Ms. Wendy Ryder

Director of Special Education Wendy Ryder is not just a teacher, but a dancer, tennis, softball player, and an occupational therapist. She majored in sociology and communications in graduate school at New York University. She has always thought about having a career in administration and is excited to pursue that position this year.

What was one interesting thing that you did this summer?

I went to Quebec. We drove there. It was a long drive. Quebec is such a quaint place. I don’t speak French very well, and my accent is horrible, but it was just so charming, so much culture there. I also drove down to Bar Harbor in Maine. I love Bar Harbor and Acadia, which is the national park. There are wonderful hikes, and the seaside is beautiful, so picturesque. I went there with friends.

What is one thing you always remember when you are in a classroom?

It would be the students: the eagerness of learning and just drawing out students to have curious minds and thinking critically and watching peers collaborate and learn from each other- Helping them come out of their shell and working with each other on project learning, or quizzing each other for tests.

What were your previous experiences like teaching or directing?

I’ve been an administrator for a long time. I worked at a charter school in Roxbury, in New Bedford, so it was very urban. Then I worked in the North Shore, much more suburban environment. And I’ve also done everything from early childhood to post grad work. I really like having all that experience. The culmination that happens at the high school level is really an exciting time. You see the fruits of your labor when they start off as little tots and then go to high school to career and college plan. It’s so exciting.

What was your college experience like?

Going to college is terrific, not just for the education, the wide range and berth of subjects that you take and explore, but it’s that first step that you take to becoming independent and on your own, which can be a little scary, but it’s really about learning who you are outside of your family- looking at yourself through a new lens, being on your own.