Margaret R. Matthews

State:

Pennsylvania

Testimonial from a participant:

Margaret's classes are always relaxed and entertaining while being informative and full of ideas that I can use immediately in my classroom.

— SG, Monroeville

PLS courses I teach:

• Learning to Read: Beginning Reading Instruction™
• Meaningful Activities to Generate Interesting Classrooms™
• PRIDE™ (Professional Refinements in Developing Effectiveness)
• Project TEACH™ (Teacher Effectiveness and Classroom Handling)
• Purposeful Learning Through Multiple Intelligences®
• Reading to Learn: Comprehension Instruction™
• Successful Teaching for Acceptance of Responsibility®
• Teaching the Skills of the 21st Century®
• Teaching Through Learning Channels™
• Parent-Teacher Conferencing™
• Strategies for Cooperating Teachers™

Years with PLS:

Since 1998

Why I love teaching PLS courses:

The teaching of PLS courses allows me to continue to touch the minds of students by providing new and innovative ideas to their teachers and by encouraging the professional dialogue which all educators crave.

Education:

• Bachelor of Arts in Education, University of Akron
• Masters of Education in Reading, Edinboro University

Teaching Experience:

• 7/8 Science and Math — 1 year
• Phys Ed 7/8 — 1 year
• 2nd — 5 years
• 3rd — 2 years
• 5/6 — 2years
• 7-9th reading — 5 years
• 9-12th reading — 5 years
• K-4 Title 1 Reading/Math Specialist — 13 years

Related experience, recognition, awards, etc.:

• I coached Girls track for 15 years (Gateway Schools-Monroeville PA)
• I was the HS/Jr Yearbook sponsor for 7 years (Gateway Schools- Monroeville PA)
• I organized and ran the BLAST after school program 5 years (Gateway Schools- Monroeville PA)
• I author/co-authors several curriculums while at Gateway

What I love most about teaching:

I have just retired after 32 years of teaching. It has been a difficult transition leaving a job that I have loved for so long.

My favorite moment in teaching:

Several years ago a mother approached me with her little girl who was entering school. The mom brought her up to introduce her to me. She said, "Susie, you listen to Mrs. Matthews she taught me how to read when no one else could. I want her to help you too before too much time goes by."