A fourth generation Woodland native, Woodland Prairie Elementary School teacher Megan Thompson grew up attending Zamora Elementary, Douglass Middle and Woodland High School.
Thompson went on to attend Woodland Community College with the goal of becoming a teacher, however after she had her kids she decided to switch gears. In order to focus on raising her children, Thompson got a degree in medical billing and coding from Western Career College.
"I was still young, I had my kids and I wanted to get something that was a little quicker and that I could maybe even do from home while they were growing up," Thompson explained.
However, after years of working in an office, Thompson decided she had had enough.
"I realized I didn't like working in an office," Thompson said. "So I went back to following my original pursuit of becoming a teacher."
After moving back to California following living out of state for a year, Thompson took the plunge, re-enrolling at Woodland Community College to earn her associate's degree before transferring to Sacramento State to receive her bachelor's in child development and teaching credential.
Now in her tenth year, Thompson has spent the entirety of her teaching career at Woodland Prairie Elementary School. Although interested in teaching third grade due to her time as a student teacher, Thompson was initially hired on to teach sixth grade where she spent seven years.
"I was hired on with an amazing team and really enjoyed those years that I did spend in sixth grade," Thompson emphasized. "Then COVID happened and we were teaching online for a year and it was really difficult, especially with sixth grade. The teaching partner that I had worked with for a majority of my years was retiring so that was kind of like an opportunity to try something new so that was when I decided to move grade levels just to feel it out and for a change."
Thompson said she focuses on making her classroom a safe place for all students, doing her best to make sure her teaching is accessible to all.
"My students range from all different levels and have all different needs," Thompson explained. "I just want to make sure that my classroom is a space where they feel welcome and comfortable and they feel like they can open up, talk and where they feel like they can be their best selves.
"That's one of our rules that we came up with in the classroom. It's always to make sure that we're doing our personal best and knowing that their personal best is not the same as the person sitting right next to them and that's okay."
Principal of Woodland Prairie Kelly Schevenin described Thompson as an "invaluable leader" who "creates a classroom environment that is both supportive and challenging."
"Her patience shines through as she takes the time to understand each student's individual needs and learning styles," Schevenin said. "She fosters a sense of inclusivity and promotes a positive learning atmosphere where students feel encouraged to take risks and ask questions."
Schevenin also praised Thompson's teaching style, applauding her ability to create a sense of stability in her classroom through clear expectations for behavior and academic performance while also making her lessons engaging for students.
"She infuses creativity and enthusiasm into her lessons, capturing students' attention and fostering a genuine love for learning," Schevenin emphasized. "She incorporates engaging activities and hands-on experiences. She works closely with her grade-level colleagues to develop engaging units of study."
In addition to all of her teaching responsibilities, Thompson also serves on the PLC Guiding Coalition which is the leadership team for Prairie and acts as an induction mentor for new teachers, providing guidance and support to help them thrive in their roles.
Thompson is also part of the District Site Leadership Academy or DSLA this year to assist with the PROMESA Grant. Project PROMESA works to systematically strengthen and deepen multilingual and multicultural instructional models for teachers and administrators to support English learners.
"Mrs.Thompson is always willing to help others, whether that be her colleagues, families, students, paraprofessionals or anyone else," Schevenin emphasized. "She is a team player."
A self-described "homebody," Thompson said you can normally find her at home reading or relaxing with her husband and three adult children on the weekends.
For the rest of the school year, Thompson said her biggest goal is just for her students to feel successful.
"My favorite thing is when a student discovers that they could do something that they didn't think they were capable of doing," Thompson said. "I want them to feel confident in themselves. I want my struggling students to feel confident in themselves. Even when something is difficult, I want them to know that they can overcome those challenges and to know that they have strategies to help them out."
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