Staff Spotlights

If your classroom had a theme song, what would it be, and why did you choose it? 

Why So Serious by Alice Merton  I take education seriously, but with a good dose of laughter. 

 

What's the most unusual or interesting item on your desk or in your classroom? 

I have a plexiglass cube with a small...

For June's Staff Spotlight, we are excited to get to know Michelle Clinton, our High School Reading Tutor.

What were you like as a student?

As a student in grade school, high school, college, and graduate school, I was quiet but hardworking. I did not learn quickly or easily.  I was responsible and had a really good work ethic though and spent a lot of time after school and courses completing my homework and studying.  My commitment and perseverance resulted in good grades and perfect attendance awards, even an award for perfect attendance in college (haha).  I was very fortunate to have friends and family to help push and support me all along the way.

Where were you before LPS?

Before I came to LPS 22 years ago, I worked as a teacher assistant in an elementary Cross Age Program in the Hudson Public Schools. I worked alongside three very experienced teachers and learned a lot through observation of their very different but effective teaching styles.  Additionally, I worked as an assistant teacher in a Montessori School in Framingham for some time. I was curious to learn about and see various methods of teaching in place firsthand before venturing out on my own.   

What is your favorite part of being an educator?

My most favorite part of being an educator is

Where were you before you came to LPS? 

Before LPS, I was working on multidisciplinary interprofessional grant funded program called Project Career. The program provided assistive technology, academic and vocational supports to college students with traumatic brain injuries. I worked on that grant for the 5 years it was funded while I attended OT school at night. Project Career was an opportunity I am so grateful for; I got to join an amazing team to build a program that ended up being very successful. I learned a TON, worked with truly incredible clients, got experience with research and publishing, and my years with Project Career solidified that OT was the best fit for me professionally. Working with such a great team also solidified that WHO you work with is super important - and the staff and team at LPS is one of the many things that drew me to work here!

What made you want to be an OT?

I always knew I wanted to work in the health field, but I actually didn’t know much about occupational therapy. When I finished undergrad, I was working in adult mental health. One day my supervisor said to me, “you know, you should really be an OT”. I started researching and I found that occupational therapy addresses people’s physical needs but also the vital importance of people’s psychological and emotional well-being to enhance participation and quality of life. I mean, when you read that…who wouldn’t want to be an OT!? Every place I had an educational fieldwork placement or have worked, I have loved the role of OT. 

For this month's Teacher Spotlight, we're getting to know Matt Ferrara, one of our Middle School Science teachers.

What is your favorite part of being an educator?
Kids are natural scientists. They see the world through a lens that is still largely unbent by social and intellectual conformity. As a result of my students’ raw, unblemished curiosity, I learn new things every day. For example, a student recently asked me how fast chimpanzees could run. I certainly didn’t know off the top of my head, so we found out. And now I don’t think I’ll ever forget that chimpanzees can run up to 25 mph. 

What keeps you motivated?
I’ve had jobs where I’ve come home at the end of a long day and asked myself, “Did I do anything that mattered today?” or “What good did I do today?” I never ask that question at LPS. All I have to do is look at the students in my class and my sense of purpose crystalizes.

Where were you before you came to LPS?

Before Learning Prep, I worked in Boston at an Insurance company for 13 years. Once I had my children, I wanted to be home with them, so I opened a small childcare program in my home. After about 3 years, I took the position at Learning Prep via a friend’s recommendation. I quickly realized my passion for Early Education. The added benefit of working with H.S. students has made this a very rewarding career for me at LPS.

What is your favorite part of being an educator? 

Every day is a new experience. Morning greetings and hugs from the children are always a wonderful way to start the day, but seeing a smile on a H.S. student’s face when interacting with the children is priceless!

Where were you before you came to LPS?

Before Learning Prep, I worked in Boston at an Insurance company for 13 years. Once I had my children, I wanted to be home with them, so I opened a small childcare program in my home. After about 3 years, I took the position at Learning Prep via a friend’s recommendation. I quickly realized my passion for Early Education. The added benefit of working with H.S. students has made this a very rewarding career for me at LPS.

What is your favorite part of being an educator? 

Every day is a new experience. Morning greetings and hugs from the children are always a wonderful way to start the day, but seeing a smile on a H.S. student’s face when interacting with the children is priceless!

Where were you before you came to LPS?

I was a Horticultural Specialist at Seven Hills Foundation in Worcester for 8 years.  In this role,  I taught horticultural activities to adults with intellectual, sensory, and physical challenges.  Prior to that employment, I taught Horticulture for 20 years to students in public schools.

What made you want to be a teacher?

The summer after my senior year of high school, I taught vegetable gardening to young children at Camp Middlesex, in Ashby, MA.  This was a positive experience and I shared this with my former high school horticulture teachers. After I graduated from college,  the high school horticulture program that I had attended was being phased out. One teacher retired, so my first year of teaching was with my other former horticulture teacher.  The next year, he retired and I taught the last class of horticulture students at Assabet Valley Regional Technical H.S. by myself.  This is how I got started in teaching.

Where were you before you came to LPS?

Most recently, I taught in the special education department at Somerville High School for 3 years. It was there that I began to transition from teaching English as a Second Language to teaching mathematics. 

 What made you want to be an educator?

I have always been interested in social justice, and I really feel like a strong education can help. I had a lot of great experiences in high school (tutoring and volunteering in an after school program for students with social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties), as well as college (tutoring, Teacher Education Program at Holy Cross, and student teaching in Worcester). These experiences were all fantastic and solidified my goal of working in education.