Teacher Feature of the Week: Mrs. McGoldrick

We sat down with Technology and STREAM teacher Mrs. McGoldrick for this week's visit to the Teacher's Lounge!

What class do you teach?

I teach two specials: Technology and STREAM!

What is your favorite thing to do outside of the classroom?

Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do (my husband and two daughters). With them, I like fine arts, graphic design, making family videos, documenting events and vacations, singing, cooking, eating, nutrition, hiking, and indoor rock climbing. We also are very festive and enjoy hosting for holidays. As of recently, I have been dealing with a pretty serious addiction to thrift shopping (kidding but not kidding) and through that, I discovered a love for restoring old furniture through mosaicking. You may be unpleasantly surprised about how similar plaster is to pancake batter!

What is something students would be surprised to learn about you?

Students might be surprised that I was into CrossFit for a while and even ‘accidentally’ joined a weightlifting competition. The invitation said “Comp” which I thought meant ‘Free’ but it ended up being an abbreviation for the word ‘Competition.’ I was second to last place but didn’t give up! In CrossFit, I deadlifted more than my body weight, but then again, ants can lift about 20 times their body weight! 

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is to teach the whole student, not just academically but socially, emotionally (get them in a good mood) and even physically. Physically is very important because you can’t learn if you’re thirsty, hungry, or tired. Also, movement gets the brain working too. I also think that all different learning styles need to be considered.

What is one thing a teacher said or did that resonated with you?

One thing a teacher did that resonated with me was teaching me about different learning styles, helping me to realize that there was nothing ‘wrong’ with me academically. I was homeschooled until middle school and struggled tremendously in 7th grade (my first full year in school). I thought I wasn’t smart. I struggled until college with thinking that way until I got onto the Dean's list at HFU, won a couple awards for essay contests, and even helped my university get an in- person Q&A scheduled with the author of our textbook. After hearing about learning styles, I realized that my successes weren't just luck and that the success will continue; I just needed to learn mostly kinesthetically, visually, and musically versus some of the other methods delivered to me.

Who has influenced you most as an educator?

Howard Gardner with his multiple intelligences theory!

What is the most recent book you read?

The books I enjoy reading the most are about religion or nutrition but the most recent book I have been cracking open at my dining room table is actually an enormous book: The World Atlas! I even lugged it to the beach once to read even though it was bigger than the beach ball and VERY heavy. As a kid, I had a difficult time with geography but as an adult, I am becoming more and more interested in exploring the world through maps. Thank you Lord for the world to explore!

What is your favorite quote/saying?

My favorite tech quote: “Take the time to find a shortcut.” I thought I was the one who originally said this quote but after Googling it, I learned that I am not the only one so I won’t take the credit. The quote isn’t to inspire laziness, it’s to cause creative thinking to make improvements.

Mrs. McGoldrick lives in Langhorne and holds a Masters in Teaching and Curriculum from Drexel University.