Sally Lentini
MELBOURNE,VIC
Summary
Accomplished educator with 40 years of experience in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Specializes in developing and implementing customized literacy and behavioral programs for diverse student populations. Demonstrated success in fostering collaboration among educators and improving student well-being through effective behavior management strategies. Accomplished educator with over 40 years of experience across Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Expertise in developing and delivering tailored literacy and behavioral programs to meet the diverse needs of students. Proven ability to foster collaboration among educators and enhance student well-being through effective behavior management strategies.
Overview
30
30
years of professional experience
Work History
Intervention Teacher
Corpus Christi
Werribee
01.2025 - Current
- Evidence based instruction-delivering specialized, structured programs (e.g. UFLI) tailored to students' needs
- Provided targeted small group support for up to 6 students, enhancing confidence and early intervention to address learning difficulties and prevent further gaps
- Collaborated with teachers to align interventions with classroom learning objectives, ensuring cohesive educational strategies
- Assessed students to identify needs, monitored progress regularly, and adapted instruction based on assessment data
Tertiary Supervisor
ACU
01.2024 - Current
- Assessed and evaluated pre-service teachers' competencies in planning, implementing, and evaluating teaching strategies, including behaviour management and pedagogy.
- Mentored and coached pre-service teachers to enhance understanding of professional roles, ethics, and responsibilities in school settings.
- Provide feedback on the lesson, unit, and program planning catering for diverse learning needs
- Facilitated a safe and positive environment for pre-service teachers, fostering strong relationships with colleagues, parents, and students.
Wellbeing, Mental Health in Primary Schools and The Resilience Project Leader
St Fidelis Primary School
Moreland
01.2024 - Current
- Develop and improve the way teachers are teaching The Resilience Project (TRP)
- Working alongside teachers to embed and improve practices of TRP, Wellbeing and Mental Health
- Attend professional workshops to upskill and ensure that I am informed about best practice in the Wellbeing curriculum
- Organize and facilitate whole school professional learning in response to the specific needs of the students and staff
- Analyze, interpret and use data to track student progress to improve outcomes for all
- Be a visible presence in the classroom supporting teachers and students in the learning spaces
- Build strong relationships with staff, students, families and the wider community
- Engage with outside stakeholders to determine best practice for supporting students' wellbeing and mental health needs
- Strengthened best practices by coordinating with TRP team
Professional Development Provider
Teaching and Learning Network
03.2021 - Current
- Delivered online professional development to teachers and professionals, enhancing their skills and knowledge.
- Completed day-to-day duties accurately and efficiently.
- Contributed innovative ideas and solutions to enhance team performance and outcomes.
- Worked successfully with diverse group of coworkers to accomplish goals and address issues related to our products and services.
Learning and Diversity, Wellbeing Leader, Mental health Leader and Resilience Project Leader
St Fidelis Primary School
Moreland
01.2021 - 12.2023
- Developing appropriate policies and organisational structure that support the promotion of a whole school approach to student well-being
- Driving the implementation and embedding The Resilience Project throughout the school Embedding SEL across F-6 actively building teacher capacity
- Developed school partnerships to strengthen community engagement
- Actively contributed to the School Leadership team to drive school improvement.
- Shared values, beliefs and the capacity to uphold and maintain the school’s vision across all interactions with staff, students and families
- Demonstrated effective communication skills while collaborating with staff, students, and families.
- A high level of understanding of the diverse range of additional needs that students may present with (such as sensory needs, physical needs, social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, learning difficulties gifted and talents)
Sessional Teacher
Monash University
Clayton, Australia
04.2015 - 07.2021
- Facilitated course at Monash University, Clayton Campus on understanding and managing challenging behaviours to equip teachers with effective strategies
- Focused course content on PBIS, anger management, and restorative practices to enhance teacher capabilities in implementing successful behaviour interventions
- Developed engaging lesson plans aligned with curriculum standards.
- Facilitated interactive classroom discussions to enhance student learning.
- Assessed student performance and provided constructive feedback regularly.
Learning Support Teacher
Kolbe Catholic College
Greenvale
07.2020 - 12.2020
- Designed and implemented learning plans to address the unique needs of students with additional requirements.
- Collaborated with students with special needs to implement a specialized curriculum tailored to individual learning goals.
- Facilitated collaborative discussions to develop and refine effective strategies for student support.
- Worked collaboratively with the Education Support Officers and the Learning Diversity Leader.
Education Consultant: Literacy & Classroom Management
Generation Ready
10.2015 - 04.2020
- Developed, implemented, and evaluated school improvement and annual action plans to improve student outcomes.
- Mentored educators through feedback, coaching, and professional learning experiences to enhance instructional practices.
- Developed leaders and the pedagogical knowledge of teachers to deliver a curriculum that was engaging, challenging and encouraged students to be forward thinkers
- Facilitated training sessions for schools on restorative practices implementation
- Collaborated with teams across schools in New York, Sacramento, and North Carolina to support organizational initiatives.
Classroom Teacher/Learning and Teaching Leader/Outreach Teacher
Larmenier Special School
01.2012 - 12.2015
- Coached and mentored teachers to refine instructional practices, resulting in improved student learning outcomes
- Collaborated with teachers to design and implement tailored learning programs, addressing diverse student needs in Melbourne schools.
- Developed and led professional learning teams focused on best practices in curriculum to enhance student learning outcomes
- Increased use of formative and summative assessment to inform teacher planning implementation and evaluation of student learning
- Collected and analyzed data for the whole school for teachers to implement best practice in classrooms
- Led school reform in government led initiatives
- Facilitated staff meetings in various schools across Melbourne
- Planned and implemented behaviour programs with the schools of the students in my classroom
- Worked as a Leveled Literacy Teacher-worked with students at risk in years 3- 6 area of the school
- Attended Parent Support Group meetings and planned in consultation with the various schools Individual Learning plans and Individual Behaviour Plans.
Literacy/ Learning and Teaching Leader
Werribee Melbourne Victoria
Werribee, Australia
01.1996 - 12.2007
- Provided feedback and modeled in classrooms best practice for Literacy, Inquiry and Maths
- Participated in workshops for Maths curriculum initiatives
- Collected and analyzed data to inform teaching and learning needs of the students
- Advised staff on best practices and instructional strategies.
- Led, implemented and evaluated change within the educational environment.
- Acted as principal in the absence of the Principal.
Deputy Principal, Special Needs Coordinator, Classroom Teacher
Auckland New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
01.1996 - 12.2007
- Facilitated school wide curriculum development and review
- Analyzed and collated whole school data to inform teachers' practice
- Monitored and led curriculum planning professional learning teams’ school wide
- Monitored pupil portfolios in Year 0-2
- Facilitated staff appraisals for teachers in the junior school
- Identified individual learning needs and abilities and applied for funding
- Developed Individual Education Plans for special needs children
- Facilitated appraisal of Teacher Aides.
- Demonstrated expertise in managing student behaviour effectively and positively
- Provided support and professional guidance to staff to improve pedagogical knowledge
- Led, implemented and continually evaluated change within the educational environment
- Collaborated with senior management team for the pastoral care of students, staff and parents.
- Assisted the Principal in developing school management policies and procedures.
- Managed the school in the absence of the Principal.
- Managed the running of the Reading Recovery Program.
Assistant Coordinator of the Manurewa Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) Primary and Intermediate (P-8)
Auckland New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
02.1999 - 12.2002
- Trained teachers and school leadership teams to establish, maintain and continuously improve a dynamic, engaging and challenging educational environment that fostered student and staff wellbeing.
- Implemented initiatives and interventions that fostered positive teaching and learning environments for students and staff, positively impacting community engagement.
- Collaborated with leadership teams to implement interventions for referred students and families.
- Facilitated professional development sessions for teachers and aides in literacy, numeracy, behaviour management, special needs, and cooperative skills, enhancing their instructional capabilities.
- Collaborated with class teachers to plan intervention programs to address the needs of a whole class, group or individual students.
- Worked and collaborated with a designated cluster of schools to establish operational procedures consistent with the agreed policies of the cluster committee and the needs of the school.
- Facilitated meetings for teachers, schools, parents and outside agencies on behaviour management and special needs to support school wide policy initiatives
- Implemented programs for students of diverse ethnic groups' needs and provided culturally appropriate services.
- Worked in collaboration with a range of specialist, professional agencies in supporting the student
- Presented parent information nights policy and procedures liaison person
- Presented quarterly statistical reports to cluster, Ministry, and Principals group, and submitted annual report with statistical analysis of activities to the Cluster Committee, informing data-driven decision making.
- Collaborated with and assisted the Coordinator in the effective functioning of the cluster
Project Early Teacher/Caseworker
Auckland New Zealand
Auckland, New Zealand
- Implemented relevant interventions based on observations, data collection, and meetings with teachers, referred child and families of referred child
- Provided support in the implementation of relevant interventions to ensure a successful outcome at completion of intervention
- Worked alongside all agencies involved with the family.
- Undertook professional development to become Triple P trained enabling effective observation of families and referred students
- Assessed, observed and charted student’s behaviour in the classroom environment, by using the on task/off task behaviour observation strategy
- Facilitated family group meetings enabling families to receive training and support on behaviour management strategies for children
Education
SPECIAL CERTIFICATE IN LITERACY LEADERSHIP -
Melbourne University
Melbourne, Victoria01-2012
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA: SPECIAL NEEDS: RESOURCE TEACHER -
Auckland University
New Zealand01-2001
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION -
Phillip Institute of Technology
Coburg, Australia01-1988
DIPLOMA OF EDUCATION -
Institute of Catholic Education
Ascot Vale, Australia01-1982
Skills
- Evidence-based instruction
- Student assessment
- Data analysis
- Curriculum development
- Professional learning
- Team collaboration
References
- Dr. Jane Wenlock, Learning Diversity Leader, Kolbe Catholic College, Greenvale, 0418176187, jwenlock@kolbecc.catholic.edu.au
- Linda Roynic, Retired Principal, Corpus Christi Werribee, Werribee, Victoria, 0418306296, lroynic@ccwerribee.catholic.edu.au
- Loretta Freeman, Deputy Principal, Corpus Christi Werribee, Werribee, Victoria, 0411775386, lfreeman@ccwerribee.catholic.edu.au
Professional Bio
I have been teaching for over 42 years. I have had many varied roles over the years and has worked in Australia, Melbourne, New Zealand in Auckland South and in the USA, working in New York, North Carolina, Sacramento and Pasadena. I have also taught a sessional course: Understanding and Managing Children with Challenging Behaviors at Monash University in Victoria, Australia. I have had various roles over the years. These include Literacy coach in USA and Melbourne, Intervention Literacy Teacher, classroom teacher, librarian, Special Needs Teacher, Deputy Principal, Behavior Consultant, Resource Teacher of Learning and Behavior, Literacy Coach and Curriculum leader in a mainstream school and a flexible learning school, I have taught all grade levels from Grades Prep to Year 8. My experience in Australia, US and New Zealand, as an educator over the past 40 years, has included the development and delivery of literacy, behavior, language and communication programs tailored to meet the individual and diverse needs of students and regional education providers in various cultural settings. Prior to gaining my role as a consultant in New York, I worked in the only school in Victoria to be certified as a restorative practices school. This school catered for students whose behavior, in the mainstream school, was challenging. The students attended this setting for 4 days a week where the focus was on identifying triggers for their behavior and then assisting the students in managing their behavior. One day a week the students attended their mainstream school where I supported the staff in ways to manage the student’s behavior. The aim of the school was to graduate these students successfully from the behavioral school into the mainstream setting, as well as professionally developing the staff on behavior management techniques.
Timeline
Intervention Teacher
Corpus Christi
01.2025 - Current
Tertiary Supervisor
ACU
01.2024 - Current
Wellbeing, Mental Health in Primary Schools and The Resilience Project Leader
St Fidelis Primary School
01.2024 - Current
Professional Development Provider
Teaching and Learning Network
03.2021 - Current
Learning and Diversity, Wellbeing Leader, Mental health Leader and Resilience Project Leader
St Fidelis Primary School
01.2021 - 12.2023
Learning Support Teacher
Kolbe Catholic College
07.2020 - 12.2020
Education Consultant: Literacy & Classroom Management
Generation Ready
10.2015 - 04.2020
Sessional Teacher
Monash University
04.2015 - 07.2021
Classroom Teacher/Learning and Teaching Leader/Outreach Teacher
Larmenier Special School
01.2012 - 12.2015
Assistant Coordinator of the Manurewa Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) Primary and Intermediate (P-8)
Auckland New Zealand
02.1999 - 12.2002
Literacy/ Learning and Teaching Leader
Werribee Melbourne Victoria
01.1996 - 12.2007
Deputy Principal, Special Needs Coordinator, Classroom Teacher
Auckland New Zealand
01.1996 - 12.2007
Project Early Teacher/Caseworker
Auckland New Zealand
SPECIAL CERTIFICATE IN LITERACY LEADERSHIP -
Melbourne University
POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA: SPECIAL NEEDS: RESOURCE TEACHER -
Auckland University
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION -
Phillip Institute of Technology
DIPLOMA OF EDUCATION -
Institute of Catholic Education