Staff Spotlights

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.

What do you do at LPS?
I'm one of the middle school social studies teachers, teaching classes of 5th, 6th, and 7th graders. I also run the after school Dungeons and Dragons club along with science teacher, Matt Ferrara.

Where were you before you came to LPS?
I've been working in education for 12 years now. For the last 5 years before joining LPS I was working as a history, math, and life skills teacher in residential and therapeutic programs. 

What do you do at LPS?
My main role at LPS is the art teacher. I teach students from both middle and high school. I try to help every student find their love of creativity and self expression. I am also the After School Coordinator and create the yearbook for the Middle School.

What do you do at LPS?
I am a Language Arts / Reading teacher in the Middle School! This is my 5th year at LPS, and for my first 3 years, I taught math!

Where were you before you came to LPS?
Before LPS, I worked at a private special education school in Potomac, Maryland.