Leslie Van Den Berg
Hunter Classical Christian School
RICHMOND
3
Certifications
21
years of professional experience
Lead Teacher guides grade-level instruction, student support, and classroom routines in a classical Christian school setting. Prioritizes designing, implementing, and utilizing multi-disciplinary units and lesson plans with a Biblical worldview each week. Communicates expectations for vertical alignment to colleagues, and supports consistent implementation across subjects. Uses parent updates, conferences, and student progress reviews per term to keep families informed and students on pace. Experienced leadership of a grade level team of twelve teachers and assistants. Organizes parent and teacher volunteers to provide missional, service opportunities for students.
Work History
First Grade Teacher
6 Years 5 Months- Plan 20+ weekly lesson sequences across Bible, grammar, history, language arts, math, phonics, science, and writing.
- Design and deliver developmentally appropriate instruction aligned to the classical Christian model of education.
- Use curriculum development and curriculum alignment to keep first-grade materials coherent and Biblically-based across subjects.
- Coordinate with parents through weekly emails, in-person conferences, and quarterly report cards.
Curriculum Coordinator/Special Projects
4 Years 1 Month- Reviewed curriculum sections regularly to strengthen horizontal and vertical alignment across grammar school.
- Collaborated with teachers to consolidate grammar school curriculum across grade levels and improve consistency.
- Researched best practices from mentoring classical Christian schools to inform curriculum decisions and planning.
- Facilitated planning meetings to coordinate special projects, align priorities, and track follow-up actions.
- Communicated curriculum updates and special project needs to administrators to support informed decision-making.
- Organized resources and materials for classroom initiatives, supporting smooth implementation of special projects.
Ballet Instructor
3 Years 10 Months- Designed age-appropriate ballet instruction that built foundational technique, coordination, and confidence.
- Adapted classroom pacing and movement progressions to match children's developmental readiness and attention spans.
- Prepared students for performances by refining timing, transitions, and stage confidence during rehearsals.
Administrative Assistant
1 Year 4 Months- Maintained portal documents for medical professionals, keeping submissions organized and accessible for review.
- Eliminated approximately one decade of paper documents through digitalization of medical licensure applications.
- Verified application details and supporting documentation before routing cases for licensing action.
- Supported applicants and licensed professionals with timely status updates and accurate response tracking.
First Grade Level Team Leader
2 Years 11 Months- Communicated with administrators on behalf of first grade teachers and teaching assistants to relay needs and decisions.
- Placed grade-level supply orders for local and overseas classroom materials and teaching resources.
- Led bi-weekly first-grade team meetings to coordinate teacher collaboration and daily instructional priorities.
- Managed grade-level logistics across scheduling, guest coordination, and classroom resource needs.
- Coordinated 4 annual field trips and guest instructors to support grade-level programming.
Kindergarten Teacher
1 Year 10 Months- Designed developmentally appropriate curriculum across Bible, language arts, math, science, and social studies.
- Maintained collaborative curriculum documents in Atlas Rubicon and Google Drive for team alignment.
- Communicated student progress and classroom updates clearly with parents through PowerSchool, weekly newsletters, quarterly report cards, and bi-annual in-person conferences.
- Aligned daily instruction with student needs through ongoing assessment and classroom observation.
- Supported collaborative planning with colleagues to keep classroom expectations consistent.
First Grade Teacher
2 Years 10 Months- Developed and revised developmentally appropriate units with colleagues, aligning instruction across core first-grade subjects.
- Maintained shared unit materials and planning documents in Google Drive for consistent team access.
- Delivered age-appropriate Bible, math, reading, science, social studies, and writing instruction each day.
- Communicated student progress and classroom needs to families through Aspen, SeeSaw, weekly newsletters, bi-annual report cards, and bi-annual in-person conferences.
High School Dance Instructor
1 Year 10 Months- Created developmentally appropriate dance lessons twice a week that kept high school students engaged and progressing.
- Guided student creativity through choreography, music, lighting, and costume design decisions.
- Supervised travel logistics and performance readiness for annual school dance festivals.
First Grade Teacher
5 Years 1 Month- Adapted instruction to support reading, math, science, social studies, and writing growth in the classroom.
- Applied curriculum development and curriculum alignment to keep instruction consistent across subject areas.
- Communicated with parents and community members about appropriate educational practices and student expectations.
- Provided information to parents through weekly newsletters, quarterly report cards, and bi-annual in-person conferences.
Ballet Instructor
4 Years 10 Months- Adapted ballet instruction, balancing technique development with age-appropriate pacing for classes of preschoolers through adults.
- Designed structured warm-ups, center work, and combinations that reinforced coordination, balance, and musicality.
- Prepared students for annual recital readiness by refining choreography, rehearsal timing, and stage confidence.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Child Development with K-6 Teaching Licensure
Summa Cum Laude
Skills
Team leadership
Meeting facilitation
Administrator communication
Teacher collaboration
Instructional coaching
Teacher observation
Teacher mentoring
Professional development facilitation
Accreditation support
Volunteer coordinating
Curriculum review
Curriculum development
Curriculum alignment
Horizontal and vertical alignment
Curriculum mapping
Classroom event planning
School-wide event planning
Operation Christmas Child Project Leader
Certification
Association of Classical Christian Schools Provisional Certification
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- Singapore Math Teacher Training with Beth Currin
- ClassicalU – Awakening the Moral Imagination through Fairy Tales and Stories
- ClassicalU – Awakening Wonder: Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
- ClassicalU – Disability and Classical Education: Student Formation in Keeping with Our Common Humanity
- ClassicalU – Grammar School Teaching and Leadership
- ClassicalU – Narration: A Classical Guide
- ClassicalU – On Teaching Fairy Stories
- ClassicalU – Schole (Restful) Learning
- ClassicalU – Teaching Singapore Math
- ClassicalU – Essentials of Effective Teaching
- Ministry Safe
- Ambrose Auxilium – Teacher Training
- Association of Classical Christian Schools – Repairing the Ruins Summer Conference
- Institute for Excellence in Writing – Kindergarten through Grade Teacher Training
- Society for Classical Learning – Summer Conference
- Spell to Write and Read – Literacy Instruction Training
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Building Number Sense Through Number Talks
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Digital Portfolios with SeeSaw
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Ministry Safe
- EARCOS, Phuket, Thailand – Strategies for English Learners
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Next Generation Science Standards
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Assessable Mathematics
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Columbia University Teachers College
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – POGIL and Next Generation Science Standards
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Word Press Training
- Columbia University Teachers College, New York, NY – Institute on the Teaching of Writing
- Hong Kong International School, Hong Kong – Literacy Institute
- EARCOS, Bangkok, Thailand – 6+1 Traits Writing Workshop
- Columbia University Teachers College, New York, NY – Institute on the Teaching of Reading
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Orton-Gillingham Methodology
- Concordia International School, Shanghai, China – Columbia University Teachers’ College
Timeline
Curriculum Coordinator/Special Projects
Hunter Classical Christian School
05.2021 - 06.2025Read More
First Grade Teacher
Hunter Classical Christian School
06.2020 - CurrentRead More
Administrative Assistant
Virginia Department of Health Professions
01.2019 - 05.2020Read More
Ballet Instructor
Aspire Dance Academy
08.2018 - 06.2022Read More
First Grade Level Team Leader
Concordia International School, Shanghai, China
08.2015 - 07.2018Read More
Kindergarten Teacher
Morrison Academy, Taichung, Taiwan
08.2013 - 06.2015Read More
First Grade Teacher
Concordia International School, Shanghai, China
08.2010 - 06.2013Read More
High School Dance Instructor
Concordia International School, Shanghai , China
08.2010 - 06.2012Read More
Ballet Instructor
Triangle Academy of Dance, Cary, NC
08.2005 - 06.2010Read More
First Grade Teacher
West Lake Elementary School, Apex, NC
06.2005 - 07.2010Read More
Meredith College
Bachelor of Science from Child Development with K-6 Teaching Licensure
Read More