Teacher Spotlight - Ginny Byrne: Upper School English Teacher

Ginny Byrne, Upper School English Teacher, has been teaching at Woodlynde School for 14 years. Byrne believes Woodlynde’s warm sense of school community, the support from her colleagues, and how the faculty at Woodlynde are here to serve the individual needs of each and every one of their students are what truly makes Woodlynde such a special place. 
 

Teacher Spotlight: Ginny Byrne


Some Things About Me:
  • My mother is a teacher, and my own career in education began with an education course during my sophomore year of college.

  • In my spare time, I love to read and spend time with my kids, one of whom, Abby, came to Woodlynde two years ago, and another, Maddie, is starting this year.

  • I am a huge story buff, in any and all forms – movies, books, video games, etc.

Degree: 7-12 English Certification; Bryn Mawr College, B.A. in English
 

Years at Woodlynde:
14

Years as Head of Grades 9-12 English Department: 9

Personal Goal: Instill a love of reading in all of my students

Recent Woodlynde Initiative: Creation of the OverDrive online library

Some of My Favorite Things about Woodlynde:

  • I love Woodlynde’s warm sense of school community.

  • Every day, I am so grateful for the incredible support that Woodlynde teachers give to each other.  My Woodlynde colleagues are truly the best there are.

  • I think Woodlynde is so unique in how the teachers don’t just serve students, they serve the individual, and their flexible approach to teaching allows them to meet each student where they are, support them as needed, and challenge them to thrive to their potential.

  • I’ve taught some of the same subject matters every year I have been here, but because different students require different information, different strategies, and different encouragement, these classes have actually never been the same; I know this is also true for all of my Woodlynde colleagues.  That’s what makes teaching at Woodlynde not only fun, but deeply rewarding.

  • For a student who learns differently, learning can be hard, and that difficulty can get in the way of their confidence in themselves as learners and in developing a genuine love of learning, something we want all of our students to have.  I love teaching in multiple ways to find that just-right-way of engaging each student in their own learning success.

  • I learn something from my students every day.  They always surprise me, in wonderful ways.

  • I love it when students make those real-world connections in my classes, whether it is seniors working on their speeches or 10th graders in my Norse mythology class realizing that mythology is everywhere.

  • One of my favorite things at Woodlynde are the Senior Speeches, in part because in working with the seniors, I see so much personal growth and confidence during the months-long process toward standing up and giving a speech to the entire Woodlynde community.  Each year, our younger students look up to the seniors as role models.  Each year, our seniors know that the entire community is supporting them, rooting for them, and cheering their success.  

  • Some of my friends talk about their jobs, and then they talk about the fun they have outside of work.  I can’t think of a day at Woodlynde where I didn’t laugh at least once.  It’s honestly fun to work at Woodlynde!
 
 
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Woodlynde School is a private, co-ed college prep day school located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences in grades K - 12. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based Kindergartenelementarymiddle and high school program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students with average to above average cognitive abilities (IQ) who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Executive Function Challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Auditory Processing Disorder. Even for those students without a diagnosed learning disability (LD), Woodlynde offers expert and caring teachers in small classroom settings that support academic success. Woodlynde School also offers a post-graduate (PG) program in partnership with Rosemont College as well as a regional Summer Camp for students who learn differently.