Josey Dixon Gironda

MS Team Teacher and ELA Specialist

Education & Experience:

I was homeschooled by my parents and grandparents on a working organic farm in Hot Springs, NC. They chose this educational path because at a young age it was established that I am dyslexic, and it was their goal to create a thoughtful-yet-rigorous curriculum that would allow me to learn and develop literacy at my own pace, separate from traditional academic tracking. This act of generosity allowed me to thrive, and while my literacy was a long and winding road, I came out the other side of high school with a fervent passion for reading, writing, creating, and connecting. I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a teacher, in large part because of the power, agency, and confidence that I had been given through my education: I wanted to give that feeling to other kids, and especially kids who, like me, struggled with reading and writing.

I received my Associate’s of Arts from Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, after which I attended the University of North Carolina Asheville, where I received a Bachelor’s in English Literature and my license to teach English Language Arts to grades six through twelve. I completed my student teaching at the Madison Early College High School, and then joined the teaching team at Woodson Branch Nature School where I taught for seven consecutive years. Additionally, I have eight years of experience in literacy intervention and small-group tutoring with a focus on students navigating dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other learning complexities. My professional passion is serving diverse learners, and my favorite challenge is developing responsive, individualized education plans to assist kids in finding personal pathways to confidence and success.

Teaching Philosophy:

It is my belief that learning is most effective and satisfying when the experience is rooted in joy, genuine curiosity, and enthusiastic collaboration. My first priority as an educator is to create a learning community where participants (including myself) connect with one another as side-by-side learners working toward shared understanding and mastery. I fervently believe that the best pathways to this understanding and mastery begin with a sense of delight, so I work diligently to create real excitement and meaningful connection while exploring the world, literature, language, and communication together. The name of my game is cooperation, honesty, enthusiasm, and equity!

Favorite thing about kids:

I love working with kids because you get to bear witness to a whole human identity coming into being! One of the great gifts of my life is getting to support and encourage children as they make decisions about who they want to be, what they feel matters, and how they plan to impact the world around them. I believe that helping a kid find their power and feel confident in wielding that power is the most important thing we as adults can do in the course of our lives.

Favorite thing about working at MCCLC / WBNS:

Woodson Branch is so special to me because it is a reflection of the amazing community where I was raised, and now as an adult I have the good fortune of being able to contribute to its growth and evolution. I had the privilege of seeing it arise from a passion for educational equity and a commitment to meeting diverse learning needs. It is a place where individuals from all backgrounds can come together to earnestly and honestly explore the world through the lens of nature, community, and optimism.