Megan Talarico
Middle School Math & Science Teacher
Megan, who has taught at Aspen Country Day School since 2008, grew up in Utica, New York. She has a BA from Providence College and a master’s in science education from Adams State College.
Dream dinner party?
Madonna: I grew up with her music, and she was pretty revolutionary at the time. Mahatma Gandhi: to understand how he was so committed and driven. E.O. Wilson: a scientist and pioneer of biodiversity studies.
Something you haven’t done yet?
One of those sea turtle rescues in Indonesia. As they hatch, you help carry the adorable little sea turtles to the ocean. There are also trips to help with coral reef rehabilitation. I’d like to have fun diving, but also to be helpful in some way.
Something we might not know about you?
My love of making pottery. I’m really into casserole dishes now. There is so much to learn, both in the skill of making things by hand as well as the chemistry behind the clays and the glazes.
Most interesting job before this?
I worked in the fisheries bureau of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In rivers and lakes, we would set up gill nets and pull the fish off them to study them; you never knew what you were going to get. Sometimes there’d be a snapping turtle or a sturgeon, which is a evolutionarily like a really old shark, or a herring, which moves from freshwater to saltwater. It was fascinating.
Least favorite teacher?
An economics teacher in college. I’d show up to his office hours and he’d be like, “Why are you here?” Because of that, I always want to be helpful to students, especially if they show up outside of class asking for help. I always want to make time for kids who want to learn.
A time a failure transformed into a success?
Well, I’m trying to learn Spanish, and it’s the hardest thing I have ever tried to do. I’ve been to Peru with the school trip, and I want to speak more freely and naturally with the families we stay with there, especially to say thank you and tell them how much the experience means to us. In learning a new language, you have to put yourself out there and feel silly, which is not really comfortable for me. It is not a success yet, but I’m still trying.
