Kristin Nielsen
Credential candidate and career-changer currently completing a California Preliminary Single Subject Credential in English, as well as an M.Ed. through the HTH Graduate School of Education. A successful career in web development and technology serves as a basis for a teaching practice grounded in project-based learning, disciplinary literacy, and culturally responsive pedagogy. Experienced teaching 9th grade ELA with an ethnic studies focus in a double-period, equity-centered setting.
EDUCATION
関西外国語大学 / Kansai University of Foreign Studies (Osaka, Japan)
Exchange student
San Diego State University (California)
Bachelor of Arts - Comparative Literature
High Tech High Graduate School of Education
M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning (projected June 2027)
California Preliminary Single Subject Teaching Credential in English with embedded English Learner Authorization issuance (projected July 2026)
Emergency 30-Day Substitute Teaching Permit (CL-505p)
SKILLS
Pedagogical: UDL, PBL, Socratic seminar, restorative practices, CRT, formative assessment, IEP/504 accommodation
Technical: Full-stack web development, systems administration, technical writing and training
Languages: English, Japanese/日本語
EXPERIENCE
High Tech High Point Loma, San Diego, CA — Resident Teacher
2025 - 2026
Designed and led single classes as well as multi-week projects for two double-period 9th-grade humanities classes (~25 students each) in a project-based, equity-centered setting
Presented ethnic studies content built upon California Common Core ELA standards
Applied UDL principles in designing accessible materials to benefit students with IEPs and 504s, as well as the whole class
Facilitated student-centered discourse using techniques such as Socratic seminars, gallery walks, fishbowl discussions, think-pair-share, and whole-class discussions to build critical thinking and deep listening habits
Used formative and summative assessment strategies, including project-based work and presentations, to monitor and support student learning
Implemented just-in-time teaching and offered student voice and choice in project planning in order to maximize engagement
Fostered a culturally responsive, SEL-supported, restorative classroom community
Collaborated with cooperating teachers, education specialists, and academic coaches to refine pedagogical strategies and classroom management
Maintained regular communication with families to support students' academic and socio-emotional well-being
Phase2 Technology, Arlington, VA — Developer
2023 - 2024
Maintained and developed a Drupal-based website for a major regional healthcare system, untangling largely undocumented legacy architecture
Built and updated custom and third-party modules; created APIs for cross-system data integration
Led research and guided selection of a HIPAA-compliant mapping service
Produced clear technical documentation to support team continuity and knowledge transfer
Pantheon Systems, San Francisco, CA — Customer Success Engineer
2021 - 2023
Provided individualized technical instruction to customers with widely varying skill levels via chat and ticket support, maintaining a 100% customer satisfaction rating
Identified and resolved platform-level issues in collaboration with internal engineering teams
Took ownership of all traffic-related support tickets, guiding site optimizations that reduced customer costs and improved performance
Contributed to customer-facing and internal documentation to improve clarity and accessibility for non-technical users
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA — Web Developer
2008-2021
Grew and maintained the Zoo’s web presence from a single site to more than forty, including sites for international research locations and the education department, as part of a two-person team
Led migration of sites across multiple platforms and hosting environments, including AWS, Rackspace, and Pantheon
Ensured core sites met Section 508 and WCAG accessibility standards
Deployed, authored and maintained MediaWiki instances and other internal knowledge-sharing tools for staff use
Delivered training and knowledge transfer to staff of all technical levels