Martha MacFarland

Martha MacFarland started her teaching career in 2001 and began at Meridian in 2011, the year it opened. Starting in the fall of 2021, she transitioned to teaching College and Career Readiness for 10th grade and became the MYP Personal Project Coordinator. She also assists in mentoring new teachers at Meridian as a Teacher Mentor.

EXPERIENCE
At Meridian, Mrs. MacFarland has taught grades 7th through 12th for Language and Literature including HL DP Language and Literature Year One and Year Two. Coming to Meridian, she brought six years of teaching high school English and three years teaching enrichment in Kansas where she focused on college and career explorations as well as independent, guided discovery of individualized goals. Before joining the Meridian secondary staff in 2011, she taught two years in Plano ISD, six years in Blue Valley Schools in Overland Park, Kansas, and one year in Round Rock ISD.

TRAINING
She has been to Category One and Category Two training for both the Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP). She also has attended various other workshops and training including Advanced Placement (AP) Institutes and the South by Southwest Education Conference.

EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
She holds a Master’s degree in Literary Studies from the University of Texas at Dallas (2003) and a second Master’s degree in Gifted Education from Emporia State University (2009) in Emporia, Kansas. She received a BS from the University of Texas (1997) at Austin in Communications. She is certified to teach English for grades 6 through 12 and has her ESL supplemental certification.

AWARDS
She was pleased to receive the 2013 Meridian Secondary Teacher of the Year award as well as to receive the 2013 Outstanding Teacher of the Humanities Award by Texas Humanities.

VALUES
Mrs. MacFarland values authentic, differentiated assessments that give students the opportunity to show what they have learned by engaging in creative and critical thinking. The goal of her teaching is to help all students become reflective learners to achieve individual growth.