Idaho Arts Charter School
Marie McGrath - Academic Director

Hello! My name is Marie McGrath, and I am the Academic Director at IACS. To tell you a little about myself, I grew up in eastern Washington (Yakima Valley) and went to college at NNC. I am married to Lance and have two wonderful children—Danner, who will be a first grader at IACS, and Garrison, who is 3 years old. Some of my hobbies are paper crafts, writing, and working in my yard. I collect antique jewelry and vintage clothing. My family and I especially like to spend outdoor time in the woods. We are looking forward to tent camping and hiking this summer.

Professionally speaking, I have been a teacher for 10 years. I have my master’s degree in reading education and an endorsement in special education. I have presented work on critical literacy and emergent literacy at professional conferences as well as the university setting. I have also taught staff development courses on special education and cooperative learning. Most of my teaching experience has been with the Meridian School District.

In my classroom, I try to make learning relevant and fun. Integrating the subject areas and engaging students’ emotions in the learning process is key to developing a lifelong love of learning. For example, one of the projects that I did with my 4th graders this year was to have them cooperatively write a reader’s theater script that focused on the journey of Lewis and Clark. The students wrote individual lines as well as group chants that helped the audience envision not only what the Corps of Discovery saw on their journey, but on how they were feeling along the way.

I started this journey with IACS as a parent. In the age of high-stakes testing, I wanted to ensure that my own children received a well rounded education that helped them continue to be lifelong learners with an appreciation for and knowledge of the humanities. I am excited to now continue on this journey not only as a parent, but as a teacher.

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