Sharon Russell

My name is Sharon Russell, and I hold a Master's degree in HR Management. I have 6 years of experience teaching at the elementary level and 5 years of retail management experience. Throughout my career, I have gained hands-on experience in interviewing, onboarding, and training new employees. I have also been responsible for scheduling and verifying payroll.

I possess excellent oral and written communication skills and have a strong ability to collect and analyze data. I am comfortable interacting with people both over the phone, virtually, and in person. In addition, I have demonstrated leadership abilities, from setting goals to measuring outcomes against those goals. I am well-versed in using Microsoft applications and have developed strong technical skills. I am confident in my ability to quickly adapt to new software or tools as needed for the role.

I pride myself on being a self-motivated, organized, and detail-oriented individual who works well with a team member and independently. I am confident that my background and skills make me an excellent fit for this opportunity.

Personal & Professional Development Advisor NAF4, MCCS Camp Lejeune

07/2024-Current

• Career & Education Guidance: Advise Service Members and their families on employment, education, and vocational/technical training, helping clients assess their values, interests, abilities, and skills to align with career and educational opportunities.
• Program Facilitation: Lead the My Education course for over 35 service members monthly, providing vital information on college admissions, VA funding, and financial aid resources.
• Assessment & Counseling: Administer and interpret skills assessments and personality inventories, offering initial evaluations of clients' career and personal readiness. Provide guidance to support the development of individualized plans for career growth and educational advancement.
• Career Education & Skill Development: Advise clients on career education programs, skill development for employer needs, and entrance requirements for colleges, universities, and vocational training institutions.
• Job Search & Employment Preparation: Develop and direct services that equip clients with essential job search skills, as well as strategies for employment and educational preparation tailored to individual skill levels and career/academic aspirations. Helped with reviewing and editing resumes, as well as doing mock interviews. 
• Workshops & Development: Facilitate workshops, activities, and events, adapting instructional strategies to meet diverse learning needs and utilizing technology and varied media as appropriate.
• Classroom Management: Effectively manage classroom environments, ensuring opportunities for individual participation and peer collaboration to enhance learning experiences.

Notable Achievements:

• Workshop Creation & Instruction: Developed and facilitated engaging workshops to support personal and professional development, fostering growth and skill-building in participants.
• Continuous Professional Development: Actively participated in ongoing professional trainings and workshops to stay current with industry trends and enhance skill sets.
• Personal Career Goal Achievement: Set and successfully achieved personal career goals, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement and long-term growth.

Onslow County Schools, Silverdale Elementary – Elementary School Teacher

• Curriculum Development & Instruction: Create and deliver lesson plans for elementary students in alignment with North Carolina State standards. Administer assessments, analyze student data, and record grades to track academic progress.
• Differentiated Instruction: Develop and implement differentiated lessons to cater to the individualized learning needs of students, ensuring all students have access to content at their own pace and level.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Collaborate with grade-level colleagues and other school staff on special projects, programs, and school functions. Actively participate in team efforts for school improvement and special events such as field trips.
• Parent Engagement: Conduct parent conferences in-person, by phone, and virtually to discuss student progress, address concerns, and develop strategies for student success.

Notable Achievements:

• Virtual Learning Curriculum: Successfully created, implemented, and administered a virtual learning curriculum during the pandemic school shutdown, ensuring continued student engagement and learning.
• Strategic Planning Contribution: Actively participated in the school’s strategic planning committee, contributing to the development of the school improvement plan.
• Ongoing Professional Development: Attend and engage in continuous professional workshops and trainings to maintain CEUs, enhancing knowledge and teaching methods.
• Specialized Training: Trained in LETRs (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling), AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), Health Emergencies (Diabetes Awareness, Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention), and Microsoft TEAMS.
• Goal-Oriented Instruction: Set and guided students to achieve realistic goals. For example, implemented a class goal for 80% of students to learn how to tie their shoes within a month, which was successfully met. Applied similar goal-setting strategies for students to memorize their phone numbers, with successful results.

MCCS Camp Lejeune, Court House Bay CDC – Infant Lead 

08/2017 - 08/2018

 

• Classroom Management & Curriculum Implementation: In charge of a classroom with 4 to 8 infants, creating lesson plans and activities aligned with the Creative Curriculum guidelines to support developmental milestones and early learning.
• Child Development Tracking: Set up and maintained individual child portfolios, documenting progress, growth, and areas of focus to ensure each child’s developmental needs were met.
• Parent Communication & Support: Held regular parent/teacher conferences, facilitated phone calls, and met with parents to discuss each child's progress, strengths, and areas needing support.

Notable Achievements:

• Mentorship & Leadership: Motivated and mentored other staff members to promote a cohesive and successful program, sharing best practices for infant care and education.
• Resource & Support Liaison: Led by example and served as a key resource liaison to ensure uniformity and consistency in classroom practices, promoting a positive and structured environment for both children and staff.

MCCS Okinawa, Camp Countney CDC – Lead Preschool Technician

12/2015 - 02/2017

 

• Curriculum Design & Instruction: Developed and implemented lesson plans for two preschool classrooms (ages 3-5), adhering to the Creative Curriculum guidelines. Delivered engaging activities in STEM, Social Studies, Literacy, Writing, Art (including Dance, Music, Drama, and Visual Arts), as well as Outdoor and Gross Motor activities.
• Classroom & Staff Management: Managed two classrooms, each with 12-24 preschoolers, ensuring a safe and structured learning environment. Supervised a team of 6 staff members, creating work schedules, conducting employee observations and reviews, and offering constructive feedback to improve performance.
• Child Development & Progress Tracking: Maintained detailed child portfolios, tracking developmental progress, achievements, and areas for growth. Held parent-teacher conferences, facilitated phone calls, and met with parents to discuss each child’s progress and needs.

Notable Achievements:

• Leadership in Program Management: Successfully coordinated classroom activities while managing a team, fostering a collaborative and positive work environment that ensured the success of the program.
• Family Engagement: Developed strong relationships with parents through regular communication, ensuring they were informed and involved in their child’s educational journey.

Family Service Association – Operations Technician 

02/2013 - 03/2014

 

• Curriculum Design & Instruction: Developed and implemented lesson plans for two preschool classrooms (ages 3-5), adhering to the Creative Curriculum guidelines. Delivered engaging activities in STEM, Social Studies, Literacy, Writing, Art (including Dance, Music, Drama, and Visual Arts), as well as Outdoor and Gross Motor activities.
• Classroom & Staff Management: Managed two classrooms, each with 12-24 preschoolers, ensuring a safe and structured learning environment. Supervised a team of 6 staff members, creating work schedules, conducting employee observations and reviews, and offering constructive feedback to improve performance.
• Child Development & Progress Tracking: Maintained detailed child portfolios, tracking developmental progress, achievements, and areas for growth. Held parent-teacher conferences, facilitated phone calls, and met with parents to discuss each child’s progress and needs.

Notable Achievements:

• Leadership in Program Management: Successfully coordinated classroom activities while managing a team, fostering a collaborative and positive work environment that ensured the success of the program.
• Family Engagement: Developed strong relationships with parents through regular communication, ensuring they were informed and involved in their child’s educational journey.

Famous Footwear- Assistant Manager

06/2008 – 02/2013

• Recruitment & Training: Assisted in the recruitment and training of new sales associates, providing them with product knowledge, trend information, and guidance on sales techniques.
• Performance Feedback: Offered regular feedback to management on associate performance, helping to identify strengths and areas for improvement to ensure a high-performing team.
• Training & Development: Led the training of sales associates on stocking, receiving, and recovery procedures, ensuring that all team members were well-prepared for their roles.
• Onboarding & Employee Relations: Supported the onboarding process for new hires and addressed daily associate relations issues, contributing to a positive work environment. Assisted with the annual performance management process to evaluate and improve associate performance.
• Scheduling & Payroll Support: Helped manage scheduling and payroll to ensure efficient staffing and timely compensation for all team members.
• Merchandising & Inventory Management: Assisted in maintaining store-wide merchandising standards, responding to customer purchase trends, and managing price adjustments and tagging standards. Led associates in merchandise placement, shipment processing, and store recovery.
• Store Operations & Housekeeping: Ensured consistent daily housekeeping by implementing inventory and pricing directives, managing store cleaning, and overseeing maintenance tasks.
• Leadership by Example: Lead by example to ensure an exceptional customer experience, fostering a welcoming and efficient store environment.
• Loss Prevention & Safety: Opened and closed the store in rotation with management staff, maintaining Loss Prevention and Safety standards to protect store assets and ensure a safe working environment.

Master's in HR Management 

Bachelor's in Elementary Education