Sharon Migdal believes in creating a positive and safe learning environment for her students so they can focus on higher-order thinking. While a research consultant at a private school in New York, she researched the middle school students’ intrinsic motivations for learning. She also piloted a social-emotional learning program for kindergarten through fifth-grade students. As a DEI task force member, she implemented new practices to uphold culturally responsive teaching so that all students can achieve their best. She’s excited to bring her energy and enthusiasm to KO.

After finishing her undergraduate degree at Tufts University, Samantha spent a year working as a teaching fellow at Phillips Exeter Academy, where she taught Latin, coached intramural squash, and lived in a girls’ dormitory. After her one-year internship at Exeter, she completed a two-year master’s degree program at UMass Amherst. Travel has been an essential part of her learning as both a student and a teacher. While at Tufts, she spent four months living in Athens and later lived in Rome for two months during the summer of 2015. “Both of these experiences shaped the way I approach my subject and the lessons in my classroom,” she said. Samantha enjoys being outside on hikes or bike rides, doing yoga, and reading books about the zombie apocalypse.