Andrea K.

Hegna
17305 Greentree Path Lakeville, MN 55044 Phone: 612-865-3038
Email: [email protected]

Education:
8/2015-Present Winona State University……….……………Winona, Minnesota
Major: Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Emphasis
Expected to graduate May 2019
Degree: Bachelor of Science – Teaching
Cumulative GPA: 3.74
Honors: Dean’s List 6/6 semesters

Relevant Employment Experience:

6/2016-8/2018 Nanny……….……………………………….…..Eagan, Minnesota
Responsible for the care and supervision of two elementary-aged children over the course of three
summers. Implemented daily routines for the children. Prepared meals for the children. Assisted in
transporting the children to summer school, camps, doctor’s appointments and play dates. Organized
activity schedules. Reinforced appropriate discipline for the children. Served as a role model and
leader.

Practicum Placements and Professional Experience: (Total Hours of Field Experience: 174 hours)
6/2016-Present Practicum Student…………............... at Winona Area Public Schools (including
Ridgeway Community School, Goodview, Jefferson, and Washington-Kosciusko),
Saint Stanislaus Elementary School (Winona, MN), North Woods International
Elementary School (Lacrosse, WI), Kid’s First Center (Winona, MN), WSU
Creekside Children’s Center
 Identified 3rd and 4th grade student’s individual and collective literacy needs during guided reading
groups and planned, prepared, and delivered small group instruction based on students’ needs.
 Managed student behavior by effectively establishing and implementing expectations during
tutoring sessions.
 Assisted in after school program (at Ridgeway) and aided K-5 students with homework and staying
on task.
 Worked alongside 2nd grade teacher at Saint Stanislaus to grade homework assignments, organize
classroom materials, assist students who struggled with specific content, and served as a leader of
various classroom science stations for 6-weeks.
 Co-taught Kindergarten science and health lessons, 3rd grade social studies and science lessons, as
well as Pre-K – 5th grade physical education lessons.
 Aided diverse learners and students with different racial backgrounds at Kid’s First Center.

Immersion Placements:
Cherry View Elementary School…………………………………...(2nd grade) Lakeville, MN
Shannon Park Elementary School………………………………….(4th grade) Rosemount, MN
 Graded 4th grade reading log summaries and provided students with constructive feedback
 Conducted 4th grade small group and one-on-one math instruction and problem solving
 Engaged whole 2nd grade class by delivering an interactive read-aloud
 Lead whole-class discussion questions prior to 2nd grade interactive read-aloud

Skills:
 Outgoing and energetic  Well organized
 Collaborates well with others  Works well independently with little
 Ability to multitask direction
 Good judgment  Dependable
 Student Teaching Autobiography

My name is Andrea Hegna and I was born and raised in Lakeville, Minnesota. I grew up in a very family-oriented

environment and was always taught to work hard, see the positive side of situations, and stand up for myself. You will see

this attitude and determination not only throughout my schooling experience, but also through my outlook on life and

teaching.

Throughout my educational career, I have been faced with challenges and setbacks. In elementary school at

Cherry View, I began struggling to understand a lot of the concepts taught in math. This lead me to work with a tutor who

was with me from third grade all the way until I graduated high school. Her patience, intelligence, and encouragement

ultimately lead me to work hard and eventually excel in math. In middle school at Century, I applied to the honors English

program and was denied. Because I naturally excelled in reading and writing, I was devastated. So, I wrote a letter of

appeal to my Dean and was placed in honors English where I went on to be recognized for having the highest-grade

percentage of all my classmates that year. In high school at Lakeville North, I decided to take the four rigorous Advanced

Placement (AP) courses (AP Literature, AP Language, AP US History and AP European History) that my school offered.

I believe that this determination and work ethic is the main reason why I went to college and excelled as much as I have. I

eagerly applied to Winona State University and was thrilled when I received the news of my acceptance. I stepped foot on

campus knowing I was going to be a teacher one day and I knew WSU would get me there. In my college years, I have

made the Dean’s list every single semester. I want to use my story to show my future students that they can learn or

accomplish anything with the proper dedication, effort, and practice. Each phase of my educational career as a student has

made me into the strong, hardworking person I am today and I am grateful for every setback and every time I had to prove

myself.

I have had a plethora of experiences with children throughout my life, simply because I always sought them out. I

have been nurtured into the teaching profession from a very young age by growing up in daycare. I grew up caring for

younger children, babysitting, volunteering at zoo camps, and have been a nanny for multiple summers. Since being

accepted into the education program at Winona State, I have had an enormous amount of valuable experience working

with students. I am so grateful for everything I have learned and taken away from these experiences and the teachers that I

have had the privilege to work with. I have tutored guided reading groups, taught lessons both with my classmates and

alone in various grade levels, tracked the growth development of toddlers, and even worked as a teacher’s assistant in a
second-grade classroom for 6-weeks. When reflecting on my field experiences, I was able to gather my most pertinent

takeaways. I learned that planning and preparation is always needed to have any chance of a smooth lesson or tutoring

session; I learned the importance of knowing each and every student’s individual strengths and how to use those to help

them understand the content; I learned that having effective behavior management strategies is such an imperative tool. It

is of utmost importance to set expectations early and stick with them. It is even more important to establish routines with

students and practice these expectations so they know what is always expected of them. Another main take-away that I

have from my field experience is that praise goes a long way in aspects of behavior management and academic

performance. I believe that when students feel as though their work or behavior is being recognized in a positive manner,

they are more likely to keep up that desired behavior or good school work. I have seen praise work as a positive domino

effect in many of my classroom experiences and I aim to constantly bring attention to positivity in my future classroom.

I want to be a teacher because I am passionate about children and I want to have the opportunity to be a positive

influence in my future students’ lives. I want each and every student that I encounter to believe that they can accomplish

anything no matter their abilities or circumstances. I want to make them feel capable when others tell them they are not. I

believe in children and I think that their ideas and feelings should be heard and valued. I am eager to get to know all of my

future students and start instilling hard work, respect for others, and kindness into them.