GRETCHEN JAYANTI WEGNER

6440 Irwin Court, Oakland, California, 94609 ♦ 510.852.1551 ♦ gretchen.wegner@gmail.com

June 15, 2008

Personnel Committee
West County Community Charter High School
1615 Carlson Boulevard
Richmond, California 94804

Dear Personnel Committee:

After two years helping write the initial grant and charter for the school, and one year serving on the
WCCHS board and watching the school grow, it is with great pleasure that I submit this application to be
the Learning to Learn teacher.

Having been one of the initial designers of the Learning to Learn curriculum, I have a great fondness for
the potential of this position. I am aware that it is one of a few courses—including the Be the Change
class—that specifically carries the mission of the school. Since WCCHS is a school that guides students
incrementally towards being independent learners, the Learning to Learn class is essential. It is the only
course designed to teach students about the philosophy of WCCHS and to provide them the beginning
skills to be able to act on this philosophy. Because the course is so central to the school, it is imperative
that the next person to fulfill this position be able to accomplish three tasks:
1) create a curriculum that meets the students where they are and provides a foundation in the
awareness and skills they need to work independently,
2) teach the curriculum as planned in collaboration with other teachers, making sure it serves the
school’s needs as the year progresses, and
3) record the curriculum in a professional way that they can be easily replicated by future
teachers.
I have the history, skills, and commitment to be able to accomplish all three of these tasks during the
2008-2009 school year. My entire teaching career has been focused on helping students become more
conscious about how they learn, and helping them act on this knowledge. As a middle and high school
teacher, although I was focused on teaching history content, I became quickly aware that the most
important part of my job included teaching study skills, organizational habits, and self-advocacy around
learning styles. In my early days teaching at CLIMB Theatre (which, importantly, stands for Creative
Learning Ideas for Mind and Body), I became adept at helping students who are kinesthetic learners find
ways to access and act upon their own learning styles. During this time I did a great deal of work with
students with emotional behavior disorders and learning disabilities. This means that, throughout my
career, I have worked with all kinds of learners: rich, middle class, and poor; white, black, Asian, and
Hispanic; gifted and talented students as well as those with learning disabilities. My experience coaching
all these different types of learners will be invaluable in helping me design and teaching the Learning to
Learn class.

I truly appreciate your request for all candidates to include their philosophy of education in their
application. I have attached a more complete description of my approach to learning. Fundamentally,
though, I believe that the most successful learning happens when students are investigating topics that
they truly care about. But learning to identify one’s passions is a kill in and of itself. So, when students
have the intellectual skills to identify what they really care about, and the organizational skills to act on
their curiosity, they are self-sufficient learners. This is the kind of learning I hope to initiate.

Recently, I sent an email to Gary and Kristin regarding specific unit topics for the Learning to Learn
curriculum, and Gary responded thoughtfully with some edits. I look forward to the opportunity to speak
further about these ideas and edits, and my qualifications to teach this course.

Best wishes,

Gretchen Wegner
 GRETCHEN JAYANTI WEGNER
6440 Irwin Court, Oakland, California, 94609 ♦ 510.852.1551 ♦ gretchen.wegner@gmail.com

OBJECTIVE
Design and teach Learning to Learn, building competency in skills students need to be independent learners.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATION

M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction. Vermont College of Union Institute and University, Montpelier, VT. 2006.
Certification. State of Vermont. Composite social studies. Grades 8-12. 2006.
B.A. Intercultural performance studies (anthropology and theatre). Macalester College, St. Paul, MN. 1996.
Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, President’s Award, Gateway Prize for Research/Writing, Fulbright Grant.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Teacher & Student Advisor. Saklan Valley School, Moraga, CA. 2006 to present.
Taught 6th & 7th grade World Civilizations and 7th grade Language Arts. Facilitated sewing and drama
electives. Advised 6th-8th grade mixed-level group of students. Service work included Global Education
Committee Co-Chair, Diversity Committee Co-Chair, Professional Development Committee, RISE
Elementary Partnership Coordinator, and stage manager for Annual Concert and Spring Follies.

Student Teacher. McCallum High School, Austin Independent School District, Austin, TX. Fall 2005.
Prepared educational objectives, lesson plans, and assessments for two levels of 300 diverse inner-city
students in World History and United States History classes. Conducted after-school study sessions. Team-
taught with classroom teachers for six weeks and assumed full classroom responsibilities for four weeks.

Tutor/Substitute. Austin Independent School District and Odyssey School, Austin, TX. 2002 to 2003.
Managed efficient classrooms of middle and high school students. Improvised activities aligned with
teacher’s lesson plan. Designed units when teachers were unable to leave plans. Tutored middle school
students with learning disabilities. Designed and implemented student-directed after-school activities.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE

Freelance Facilitator/Performer. 1999 to present.

Taught presentation skills, drama, movement, and whole-body learning to student and adult audiences.
♦ Clients served include: Body Wisdom, Inc, (Oakland, CA); Caritas of Austin, Texas Center for
Service Learning, BrainJazz™, Texas Youthful Creations (Austin, TX); St. Thomas University
Continuing Education for Teachers, Hip Deep Social Imaginations (St. Paul & Minneapolis, MN);

Program Director. YouthLaunch, Austin, TX. 2003 to 2005.

Designed and implemented “No Kidding: Straight Talk from Teen Parents” program. Developed curriculum,
hired and trained teenage parents in facilitation and public speaking, and supervised over 75 presentations.

♦ Accomplishments: Established strong network with Austin Independent School District, social
service providers, and state agencies. Evaluation found program highly effective, and as a result
curriculum received half a million dollars in grant money and is being replicated across Texas.

Teaching Artist. CLIMB Theatre, Inver Grove Heights, MN. 1997 to 2000.
Designed and taught curriculum in social and career skills and drama to elementary and secondary age
students. Devised and led teacher in-services. Wrote and directed mini-dramas.
♦ Clients served: Work Opportunity Center, Special Education District 28, and Minneapolis Public
Schools (Minneapolis, MN); various public school districts in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
 GRETCHEN JAYANTI WEGNER
6440 Irwin Court, Oakland, California, 94609 ♦ 510.852.1551 ♦ gretchen.wegner@gmail.com

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Social Studies Content and Pedagogy
♦ Teachers for Social Justice Conference. San Francisco, CA. 2007.
♦ People of Color Conference. National Association for Independent Schools. Boston, MA. 2007.
♦ People of Color Conference. National Association for Independent Schools. Seattle, WA. 2006.
♦ History Alive! (8 hours). Texas Council for the Social Studies, Austin, TX. 2002.

Communication, Group Process, and Mindfulness

♦ Mindfulness In Education (6 hours), Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Woodacre, CA. 2006.
♦ Next Step to Being the Change (24 hours). Challenge Day, Concord, CA. 2006.
♦ Wilderness Leadership Training (50 hours). BAWT, San Francisco, CA. 2006.
♦ Inclusive/Nonviolent Communication (24 hours). Between the Lines, Austin, TX. 2003.
♦ Tribes TLC® Basic Course (24 hours). Tribes Learning Community®, Austin, TX. 2003.
♦ Optimum Learning Environments (7 hours, SBEC #014804). Choices for Children, Austin, TX. 2003.

Expressive Arts
♦ Intensive Training Institute (60 hours). Performing Arts Workshop, San Francisco, CA. 2006.
♦ InterPlay Leadership Program (300 hours). Oakland, CA. 2005 to 2006.
♦ Gabrielle Roth’s Five Rhythms (15 hours). Austin, TX. 2004.
♦ Introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed (24 hours). Theatre Action Project, Austin, TX. 2002.
♦ Viola Spolin for Leaders (8 hours). Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, MN. 2001.

PRESENTATIONS
♦ Artful Strategies, Necessary Risks Conference. California State University, Sacramento, CA. 2008.
♦ American Educational Studies Association Annual Conference. Spokane, WA. 2006.
♦ Texas Association Concerned with School Age Parenting (TACSAP) Conference, Austin, TX. 2004.
♦ 26th Annual Conference on South Asia, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. 1997.
♦ Association For Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Conference, New York, NY. 1996.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
♦ Actor/Dancer/Singer, Wing It! Performance Ensemble. Oakland, CA.
♦ Board Member, PeaceKey. El Cerrito, CA.
♦ Developer, West County Community Charter High School. Richmond, CA.
♦ Teacher, Samaritan Neighborhood Center. Oakland, CA.
♦ Puppeteer and chaperone, First Night Parade. Theatre Action Project, Austin, TX.
♦ Emcee, Prejudice Awareness Summit. Jewish Women’s Association of Austin, Austin, TX.
♦ Chaperone, Youth Backpacking Trip to Montana. St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN.
♦ Mentor, Rite of Passage Bike Trip. ICA Journeys, Bothell, WA.

REFERENCES
♦ Jonathan Martin, Head of School, Saklan Valley School, jmartin@saklan.org, 925-286-5993.
♦ Dave Hague, Assistant Head of School, Saklan Valley School, dhague@saklan.org, 949-683-2818.
♦ Constance Krosney, Graduate Supervisor, Vermont College, constance.krosney@verizon.net, 802-233-
6550.