Introductions

[Andrew Garcia]

Please take a moment to introduce yourself and add any information about you/your involvement as an Educator/Educational Institution in Berkshire County.

[Karen Fisher]

Presently I run a small,volunteer nonprofit called Center for Holistic Instruction. CHI is primarily devoted to improving the lives of promising youth affected by parental drug/alcohol addiction. One in four children in America are exposed to active substance misuse in the home, but caring adults can intervene, serve as role models, and make a difference in the lives of these children.

Karen Fisher said:

I'm a mother of five - four sons and one daughter. Motherhood is my calling, but I am also an alternative teacher with certification in Health. My favorite teaching job was at Indian River Charter High School, where in 1998, our core team of amazing professionals started the first and only Charter High School in Indian River County, Florida. I developed the Life Skills department and created and taught courses on Nutrition & Health (Food as Medicine), Women's Issues, Personal Finance (Psychology of Money) & Creative Writing. I hosted the Prom and hauled in a demolished car which had been involved in a near-fatal drunk driving accident, and parked it by the entrance to our school. I started the Charter Youth Volunteer Corps, and I was voted "Most Caring and Understanding Teacher of the Year."

My second favorite teaching job was at the only juvenile state prison in Florida, paid to teach GED prep to thirty convicted felons, ages 14-19. The real work I did was in character ed and social/emotional ed, developing lessons on anger management (Walking Meditation, Feelings through Art), forgiveness (Anatomy of Hate, Street Peace Protocol), advocacy (instruction on writing letters to the editor regarding restoration of voting rights for ex-felons), in addition to basic tutoring in math, language arts and reading. (Sample Essay topic: Does it take more courage to retaliate or to forgive?) I learned a lot about humanity working in prison.

My hobbies include singing, baking, cooking, scuba diving and hiking. I plan to go ziplining with my kids as soon as I can afford it!

[Maureen Viner]

The center is on Route 8 and Brooker Hill Rd in the town of Becket.

Lisa M. Provencher said:

Sounds like a great place-Where is the Becket Arts Center located? I don't see directions on the website.

Maureen Viner said:

I am currently a para for CBSRD but I work at Pittsfield High, one-to-one with a student from Dalton. My summer job is as an adminstrative coordinator for the Becket Arts Center. The center has some really incredible offerings for children and adults. Visit www.becketartscenter.org for more info.

[K. Meagan Ledendecker]

Hello to all. Three years ago my husband and I started The Montessori School of the Berkshires. I am the lead elementary teacher at the school, as well as the Educational Administrator. I've been honored to have collaborated in the past with Lisa Provencher and Shawn Serre (both on this forum . . . hello to you both!) on various projects during my freelancing and Pittsfield Public Schools days. So nice to have this venue. Thanks, Andrew for setting up this space. The Howard Gardner lecture was affirming and inspiring.

[John McComish]

Teach 8th grade Social Studies and am a Special Ed Liaison at Nessacus Regional Middle School. I am in my 6th year at NRMS. Before teaching 8th grade, developed and was the lead teacher for three years in a substantially seperate behavioral classroom called the PAL program. Other experience at Nessacus includes student teaching, substituting, para, ESL tutor and last but not least, 6th grade SS teacher/sped liaison.
Am a mid career changer and prior to teaching managed college bookstores for 12 unfulfilling years in Phoenix, AZ. Never in my wildest dreams had planned on living in in New England or teaching.
However, after visiting my sister in the Berks during the summer of 03, in quick order, I gave away furnishings to charity, sold my car, bought my Aunt's 195k mile minivan for $1 and moved to Williamstown.
My aim was to get married, have kids, buy a house, ski, make a difference in kids lives and be of service to my fellows. My service at Nesacuss has enabled me to do all these things and am particularly devoted to this school.

[Mary O'Donnell]

I teach U.S. History I to 9th graders. Yes, I have freshmen. All. Day. Long. What I like about them is that they are too big to be little and too little to be big. They come to the high school and aren't the tallest ones on the block anymore. I like to think that I can provide that security they need when they suddenly forget where their lockers are.

9th grade is the first step of the last phase of success in high school. Skills and strategies are learned, honed and refined. We put the veneer on the hard work that came before us.

Personally, I am interested in animal rescue, especially German Shepherd rescue, winning against Mother Nature in the garden and, when there's time, designing and creating in knit and crochet. Oh, yah, and then there's the convertible ...

I'd like to see a section/forum/thread that deals with things we might be looking for. For example, I am looking for an picture I know I saw at one time of an old house with "G.T.T." on it or on the fence in front. But can I find it? No. And perhaps we could offer gems that we find to help out in any given discipline. Any takers, history folks?

[Andrew Garcia]

Good idea for a Forum topic, Mary.
You can add it here: http://berkshireeducation.ning.com/forum