Hello! My name is Nicole McGonigal. I have 7+ years of teaching experience. I have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Penn State. My master's degree is from Holy Family University and it is in Education with a focus in Reading Development. I have taught in different places around the world from Ecuador, Honduras, and the United States.

 My main focus on Outschool is to teach crafts, painting, and drawing. My love for art evolved at a young age just like my learners! It is a huge passion of mine. I have 10+ years of professional experience with drawing and painting. My art has been displayed and sold in local art galleries and shows. I recently had my work published in a magazine. I have won various awards for my work. I specialize in acrylic paintings and drawing with pencil and charcoal. I believe that art is very important in children's lives. It improves their art skills, imagination, and also helps to improve their academics. 

In the traditional school setting, I taught mostly elementary students. My favorite subject to teach is reading comprehension. Digging deep in to the author's words to find meaning is so much fun! Since leaving the traditional school setting, I offer private tutoring in reading and math for elementary and middle school aged students. My lessons are focused on the students individual needs and goals. 

If you asked my students what I am like as a teacher, they would say I am kind, smart, funny, and helpful. The ultimate compliment I've received is being called "the modern day Bob Ross". I strive to make my classroom welcoming to all. I am calm and very patient with all my students as they learn. My goal is to spread kindness and make my students feel proud about their accomplishments.

Some interesting things about me! I have a classic VW beetle that I love to drive on warm days. I have a huge puppy, Blue, who thinks he is a lap dog- talk about getting squished! I am a mom to my one year old daughter, Maddie. My family will be welcoming a baby girl to the family this winter. I love to hike and travel. 

If you have any thoughts about a class you wish I would offer or a time you hope I can schedule a session, please send me a message. 

Class Policies: 

1) I aim to keep classes close to the scheduled amount of time, however, classes with low enrollments or especially talkative students may run a few minutes under or a few minutes over. 

2) Currently, my classroom enrollment is set to a minimum of two students. I will teach the class unless the parent or learner requests to transfer to a more-full section. As of August 2022, I will not longer teach to one class enrollments. If you prefer a one-on-one class environment, please send me a request for a private class session at an increased price. 

3) Classes will begin at the scheduled time, even if all learners are not in the classroom (unless there appears to be a technical issue). I will not contact absent learners during class time so I can focus on the learners who are present. 

4) If no learners are in the classroom, I will wait 10 minutes before exiting the classroom. In this situation, I will contact the families after I have left the classroom to transfer learners to a new section or offer a video recording.

5) Outschool tech team will post the class recording to the classroom as soon as it is available to them. If you have troubles, please reach out to their support.