Michael Gorman

Michael Gorman

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, I received my Bachelor’s Degree in English with a concentration in American Poetry from SUNY at Buffalo.

In 2007 I shuffled off from Buffalo and found myself in the Big Apple where I landed a job working in the main office of the Diller-Qualie School of Music. It was there I found my love and passion for teaching as I was quickly called to work in the Outreach Program as an assistant music teacher. From there I began teaching Afterschool and Summer Camp at the Little Red School House in the West Village where I was immersed in progressive education, project based learning and empowering children to create their own education. As my passion increased I began taking on more responsibilities as I regularly substituted in Pre-K, Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms. During that time I continued to work in the Afterschool program, which was full of art, science, language arts, cooking and physical education. These experiences have shaped my teaching philosophy by showing me the value of children’s ideas with regards to curriculum, the importance of knowing a child’s interests and needs, and using that information to develop a school environment for them to be successful in.

In 2011 my beautiful fiancé Natalie and I left the big city for the calm retreat of the Hill Country. At this point I began my graduate studies at Texas State in San Marcos where I am currently working towards my Masters in Elementary Education. Throughout the first year of my studies I had the privilege to work as a Graduate Assistant with various professors. During that time I worked as the Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Children’s Literature and an assistant Supervisor with the Inquiry and Play Workshop in San Marcos.

When I am not teaching, doing research, or reading mountains of education books, I enjoy writing and producing my own music, a hobby and passion that has been with me for most of my life. Also I enjoy swimming, drawing/painting and cooking.

Natalie and I currently live in the cozy town of San Marcos with our crazy mini- dachshund Olive and our ever grumpy cat Tobias, where we try to jump in the river and hike the trails as often as we can. Also I am excited to announce that on September 29th 2012, Natalie and I will officially be wed at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden in Austin.

I am so proud and excited to be joining the Eco-School community and I anticipate great fun, laughter and learning this upcoming year!

May Fest and Village Mini Fair

Saturday, May 18th, 2 pm

EcoSchools’ annual May Fest is all set to be loads of fun and the Village Mini Fair just always is!

Come make a *Peep (a what?!) and take it for a whirl on the miniature Ferris wheel.
Or, if your Peep is feeling very adventurous, take off on the Bubble Blaster – always a wild ride and a hoot!  Or go the Peep Disco Dance Hall, or the zip line race course, or the Whirling Fan of Doom (sure to big a hit with the hard core thrill seekers!) – or, well, the list just goes on and on….

Perhaps your Peep is a little more low key, more of a shopper than a thrill seeker – well then, take it on the tour of Peep Homes or to the Village Market and see what simply cannot be lived without! Peep hats, shawls and shoes, pets and exotic animals from far and wide, dishes, tools, furnishings and more.

In addition to the Village Mini Fair we have live youth music groups, food, various “green” info stalls and a fun activities for the kids.

* A Peep is a 3″ tall doll with huge ideas, plans and ambitions and they just LOVE the Village Mini Fair, where everything is just their size and they can really “let their hair down”!

Y’all come on down for a rip roarin’ good time!

NOW ENROLLING

We are accepting enrollment for the Fall 2013-Spring 2014 school year for ages 5-14. You can download the application packet from the enrollment page.

ALT-ED AUSTIN ARTICLE ON VILLAGE DAY

AltEd Austin has a great article on Austin EcoSchool’s Village Day!

GROWINTOGETHER

GrowinTogether Afternoon Enrichment Program fuses the creative arts with permaculture in a group-centered, democratically-structured environment. Program includes physical activity, movie-making, gardening, carpentry, cooking, Urban Explorer field trips and more! Activities run 3:45-6pm Monday through Friday with mixed-income youth aged 5-14 on the EcoSchool Campus. Space is limited, enroll today! Learn more

Growing Up. Growing in. Growing Together. Cultivating our youth to grow a beautiful, sustainable world.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY AS TO STUDENTS

Austin Ecoschool admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

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