There are two teachers in every Early Learning Program classroom, an Early Learning Teacher (ELT) and an Early Learning Teaching Fellow (ELTF). The Early Learning Teacher is the primary teacher in the classroom whereas the Teaching Fellow plays a support role to the Early Learning Teacher and often is in training to become a full teacher. Contrary to the rest of our program, the Early Learning Program classroom is self-enclosed. For certain courses, a Subject Expert Teacher will push into the room to deliver content.
Meet The
Teachers
Ms. Boscolo
Drama
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Ms. Boscolo
Subject Expert Teacher Drama
Ms. Boscolo is a theatre practitioner based in New York City. After leaving her hometown in Maryland, she completed a Masters of Arts in Educational Theatre at NYU. During her time at NYU, Lizzie served as the student director of the traveling troupe, Shakespeare to Go, bringing abridged Shakespeare productions and workshops to over 100 schools across New York.
Before joining BASIS Independent Manhattan, Ms. Boscolo taught kindergarten through eighth grade students at Convent of the Sacred Heart, where she directed multiple plays and musicals. Professionally, Ms. Boscolo directs with Little and Fierce Theatre Co., including a recent accessible production of Julius Caesar that toured various community locations. During her summers, she is the Director of an art-and-story-based camp called Daring Girls.
While she values her artistic work, Ms. Boscolo finds the most fulfillment when working with students. She believes the arts are an integral part of any student’s education and development and is thrilled to work with a community that feels the same!
Ms. Delaney
Engineering
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Ms. Delaney
Subject Expert Teacher Engineering
Ms. Delaney graduated from Scripps College with a Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and a minor in Studio Art. In 2016, she studied architecture and art history at the Chelsea College of Arts in London, UK.
During the summer of 2015, Ms. Delaney’s interest in architecture led her to complete the Career Discovery Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where she studied design under Harvard professors and graduates. After completing her undergraduate degree, Ms. Delaney worked as a junior architectural designer at Kenneth Boroson Architects in New Haven, Connecticut.
Navigating her career towards education, Ms. Delaney is thrilled to be a Subject Expert Teacher who teaches Engineering and Art at BASIS Independent Manhattan. She loves having the opportunity to bring her knowledge of architecture, science, and art into the classroom. “I am excited to encourage my students to make connections between ideas and concepts across different disciplinary boundaries.”
It was the collaborative model that initially drew her to BASIS Independent Manhattan. She believes that one of the biggest barriers to interdisciplinary study in education is the necessity for collaboration of educators. BASIS Independent Manhattan offers an unmatched learning environment for students comprised of interconnected subjects and the unique teaching partnership of Learning Expert Teachers (LETs) and Subject Expert Teachers (SETs).
When she is not in the classroom, Ms. Delaney enjoys visiting her family’s lilac farm in Bridgewater, Connecticut, trying out new recipes, and boxing.
Ms. Flanagan
Movement, Physical Education
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Ms. Flanagan
Subject Expert Teacher Movement, Physical Education
Ms. Flanagan was born and raised in Ireland where she earned her Bachelors of Education degree at University College of Cork. She has a passion for sports, in particular, acrobatic gymnastics, and has coached since the age of 14. Many of Ms. Flanagan's summers were spent as a camp counselor teaching gymnastics in upstate New York, where she fell in love with this beautiful state and moved here after graduation.
She loves exploring new places and cultures. Ms. Flanagan moved to Dubai and taught P.E. for two years at a school with a co-teaching model and found that it worked extremely well for both teachers and students. That is what caught her eye and attracted her to BASIS Independent Manhattan. She is thrilled to be a part of this school community and return to New York.
Ms. Flanagan is dedicated to creating independent learners who think critically. She hopes to instill in her students a life-long passion for learning and staying physically active. In her spare time, Ms. Flanagan likes to go to the gym, do acro-yoga, try new foods all over New York City, and travel.
Mr. Floyd
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Mr. Floyd
Teaching Fellow
Mr. Floyd received his Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from the University of Kentucky. Following college, he pursued an acting career in Los Angeles while working as a personal childcare provider for multiple families. He also produced a children's obstacle course race at Tough Mudder. These experiences were formative for Mr. Floyd and resulted in his desire to pursue work with children. Mr. Floyd returned to the East Coast and has spent the last three-plus years teaching pre-school in Brooklyn. During this time, he found his footing as an educator and developed his teaching approach that incorporates his other passions, such as storytelling, music, and movement.
He is thrilled to join BASIS Independent Manhattan and use these methods in his role as a Teaching Fellow at the Lower School. Outside of teaching, Mr. Floyd likes to unwind with music, whether playing his guitar or attending a concert. He also enjoys playing basketball, either shooting around at the park or cheering from the stands.
Ms. Hadzibrahimi
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Ms. Hadzibrahimi
Teaching Fellow
Ms. Hadzibrahimi graduated from the University at Buffalo with Bachelors of Arts in Psychology and Early Childhood Education. While earning her Bachelors, she worked at her university’s early childhood research centers, where she enhanced her knowledge of childhood development and curriculum design. After graduating, Ms. Arlinda continued to work with children in private school settings within New York City.
As an Early Learning Program Teaching Fellow, Ms. Arlinda strives to support children while they embark on a journey to making discoveries about themselves and the world. She believes children do this best through play. It is Ms. Arlinda’s goal to incorporate play within a challenging, and hands-on curriculum, to foster children’s curiosity and creativity.
“I am very excited to join the BASIS Independent Manhattan team,” she says. “The joyful learning culture reflects why I am so passionate about teaching. Learning is fun! With this attitude and some hard work, any child can excel.”
Outside of the classroom, Ms. Arlinda enjoys doing yoga, reading, traveling, and spending time with family.
Mr. Heidgerd
Physical Education
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Mr. Heidgerd
Subject Expert Teacher Physical Education
Mr. Heidgerd received a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Sport Science from Concordia University in Irvine, CA. He obtained a master’s degree in Physical Education from Manhattanville College. Over the summer, he runs and helps coach a sports camp program. He is also a certified personal trainer specializing in youth fitness and athlete development.
As a Physical Education Subject Expert Teacher, Mr. Heidgerd believes that physical activity and movement are essential to overall well-being and strives to ensure every student understands its life-long importance. He believes BASIS Independent Manhattan offers the ability to enrich students with these values through a comprehensive physical education curriculum.
Mr. Heidgerd loves to be physically active by exercising, boxing, and hiking. He is a huge sports fan and loves rooting for the Yankees, Jets, and Knicks. Mr. Heidgerd has an affinity for superheroes and spends much of his free time enjoying superhero-related comics, video games, movies, and shows.
Ms. Ji
Mandarin
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Ms. Ji
Subject Expert Teacher Mandarin
Ms. Ji was born and raised in Suzhou, China, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Second Language from Soochow University, China. She also earned a Master of Education degree from George Mason University (Fairfax, VA). Ms. Ji spent eight years teaching at PreK-12 independent schools in Florida. In 2017, Ms. Ji was awarded Florida Foreign Language Association's Most Valuable Mandarin Teacher.
Ms. Ji believes that piquing a student’s interest in Chinese is one of the most effective ways to teach the language, and instruction should be designed to meet the needs of each student to ensure their success. On why she was drawn to BASIS Independent Manhattan, Ms Ji says, “The teaching approach with advanced, immersive coursework from PreK through high school is simply the way I was taught as a child growing up in China.”
Ms. Ji is an avid traveler, a movie buff, and she enjoys baking in her free time.
Ms. Long
Music
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Ms. Long
Subject Expert Teacher Music
Ms. Long is a fourth-generation music teacher. With two classical musician and music educator parents, Ms. Long has been listening, playing, or creating music from birth. As early as three years old, her mother began teaching her Suzuki cello. She played cello all through high school and performed with the Nashville Youth Orchestra for three years. Ms. Long was naturally drawn to singing, dancing, and acting on stage early on, and has performed and worked backstage with over 40 shows in her lifetime. She received a B.F.A in Theatre (emphasis in Musical Theatre) from Western Kentucky University in 1996.
Arriving in NYC in 1998, Ms. Long performed as an actor/singer/dancer with various performing groups around the city and eventually completed her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College City University of New York. For seven years, she taught in the Kindergarten and PreK classroom but yearned to get back to the arts. Since 2010, she has been teaching chorus, rhythm instruments, movement, recorder, and ukulele to PreK through grade 5. Ms. Long believes all children are musical. The best part about teaching music is experiencing the joy children have as they explore and create music together. It is very rewarding to instill the love of music with young children.
Ms. Long’s favorite role is being a mom to her two daughters, Madeline (12), and Juliet (7).
Ms. Magnotta
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Ms. Magnotta
Early Learning Teacher
Ms. Magnotta received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in English and a Master of Science in Education from the University of New Haven. She also has a Provisional Educator Certification (K-6) in the state of Connecticut with specific experience teaching kindergarten and grade 1 students.
As an Early Learning Teacher, her goal is to foster a passion for learning and help students develop critical thinking skills in a warm and welcoming environment. Ms. Magnotta encourages her students to be curious about the world around them.
It was the rich and engaging curriculum that drew her to BASIS Independent Manhattan. She also finds the two-teacher model beneficial for students, especially in their early learning years.
When not in the classroom, Ms. Magnotta likes to read, practice mindfulness, exercise, explore New York City, and travel to new places. She also likes listening to music and watching soccer, baseball, and hockey.
Ms. Moses
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Ms. Moses
Teaching Fellow
Ms. Meagan Moses hails from the plains of Oklahoma and attended The State University of New York (SUNY Empire State College). There, she concentrated on interdisciplinary studies of arts and Humanities and received a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies. Ms. Moses has a unique range of experience in working with people. She served as a teaching assistant and substitute teacher at Poly Prep Lower School in Brooklyn, and an English as Second Language (ESL) tutor for an online teaching and education company. In addition, Ms. Moses' experience includes working directly with people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities as a Direct Support Professional (DSP).
Witnessing her students find joy in learning is truly a privilege, and Ms. Moses aims to build a strong and meaningful rapport with each one of them. When not in the classroom, Ms. Moses is roaming city parks seeking out dog runs or practicing her karaoke skills.
Ms. Osmanaj
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Ms. Osmanaj
Early Learning Teacher
Ms. Osmanaj is a graduate of Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Education and English. She is currently pursuing a Master’s in Childhood Education advanced and Early Childhood Education.
Born and raised in Chelsea, Manhattan, Ms. Osmanaj attended NYC Lab High School for Collaborative Studies. Throughout high school and college, she tutored children and worked as an after-school teacher. Additionally, Ms. Osmanaj spent a year as an associate teacher in one of New York’s highest-ranking public schools. With her experiences as a second-generation immigrant, Ms. Osmanaj learned early on the importance of an advanced curriculum and the benefits of bilingualism.
She is more than thrilled to collaborate with BASIS Independent Manhattan colleagues and families to give students the best educational experience defined by the highest global standards. When she is not dedicating her time towards educating the youth, you can find Ms. Osmanaj balancing her time between being a culinary enthusiast and a Korean drama fanatic. Walking on the High Line with her family or jogging along the Pier are also some of her favorite past times.
Ms. Recio
Art
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Ms. Recio
Teaching Fellow Art
Ms. Recio graduated from Fordham University at Lincoln Center summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts and English. She has worked with children and their families at the Children’s Museum of the Arts, Eckford St. Studio, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Marlene Meyerson JCC, and Henry Street Settlement.
In 2018 she studied abroad in Granada, Spain where she taught English classes in Colegio Sagrado Corazon. Her senior thesis explored her grandfather’s work as a marine biologist and botanist through sculpture and collage and was exhibited at Ildiko Butler Gallery. She continues to create artwork inspired by ecological issues and her Venezuelan background.
Ms. Recio always works to empower students with the skills and confidence to create artwork of which they are proud.
Ms. Zhang
Mandarin
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Ms. Zhang
Subject Expert Teacher Mandarin
A former “Beijinger” before moving to Boston, MA in 1995, Ms. Zhang grew up code-switching between Mandarin and English. She continued to cultivate a love for languages, eventually adding French and some conversational Spanish and Japanese to her linguistic repertoire.
Throughout high school, college, and a post-grad summer fellowship in China, Ms. Zhang tutored children and her peers in Mandarin, math, SATs, APs, and classical piano. After completing a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Languages and Civilizations and in French at Amherst College in 2010, she moved to China for a year to teach English. It was then a natural progression that led her to pursue a Master’s Degree in Bilingual Bicultural Childhood Education from Columbia University Teachers College.
As a Mandarin Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Manhattan, Ms. Zhang encourages her students to be curious and take risks as they navigate a new language environment. Together a space of learning is created that promotes diversity, equity, and social justice not only in the classroom but also in the greater community. Music is her other passion. Ms. Zhang loves being immersed in a good song whether in a SoulCycle studio or at a concert!