Mia's Marketplace

I have taught public school K-12 special education for over 30 years and my content areas of expertise are history, science, reading, writing and photography. I am trained in a variety of phonics, interactive group, and whole group reading methods. Currently, I teach both self-contained remedial reading and in inclusive classes at the middle school level. In my district, most all special needs students attend inclusion in the general education class. I love making modified parallel units for our more challenged special education students so that they can remain in the class with their same age peers and benefit from the general education environment. I also create all of my materials with this in mind, providing modified versions of worksheets, assessments, and and hands on activities which makes prep so much easier for teachers!

When I meet a child for the first time, I try to get a sense of how they are feeling about school. As a special educator, I often have students who enter my class turned off by reading because it is difficult for them. My first task is to teach them that everyone has a smart part. Believing that one has a smart part is essential to making long-term progress. Making learning fun and enjoyable while building self-esteem is what I try to accomplish every day.

I have been named as WHRO's Technology Teacher of the Year. I have been named by the Yorktown Foundation on five occasions as a Outstanding Teacher for Successful School and Classroom grant writing. I was nominated as a division-wide trainer to train teachers in the area of collaborative skills and transformative learning. More recently, I have been designated as a trainer for project-based learning.

I earned my bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland, my master's degree in Special Education from Old Dominion University, VA and a second master's degree in Educational Technology Leadership from George Washington University, Washington, DC.

I love music and I play the alto and bass recorder. I am an avid wildlife photography buff and I also enjoy traveling. In addition, I have been a leader for middle school students traveling with the People to People program to Australia, France, Italy, and Malta. Teaching doesn't just begin and end with the core subjects, children everywhere need to learn an appreciation of the arts, and most importantly, each other.