Meghan Birger is a teacher who has taught for 15 years in multiple schools amongst many experienced and inspirational teachers.
“I grew up in Mount Prospect, IL. I made my way to Indiana when I attended Valparaiso University. My 15-year teaching career started at Griffith Middle School alongside a great cohort of educators who helped me shape my teaching style. After six years, I moved to Fegely Middle School where I am surrounded by a phenomenal group of educators in my eighth-grade team. I am blessed to have co-workers who have become great friends,” Birger said.
Birger currently lives in Portage with her spouse Mark. They love to hike, and have planned to take up a hiking challenge for 2022, while also visiting three national parks.
“We spend our shared breaks on road trips visiting new destinations. In the past year, we have visited three national parks and numerous state parks. Our goal for 2022 is to complete the 52 Hike Challenge, hiking one time a week for the entire year. Our favorite hikes can be found at two Indiana state parks: Turkey Run and the Dunes,” Birger said.
Birger spends her free time watching "Jeopardy," attends trivia nights, and goes to basketball games.
“In my free time, I like to watch Jeopardy, make frequent stops at Dari Dip and Gelsosomo's, attend trivia nights, and support my alma mater by attending Valpo's men’s basketball games,” Birger said.
Birger said that teaching math helps her students to learn skills that they will use in their futures and being able to show them these skills makes her love her career.
“My favorite part about teaching eighth-grade math is that there is such a variety in content. Students have an opportunity to solve equations, simplify exponents, graph lines, and use the Pythagorean Theorem. The variety allows students to train their brains to think differently and develop their problem-solving skills that will be useful in future careers,” Birger said.
Birger said her motivation for getting up in the morning is her students and how each day brings something new and getting to watch her students grow and mature throughout the year.
“My motivation to get up each morning is that each day brings something new. You can never fully predict what your day or what students will be like. Watching the growth/maturity of students from the first day of school in August to the last day of school in May is such an incredible experience,” Birger said.
Birger says that teaching has been difficult over the last couple of years, but she has found ways to overcome the obstacles life has been throwing the last couple of years. She sticks to the mindset she learned from her parents.
“Teaching during a pandemic has not been easy; however, I try my best to find the positive in situations and operate by the 'work hard play hard' mindset that was instilled by my parents. During these difficult times, we succeed by working toward a common goal, building relationships with the people around us, and having fun,” Birger said.