My Story
Hi! I'm Maia-- I'm a creator, educator, and positive-coaching advocate based in Boston, MA and Washington, DC.
I spent most of my early life bouncing around the arts, from music to creative writing to community theater, eventually receiving my Bachelors of Music Performance and Creative Writing Competency from the University of Maryland in 2023.
I (accidentally) began coaching gymnastics, a sport I have a very minimal background in, in 2018, and quickly found that my students struggled with the same issues in the gym that I did in the practice room. I'm currently pursuing my Masters in Performance Psychology from Bangor University of Wales, looking to investigate how we as educators can create a more ethical and inclusive learning experience for all.
We often forget that the messages we teach our students apply to us as well; but, how else are we supposed to model the strategies other than believing them in ourselves?
My Philosophy
I have three core beliefs as an educator:
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that learning begins with the educator in the room dedicating themselves to growing their own knowledge and toolbox of strategies for working with all students,
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that students' success is largely determined by how much they believe in themselves (and how their coaches foster or deplete this), and
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that every student deserves a coach in their corner to support them, and that coaches deserve to be able to do this with regard to their physical and mental health.
My consulting work strives to empower educators and coaches to pursue healthy methods of coaching, discovering methods of engaging with every unique student in ways that boost student self-efficacy whilst maintaining the coach's physical and mental wellbeing. In working with teachers, coaches, administrators, and more, I aim to assist coaches with establishing clear and healthy communication strategies that work across a number of disciplines, with the goal of paving a path for classroom management that encourages student mental health and self-efficacy. Whether a classroom, gymnasium, studio, theatre, or beyond, my work combines performance psychology and a breadth of teaching/coaching experience across several disciplines to create a mix of strategies unique to each educator.