Anne Marie McNichol, Special Education Teacher

Anne Marie Mc Nichol, reading support teacher, came to Green Woods in September 2005 with a diverse background in education and social work. From1997 to 2005 she worked at Norwood-Fontbonne Academy as the learning support teacher. In her capacity there, she coordinated and facilitated the process of meeting the needs of struggling students and those with learning disabilities. Another aspect of her job was helping students learn to read. In order to best meet students' needs she received training in various researched-based programs that help students increase their reading skills. The Lindamood-Bell LIPs program and the Wilson Language System target the skills that are the building blocks of reading and spelling words. The Lindamood-Bell programs: Seeing Stars and Visualizing and Verbalizing further develop these skills and increase students’ reading comprehension skills in a variety of ways. Anne Marie received her Level I Certification as a Wilson Reading Program Instructor in 2007.

Her other experiences in education include: five years as a classroom teacher for fifth and sixth graders: two years in Lancaster and three years in North Philadelphia. Miss McNichol was the social worker in a center-based early intervention program for Ken-Crest from 1994 to 1996. She is a graduate of Rosemont College and has an MSW from Temple University. Anne Marie was honored in the 2005-2006 edition of "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" for high academic excellence, community leadership, and positive performance.

As a social worker Anne Marie had the privilege of advocating for and establishing a residence for women with severe and persistent mental illness who were homeless. She worked at Women of Hope for seven years. In her spare time Miss McNichol likes to walk, read, and listen to many different types of music.

Teaching at Green Woods Charter School is a privilege and an adventure. It is a privilege because it is such a unique school. It focuses on environmental education and parental involvement. The teachers and staff are creative and dedicated. The students are enthusiastic and friendly. The parents truly want the best for their children, and thus for the school. It is an adventure because it is still a "new" school. This challenges me to be open to new and different ways of doing things. It isn't always easy, but I grow both personally and professionally as I encounter unexplored territory.

Care for our environment has always been important to me. Teaching in a school that emphasizes environmental education matches my values. As the reading teacher I work with students in an area of weakness, thus it is marvelous that they can teach me things about the environment that I do not know. I am able to incorporate this knowledge into my work with them and we both benefit.  Parental involvement is key to the success of any school, however it is also challenging because we all have various opinions and views about how things should be done. Green Woods tries to embrace this challenge by holding town meetings and having an active Home and School Committee. 

The "newness" of the school allows for growth and development in all areas. This is where the talented team of educators with whom I work truly shines. Teachers are constantly refining the work they do with students to keep it interesting and engaging. This is no easy task!  The students are the heart of Green Woods. They make all the hard work worthwhile. When I started at Green Woods, the students were welcoming and friendly. This helped put me at ease. In my role as reading support teacher I am often in the role of asking students to do the thing that is most difficult for them to do. I am encouraged by the determination, humor, and inquisitiveness the students bring to their work. I am lucky to have found Green Woods Charter School.

Each day is a new day of exploration and discovery as we challenge each other to provide the best possible learning environment for our students.

Remaining true to our spirit of innovation, our amazing staff continues to take teaching and learning to a whole new level. Working in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Education our teachers, themselves, developed our K-8 award-winning EIC Curriculum which engages our students in integrated learning experiences that span all disciplines. Utilizing the outdoors as a classroom encourages our team to find innovative ways to mesh our indoor program with the real environment. Providing our students with multi-sensory experiences make learning come alive!

Years ago I earned my graduate degree by utilizing the outdoors as a laboratory for learning. It is so rewarding to now spend time observing our students as they explore and discover new things while interacting with the outdoors in a way that very few students get to do.

The Department of Education challenges Charter Schools to be innovative and to serve as models for traditional public schools. Through the development and implementation of an innovative, standards-based curriculum, and by using sound instructional practices, our teachers have not only met that challenge but far exceeded the expectations of both the School District of Philadelphia and the State Department of Education. It is extremely rewarding to be part of such a dynamic staff and to work in this student-centered learning environment. We are constantly re-examining what we do and how we do it.