Educator Of The Month: Meghan Stinchcomb

Meghan Stinchcomb’s job title is upper school music and art teacher, but her importance to St. John the Evangelist Catholic School is more significant than any job title could suggest.

“She was our Teacher of the Year last year and is fiercely dedicated to St. John and her students,” explained St. John’s advancement director, Lynne Fish.

Stinchcomb always has the students’ best interests at heart whether she is leading rehearsal for a school play or teaching a classroom lesson.

“Middle school is so awkward,” Stinchcomb said. “You don’t know who you are yet. Performing is totally different than acing a math test. You’re singing, you’re dancing, and you’re sharing a side of yourself that your peers don’t see in the classroom all the time. I always want them to feel satisfied and proud of their performance.”

Stinchcomb attended The Catholic High School of Baltimore and was a music education major at Towson University, where she was involved in the marching band and symphonic band. After 12 years teaching at her former school, Catholic High, she was a St. John parent volunteer when she started filling in as a long-term art substitute during the 2018-2019 school year. Her work with the students led to a full-time position.

Although she has experience performing, she can relate to kids who are outgoing and those who are more reserved.

“I call myself an introverted extrovert,” she said. “I don’t seek the spotlight, but I am comfortable on the stage.”

Now, she creates a space where kids can feel comfortable on the stage.

“I want them to be comfortable, confident and to have fun,” Stinchcomb said. “The more they have fun, the more likely they are to want to continue.”

Stinchcomb’s daughter played the titular role in last year’s production of “Finding Nemo Jr.” and is now preparing for a role as an Oompa Loompa in the Mount de Sales Academy production of “Willy Wonka.”

“Because I am a parent at the school too, I love to see how my kids grow as humans, and are still developing as humans, and are figuring out what they want to do,” she said.

Because she mentors the same children from sixth to eighth grade, seeing that growth is her favorite part of the job, especially when they pull off an achievement.

“You see the students have goosebumps or rub their arm,” she said. “They are so limited in their life experiences, they may not have experienced that before.”

Her work is not limited to the theater program. As an elective educator, she has taught everything from technology to music throughout her career. Some focus areas have come easier to her than others.

“If I had to teach someone to play tuba, after a few YouTube videos and a few hours of practice, I could,” she said. “Singing is harder to get used to.”

Stinchcomb joined the St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church choir and has worked with Helen Kirby.

“Being part of the church choir has improved my ear and musicianship so much,” Stinchcomb said.

At the end of October, Stinchcomb prepared students for an All-Saints Mass. She also enjoys collaborating with teachers of other content areas.

When students learn about geodes in science class, Stinchcomb tries to time her unit so the kids are also painting geodes in her class. Or when students learn about the geosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, she will have students draw those concepts.

“Anytime you can collaborate and (the students) can make a connection, it brings more meaning to the content area,” Stinchcomb said.

She is humbled to be part of St. John. Not only was she the school’s most recent Teacher of the Year, but she was also in consideration for the Archdiocese of Baltimore Teacher of the Year honor.

“I feel like I just do my job and have an overabundance of enthusiasm for most things in my life,” Stinchcomb said. “It’s very nice to be recognized. I never do any of the things I do for recognition. I love our students, and I love our school.”

The music and arts teacher, who means so much to her school, is thrilled to belong to such a “family-oriented place.”

“These kids are kind people,” she said. “We want to create well-rounded students, successful at our school and in life, but also kind, knowledgeable and considerate.”