“I’m a doer, and a listener,” says Grade 3 teacher Alicia McGuire, explaining that discovering her own learning style when she was a youngster marked the beginning of becoming intrigued by brain-based learning. “The seemingly magical, but actually scientific, way that children develop, is amazing,” She says, adding, “Each brain has a unique way to make room for new learning; the trick is figuring out how to reach each individual learner.”

Mrs. McGuire holds a Bachelor of Science in Education and Early Education from George Mason University, a Master of Education and Educational Psychology with a specialization in Gifted Education from the University of Virginia, and holds a Virginia Postgraduate Professional License. A lifelong learner who relishes teaching, she enjoys acting as an intellectual detective and nurturing guide to students and to new teachers. For over three decades, she has taught Early Elementary students in Fairfax County Public Schools. Why the focus on that age group? “I like them,” she says, smiling. “I find them unique and interesting, and they are very honest.”

Before coming to Green Hedges, Mrs. McGuire taught at Marshall Road Elementary School, becoming part of a collaborative group that implemented teacher training materials for an approach to reading called the Science of Reading. “I like research, and I like to DO things,” she says. In 2022, she was named her school’s Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. McGuire lives in Vienna with her husband, teenage son and daughter, and two cats. She enjoys cooking, being with family, and exploring when she is out and about.