Nikolette McAndrew
Welcome to my portfolio!
​
Hi! My name is Nikolette McAndrew! I studied at Hope College, where I majored in education and minored in dance. I also hold an endorsement in Special Education with a focus on Emotional Impairments.
​
I bring together my love for teaching, movement, and student growth to create engaging learning experiences, and I’m excited to share my work with you!
​
About Me
I am an only child, and my family has always been an important part of who I am. I grew up in Fenton, Michigan, and I attended Powers Catholic High School in Flint, MI, where I was an active member of the dance team.
For seven years, I trained as a competitive dancer and spent five years as a teacher’s assistant. These experiences strengthened both my discipline and my love for working with students. Dance has always been a passion of mine, and the years I spent teaching confirmed how deeply I value helping others learn and grow.
Why Special Education?
​
I have had the amazing opportunity to babysit a little girl with Down Syndrome for the past 7 years. I have been able to see her grow in amazing ways, and spending time with her fills me with joy. I had the honor of teaching her dance in my senior year of high school. I love seeing her grow more and more every time I see her. This amazing young lady has taught me so much about myself, and she is the reason I am going into special education.
Classroom Experiences
Here are my most recent evaluations from my clinical experiences & recommendation letters from my student teaching!
Tomek Eastern Elementary
Spring 2025
"Nikolette has been an amazing student teacher who has gone above and beyond. She's been working in a classroom with some of the hardest students and learning to manage adult para-professionals at the same time. She's taken on each challenge and done wonderfully with it. Seeing her grow more in her confidence with her decisions and her follow-through has been great. She will be a huge asset to a school district!"
​
"Nikolette is always positive in her interactions with the students; she tailors the work to their ability levels and also interests. She always chats with students in a meaningful way and lets them know she knows they can do more than they think they can. By tailoring work to their interests, they are doing more and more work."
West Shore Elementary
Fall 2025
Pinewood Elementary
Spring 2025
"The classroom Nikolette worked in consisted of 5 special education students in a resource room setting with a variety of disabilities (EI, OHI, ASD). She also participated in the first-grade general education classroom as well as a fifth-grade small math group."
​
"Nikolette came in on extra days, stayed longer, and was truly interested in each of the students' education and well-being."
​
"Nikolette establishes and maintains professional interactions with colleagues by introducing herself to anyone she isn't familiar with, talks to staff as though she has known them, and really cares about the paraprofessionals and teachers that she works with."
​
"Nikolette engages students by redirecting them and keeping them motivated by reminding them of rewards as well as expectations."
​
"Nikolette goes above and beyond to help students feel that they are working hard and doing their best. She gives constant praise while they are on task."
​
"Nikolette addresses student behavior by utilizing positive talk, positive stars on the student's paper, and green tickets when expected behavior is happening."
Bentheim Elementary
Fall 2024
"Nikolette encourages students to explain their thinking by using sentence stems such as 'tell me more' or 'show me your thinking' to allow students to share their thinking with her and with their peers."
​
"After teaching, Nikolette would consistently share her reflections with me. She would consider parts of the lesson where the learners were engaged and learning, and could point to evidence to support their learning. She would also engage in reflecting on a part of the lesson that did not go as expected. Nikolette would ask for my input on strategies that she could use in the future. I found Nikolette's reflection of her teaching to be exceptional and will have a profound impact on her teaching as she moves forward."
Lesson Plans
Inside The Classroom
Step into the classroom with me!
Notes from my students truly fill my cup! I have collected drawings and letters from students over the years, and each one reminds me why I love teaching.
​
I had the honor to teach at Art For All in Holland, MI. Art for All is a creative program for special-needs students offered through the Holland Area Arts Council. It is an amazing environment for artistic expression, social connection, and confidence-building. Art For All also allowed me to teach private dance lessons with two of my students. Seeing them grow over the course of my time there was truly a rewarding experience.
Here are some pictures from my time there!
I love giving my students the space to simply be kids, and I hope to create meaningful memories that they can look back on with gratitude when they grow up.