Hello and thank you for stopping by my page! My name is Ms. Merideth and this is my 5th year as a Special Education teacher here at CVPA. My classroom is room 313, but I work all around the building with a lot of different students, so the best way to reach me is by email. This year, I am excited to be teaching all three self-contained study skills classes and Co-Teaching in the English and Math department with Ms. Schuh and Ms. Rench. 

A little about me as a human: I am a CVPA alumn and the second oldest of 11 siblings.  When I'm not traveling to visit my very spread out family, I'm an avid board gamer, baker, and a burgeoning writer. I'm happy to call St. Louis my home after moving every year or two with my military parents.

A little about me as a teacher: Did you know that the word school comes from the ancient Greek word "scholē" which means leisure? I learned this fun fact during my advanced master's program at Truman State University where I earned my Bachelor's of English, Masters of Education, and psychology and Spanish minors. It has stuck with me all these years though, because it captures one of the core tenets of my philosophy as a teacher: that learning should be enjoyable! That is why I am one of the gamification teachers here at CVPA. Gamified learning is an educational approach that uses game design elements to enhance the learning experience and motivate students. It involves incorporating elements like quests, escape room activities, points, and challenges into learning activities, leveraging the motivational power of games to increase student engagement, improve knowledge retention, and foster a positive attitude towards learning. Ask your students about the most recent review game or their planner check racers.

I ground my educational policies and procedures in the research and best practices of Growth Mindset, Conscious Discipline, Love and Logic, and Zone of Proximal Development. In my own words it is: all students want to be loved and successful; if they are not doing that, it is most often because they lack the skills, knowledge, or support to do so. I do not believe in "bad kids" or "dumb kids," but I do believe in poor choices. I work hard to help empower my students to reflect on how their choices affect their outcomes, instill the confidence that they are capable of achieving whatever they set their mind to, and provide them with the skills, tools, and support to help them achieve anything they set their mind to. 

I look forward to working with you and your students in the 25-26 school year!