Lea has a Masters in Curriculum and Teaching from Fordham University and has taught seventh grade social studies for the past twelve years at Pleasantville Middle School in Pleasantville, New York. She is also the theater arts coach, home base coordinator, speech and debate coach, and team leader. She has published articles on educating young adolescents in the New York State Middle School Journal, In Transition, as well as writing a quarterly column, “Lea’s Lessons”.

      When Lea is not in the classroom, she is sharing her ideas with teachers in her school, state, and across the country. Lea has been a presenter at the Nuts and Bolts Symposium on middle level education in Boulder, Colorado for the last twelve years and has presented at the national and state level at many conferences. Lea has presented at both the pre-conferences and conference sessions at the 26th, 27th, and 28th annual National Middle School Association conferences. She has also given the keynote address at the 19th annual New York State Middle School Conference in Lake Placid, New York in October 1999.

      Lea has received the New York State English Council Educator of Excellence award for integrating English and Social Studies in the classroom. The Westchester Council for Social Studies awarded Lea the “outstanding middle school classroom teacher” award for 1996-1997. In September 1998, the Pleasantville Fund for Learning awarded Lea a grant to create an interdisciplinary unit on the Civil War. Readers’ Digest continued the project by awarding Lea a two-year grant in September of 2000. Her fourth group of students completed the culminating “Civil Living Museum” on May 19, 2002.

      The Pleasantville School District recognized Lea’s commitment to teaching by giving her the “Teacher of the Year” award in April 2000. She has recently been re-elected to the New York State Middle School Association Board of Directors and was given an award by this organization for making “exemplary contributions to middle level education.” Lea’s passion is to motivate young adolescents to become lifelong learners as they face the challenges of the 21st century.

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To request information on Lea Macdonald, e-mail lmacdonald@educationspeakersgroup.com