Biografía

¡ Hola! I'm Meg; I teach Spanish at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines, Iowa exclusively with Comprehensible Input and TPRS strategies while embracing an ever-changing need to provide a welcoming, inclusive, supportive classroom. 

I am passionate about all things middle school and regularly educate teachers through conferences, workshops and my own mentoring group (which regularly teaches ME a lot as well). 

I am the 2017 Iowa World Language Teacher of the Year and help organize the Comprehensible Iowa conference as Chair of Graphics and Social Media. 

Proudly, I have co-founded Experiencia Colombia with Craig Klein Dexemple- an immersive, hybrid workshop for Spanish teachers that focuses on wellness, teaching skills, Spanish immersion and cultural exposure all while supporting the local economy and experts in Bochalema, Colombia. 

My passion is to support teachers and cultivate effective, joyful classrooms. Teacher wellbeing is crucial and I am dedicated to helping you NOT burn out of teaching. You are important. We need quality teachers in the classroom now. Don´t give up; ask for support. 

Teaching, Presenting, Training Experiences

2023

Classroom Management Hands-on Workshop, Ho-Chunk Nation Teacher Training

Teacher Well-Being Guided Conversation, Comprehensible Iowa (Gilbert, IA) 

Teacher Well-Being Guided Conversation, Practical and Comprehensible (Online with La Libre Learning)

Co-Founded Experiencia Colombia (1st retreat June 2024, Bochalema, Colombia)

2022

• Fostering Empathy and Building Relationships through CI Basics (Circling, TPR and Personalizing Materials), Comprehensible Midwest (Milwaukee, WI) 

• Middle School Exploratory Lead Teacher, Des Moines Public Schools (2022-2024)

• 3 CI Basics Hands-on Presentation, Comprehensible Iowa (Gilbert, IA)

• Fostering Empathy and Relationships through Proficiency Building Activities, Kansas World Language Association Conference (Manhattan, Kansas) 

• Feliz como una lombriz extra actor, Spanish Cuentos Music Video, Bochalema, Colombia

2021

• Mentor with Meg - a bi-weekly small support group of French and Spanish teachers

• Bringing Culture Alive, Comprehensible Iowa (online)

2020

• Exploratory and Heritage Spanish Teacher, Merrill Middle School Des Moines Public schools

2018

• Building a Proficiency Based Program, Co-presenters Melissa Newell and Stacey Wigant, Comprehensible Iowa (Nevada, Iowa) 

2014

• Spanish Teacher, all Levels K-12 and concurrent enrollment college course, Van Meter, Iowa

• Established a proficiency-based Spanish program to increase student numbers (2014-2020)

2013

• North American Culture and English Teacher,  Pontepedriña (ESO and Bachillerato level courses) 2013-2014 

• English Tutor, Opus Dei Community Center

2009-2011

• Scaffolding for Acquisition: Organizing your unit activities,  Co-Presented with Alexia Guillois (French teacher), Asia-Pacific International Schools World Language Conference, Incheon, Korea 

• Masters in Spanish Literature, La Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (via University of Northern Iowa)

  • Hosted a "Think-Pair-Share" amoung Master´s students simultaneously teaching/studying

• IB Spanish Teacher, Seoul Foreign School, South Korea

  • Mentor-Mentee Training Program participant; intensive trainer for new-to-career teachers with no previous experience

2008-2009

• Spanish, ESL and Dance Teacher, Learning Foundation and Performing Arts Charter School, Alta Mesa, Arizona 

2007-2008

• 1st year teacher take-aways, Nebraska International Language Association Conference

• Spanish 1 teacher, Northwest High School, Omaha Public Schools

2006

• Spanish Degree, Secondary Education License, Iowa State University, Cum Laude