems to also play a part in my students' success. I receive positive results of my teaching efforts each day as students excel on tests and writing assignments. However, the most gratifying rewards of teaching for me come months or even years later when I meet up with one of my former students and learn that I made a positive impact in his or her life; that's when I realize that I'm doing exactly what I have been called to do.