EduMinded NYC was founded by a New York City teacher who saw a need for personalized support for students who learn & think differently
Hi, I’m Megan.
I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I was always connecting with my teachers, but I wasn't the typical "good" student. I faced challenges with being "too talkative," "hard to follow" and "wordy" along with other learning challenges that made many classrooms difficult for me.
As a student, I often reworked assignments to make learning meaningful for me. I noticed that some assignments made more sense for my brain when I completed them another way instead of following the exact instructions. I could still show my teachers I understood the content and skills assessed, but it may have looked different than my peers’ work.
Looking back now, it’s clear to me that I’ve made this "reworking" process into a career. Only now, I’m doing it for my students, not for myself.
On paper, I am a classically trained progressive educator and school administrator. In reality, I've worn many hats in schools, including learning specialist, head teacher, associate teacher, camp director and many more.
Early in my career, I was fortunate to teach in high needs schools in Maryland (fourth grade). After two successful years, I was given the opportunity to move to New York City, where I started work at Lindamood-Bell (a reading and comprehension program I participated in as a student 15 years before!). I was awarded Clinician of the Year (NYC 2015) and saw the impact intentional teaching can make in a child's life.
It was at Lindamood-Bell that the experience I’d had as a student and my training as a clinician aligned, jumpstarting my excitement to support students through learning differences. I took a teaching position at The Spence School and then AltSchool in Brooklyn Heights. When AltSchool closed its doors, I was determined to find a new school where I could support students and teach in the way that each student learns best.
But my heart wasn’t in this job search.
Instead, I wrote down the parts of teaching I loved. My answers? Teaching students using many philosophies and strategies, building relationships with students and families, learning innovative teaching methods and research, and finally, providing honest information without bureaucratic limits.
Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that the traditional education system was flawed in its one-size-fits-all approach, and I felt I could make a bigger impact outside my role as a classroom teacher.
My purpose is to stand up for the students who learn differently. The students who are often overlooked, dismissed, or not believed because the traditional classroom isn't the best learning environment for them
I built EduMindedNYC for those students--and their families.
I’m thrilled to be in a position where my love for teaching is blended with a higher purpose: Helping students love learning as much as I love teaching!
Education
BA, Education and Psychology from American University (DC)
MSEd, School Leadership and Administration with a focus on Adult Development from Bank Street College (NY)
Post-Masters Certificate, Educational Therapy (University of California, Riverside)
Advanced Certifications & Training
Certified Classroom Teacher 1st-6th (DC, MD, FL)
Orton-Gillingham Trained from Institute for Multi-Sensory Education (IMSE) and Preventing Academic Failure Program (PAF Program)
KPMT, Kazdin Parent Management Training certified clinician (Yale)
Gesell Developmental Observation-Revised (GDO-R) 2.5-9-year-olds Level 1 Examiner (Yale)
Lindamood-Bell Seeing Stars certified
Lindamood-Bell Visualizing and Verbalizing certified
2015 Winner of the Tri-State Clinician of the Year by Lindamood-Bell