Bringing Joy Back to Learning - for Children and Their Parents with Caitlin Meister

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This week's episode features Caitlin Meister, the Founding Director of The Greer Meister Group, a New York City-based private tutoring and educational consulting practice. Her interest in how children learn began when she was young, and she began teaching children and teens while pursuing her own education. Inspired by her own educational experiences at the Little Red School House, Stuyvesant High School, and Wesleyan University, she went on to receive additional training through the Harvard Graduate School of Education and in the Orton-Gillingham approach for teaching students with language-based learning differences.

Meister has extensive experience working with gifted learners and supporting neurodiverse students, and she is dedicated to a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach. Becoming a mom of two had a profound impact on her work. She, like all parents, wanted to provide the best educational opportunities for her children. She began offering educational consulting, connecting with other parents, and supporting them throughout their children’s academic careers.

Today, Meister's team of passionate tutors works with students around the world. She has been recognized by New York Magazine as providing “The Best Online Classes for Kids,” and as well as the American Library Association for her work with young adults and has appeared in national media including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Parents. In addition to consulting with private clients, Meister speaks and writes on a variety of education topics for consumers, parents, and faculty.

Joyfully Learning, at the Greer Meister Group, believes that education is supposed to help your child shine – not dim your child’s light. Their mission is to make sure that every child they work with feels seen, heard, and respected in school and that parents are empowered to advocate for their children’s learning needs.

Resources mentioned:

1. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
2. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

In this episode, Caitlin and I discuss:

• The #1 thing parents can do to make sure they're advocating for their child when it comes to academics and school.
• The importance of a "Strengths-Based" approach learning in and out of the classroom.
• Tips to help your children with homework, how to make it stress-free and how to choose a good school. 
• How she helps high school kids thrive in their transition to college and what should