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 |
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 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 |
 Co-Teaching – Making the Most of the Integrated Model of Learning*New Course*
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Dates: March 3,4,5,6,7,10,11,12,13,14 th (2025)
East Meadow Location – 4:15 – 8:15 pm
Course Description:
Learning to work closely with our colleagues is tantamount to effective teaching. Learning the ins and outs of collaborative instruction not only assists teachers but students significantly. This class will instruct teachers as to how to nurture the co-teaching relationship and find a rhythm that works for everyone. Co-teaching structures of learning will be discussed, making the most of co-teaching partnerships, flexibility, rich expertise and experiences, communication, and best research practices will be discussed. Teachers will emerge with a wealth of strategies and websites for effective planning techniques.
**A must for K-12 educators!!! $250.00$280.00 |
 Maximizing Student Growth -Rethinking Howard Gardner’s Learning Intelligences*New Course*
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Dates: March 17,18,19,20,21,24,25,26,27,28th (2025)
East Meadow Location – 4:15 -8:15 pm
Course Description:
Understanding the ways in which students’ learning is maximized is key to education today. Having an awareness of the various learning styles facilitates student/teacher interaction, effective accommodations, and analysis of individuals’ critical thinking skills. This course will focus on the work of American psychologist, Howard Gardner and his theory of multiple intelligences and the ways in which his profound analysis ties directly into 21st century learning. Teachers will leave with a knowledge of the eight different intelligences and the intertwining of creative components of each. Innovative components of the intelligences will be learned as well as how to tie them into all disciplines and age groups.
*A must for all K-12 Educators* $250.00$280.00 |
 Promoting Independent Thinking – Fostering Equity in One’s Classroom*New Course*
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Dates: Spring Break Course – April 14th-18th (2025)
East Meadow Location – 8-5 pm
Course Description:
Promoting social unity and bridging cultural divides are concepts that need to be centered in every classroom. Within this course, educators will work collaboratively to plan, teach, observe, and explore student engagement. Strategies for rigorous learning and creations of inclusive classroom culture is what the focus will be. Educators will inculcate student cultures and values as well as explore the ways in which learning occurs equitably. Lessons will be taught that center around every discipline and grade level, as well as various types of assessment and prompts that promote student interaction.
*A Must for K-12 Educators $250.00$280.00 |
 Talk, Talk, Talk – Enhancing Student Discourse – Questioning Strategies that Work*New Course
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Dates : May 5,6,7,8,9,12,13,14,15,16th (2025)
East Meadow Location – 4:15 – 8:15 pm
Course Description:
Effective discourse is integral for students today. Encouraging the utilization of higher thinking skills in students and encouraging them to speak their minds is what freedom of education is all about. This course will explore depth of knowledge and create questions that enhance the development of critical thinking skills. Additionally, building background knowledge around a wealth of student centered topics will be addressed and deepening comprehension and vocabulary will lead to greater student discussion and conversations. Participants will emerge with a wealth of ideas to implement immediately.
*A Must for K-12 Educators $250.00$280.00 |
| Creating Lifelong Learners – Enhancing One’s Paradigm of Instruction *New Course
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com
In-Service Class – 3 Credits – 45 Hours
Dates: June 2,3,4,5,6,9,10,11,12,13th (2025)
East Meadow Location – 4:15 – 8:15 pm
Course Description:
The importance of continual growth in one’s classroom cannot be emphasized enough. Creating expectations for students and creative assignments teeming with energy is the key to their successful mindset. This course will discuss the ways in which learners guide their students’ growth mindset and excitement to grow. Teachers will read a wealth of articles in this course that stress refinement and reflection. They will hone in on student productivity and the ways to create a work environment filled with spice. Technological activities and components of every discipline will be covered. In the end, the learning will never end.
*A Must for K-12 Educators* $250.00$280.00 |
 Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom Environment*New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – July 7th-11th Course Credits: – 3 credits/45 Hours Course Description: Culturally responsive classroom education is at the forefront of teaching in the 21st Century. Students need to learn how to take educational risks and assume the responsibilities of independent work and collaboration. They need to be able to identify inequities and advocate for diversity within the classroom environment. In this course, participants will be able to learn how to create a classroom environment that represents and values all cultural backgrounds within the confines of their classroom. They will learn how to inculcate various perspectives throughout their respective disciplines and address ways in which empathy, conversations, backgrounds, and perspectives play a part in learning. The class will address the ways that students take ownership in their learning and view mistakes as ways to be constructive. *A Must for K-12 Educators* $250.00$280.00 |
 Unpacking Students’ Strategic Thinking Skills*New Course
Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – June 30th-July 4th Course Credits – 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: Students go through the course of their days absentmindedly listening to teachers, abiding by rote rules of instruction, and mindlessly completing work. This course will instruct participants on leveraging their students’ ability to discover and reach their learning goals via self-awareness, goal setting, metacognition, and task analysis. Strategic learning behaviors will be analyzed for best practices, as well as learning to utilize the learning environment for students’ optimum success. *A Must for K-12 Educators* $250.00$280.00 |
| Grit, Sweat, and Tears for Success- Unlocking the Passion in Our Learners *New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia- gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – July 14th-July 18th Course Credits- 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: The hallmark of high achieving students is the power of grit. Possessing this ability to persevere despite any adversity is something that needs to be instructed to our learners. Participants will learn how to recharge their students through commitment, long-term goal reaching, cultivation of ideas, passion for the disciplines they study, and inner dedication to themselves. A myriad of strategies will be discussed to unlock the mindset of their students, including small passages from historical freedom fighters, analysis of the grit characteristics, and remedies for facing challenges and obstacles. *A Must for K-12 Educators* $250.00$280.00 |
 Multicultural Goals for All Learners*New Course Instructor: Gayle Meinkes-Lumia – gaylelumia@yahoo.com Summer 2025 Dates – July 21-25th Course Credits – 3 Credits/45 Hours Course Description: The goals of a multicultural education include celebrating all cultures and challenging all forms of discrimination. Shaping our students’ ability to recognize the beauty of other traditions is essential to their learning. This course will explore the vital aspects of diverse learning and the ways in which educators can inculcate multicultural values into their repertoire. Studies on diversity, equity, and twenty-first century pluralistic learning will be covered. *A Must for K-12 Educators* $250.00$280.00 |