Gayle Meinkes-Lumia
Gayle Meinkes-Lumia has been teaching English Language Arts at the Brentwood School District for twenty-six years. She attended the University of Buffalo for her undergraduate degree, where she specialized in English Language Arts. She holds a Masters’ degree in English Literature and Secondary Education at Hofstra University, where she also instructs secondary education students. Gayle is a master teacher who is heavily involved in student success and teacher education. Gayle was the English Language Arts Staff Developer at Brentwood for two years, where she created innovative lessons and disseminated information to faculty and students. She has taught classes at LIIPS and the Brentwood Teacher Center for twenty years, developed lectures for the Suffolk Reading Council, written articles for the “Social Studies Docket”, and has been awarded, “New York State Educator of Excellence” in 2000. Last year, she additionally was awarded, “Teacher of the Year” in Brentwood. She has two children, a high school rising senior, taking all AP level courses and a Northeastern University Honors student aspiring to be a surgeon. In her spare time, Gayle develops new courses for LIIPS, is an avid reader, and devotes the majority of her time to her children.
Check out my course offerings:
Courses |
|---|
 Make A Splash with Your Learners – Spreading Reading and Writing Competency Across All Content Areas*New Course*
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Mid-Winter Recess (2025) – February 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
East Meadow Location – 8:00 am-5:00 pm
Course Description: Literacy is at the forefront of education today. All teachers are expected to be teachers of reading and writing regardless of their subject area. Teachers need a repertoire of lessons and ideas to motivate learners and elevate student abilities. This course provides a plethora of lessons, graphic organizers, best practice techniques, strategic thinking skills, collaborative, small group activities, and models that enhance student learning. Via the activities, participants will delve deeper into the literacy process and apply the models to their respective discipline. The subject areas of reading, writing, science, math, social studies, and health will be covered. Specific strategies and projects will be covered as well as a multitude of best practice techniques. In the end, participants will walk away with a literary bag of tricks! In this course, participants will be instructed on the various ways to foster literacy development. They will learn the strategies that facilitate student learning, including read alouds, dialoging about texts, engagement before, during, and after reading, and extensive discussions that allow for creativity and growth. Teachers will be instructed on ways to incorporate complex texts into their repertoire and build upon students’ knowledge. A rich literary curriculum will be addressed as well, including orthographic mapping, text structure, and interdisciplinary applications
*A must for K-12 Educators!! $250.00$280.00 |
 900 Shows a Year – Snapshots of TeachingPDLI9070
(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS)
ON-LINE
Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
Course Description
From the very moment that we enter the classroom, we create a definitive image of ourselves. First impressions are everything and encapsulate who we are and what students will glean from the course. Our body language, behavior, and diction are indicative of our teaching styles and our expectations of our learners. Educators are actors, putting on five shows a day, 900 shows a year, all which produce transformative learning from students. Delving deeply into the students’ psyche and learning styles is tantamount for both educators and students today and provides everyone with the opportunity to enhance their learning and make personal connections between their own experiences and those of the curriculum. Successfully incorporating a wealth of social emotional resources as well as delving into the science of learning is crucial and invaluable. In the end, all aspects of learning will be covered.
In this course, participants will learn everything there is to know about creating a successful environment that motivates students. They will explore various resources such as articles, interviews, readings, differentiated learning sites, lesson plans, and links to literary sites. They will research a variety of sources and decide which ones are engaging and fit into their curriculum. In addition, teachers will gain student centered ideas, lessons that differentiate, challenging ways to motivate students, current research on pedagogy, various interdisciplinary websites and Socratic seminars and philosophical rounds that take literacy and learning to a new level! Applicable all Educators and staff K-12. $600.00 |
 Giving Students More Authority – Facilitating Meaningful Classroom Discussions in the K-12 ClassroomPDLI 9130 (45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.comCourse Description: Providing students with high quality discussions that promote learning and engagement is tantamount to teaching. High quality discussions include content-specific ideas that spark students to express different points of view, reflect on their own opinions, varying perspectives, and engage in democratic dialogues. Education that develops deep reasoning, critical thinking, and conceptual and practical tools for inculcating knowledge is tantamount for students today. Teaching in this modality empowers our learners and enables them to recognize that proactive engagement is the key to their success. In this course, participants will be instructed on the pedagogical principles that promote student learning and democratic engagement. They will learn the ways in which students themselves facilitate learning and streamline their own thinking. Teachers will be instructed on ways in which to act as mediators and not sages, including the ins and outs of effective questioning. Rich discussion tactics will be integrated as fishbowl techniques, Socratic Seminars, Jigsaws, formative assessments, graphic organizers, gallery walks – all of which engage the learner and provide for optimum efficacy. Goals and Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants will be better prepared to: • Understand the impact of effective classroom discussions
• Comprehend the respective ways in which teachers can transform their classrooms via classroom dialogues
• Generate meaningful strategies that challenge students
• Develop deep learning outcomes for their classrooms
• Integrate a myriad of learning activities that challenge their learners
• Engage their learners with 21st century tools of instruction $600.00 |
| How Do Multiethnic Strategies Impact Learners and Enhance Literacy? PDLI 9140 Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com(45 HOURS/3 GRADUATE CREDITS) Course Description: Education that incorporates a multiethnic perspective recognizes children’s own frames of reference, ones that utilize ideas formed through the traditions of the students’ families and communities. It is a way of teaching that addresses issues of equity and commitment to social action. Teaching in a multiculturalism fashion promotes academic excellence and social justice for all children. Helping children become critical thinkers and make connections in their learning is the essence of multicultural instruction, one that promotes democracy and recognizes that proactive engagement in students of all ages is the key to their success. In this course, participants will be instructed on the ways in which to infuse multiethnic strategies into students’ repertoires. Teachers will be able to create a successful classroom environment where culture is at the forefront, developing and maximizing responsibility, diversity, and cognitive growth in students throughout this course. They will explore various resources such as articles, interviews, readings, differentiated learning sites, lesson plans, and links to literary sites. Additionally, they will research a variety of sources and decide which ones are engaging and fit into their curriculum. Teachers will gain student centered ideas, lessons that differentiate, challenging ways to motivate students, current research on pedagogy, various interdisciplinary websites and Socratic seminars and philosophical rounds that take literacy and learning to a new level! Goals and Objectives: Upon completion of the course, participants will be better prepared to: • Understand the impact of culture in students’ learning
• Comprehend the respective ways in which teachers can transform their classrooms
• Design multicultural learning activities that challenge students
• Create assessments and lessons for their classrooms
• Utilize character education within their classrooms
• Create instructional goals with the multicultural learner in mind $600.00 |