Today we’d like to introduce you to Margaret Teague.
Hi Margaret, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Growing up, I always knew I wanted to help people in need. I remember as a kid; I started a “Christmas Kindness” campaign where I would go out and shovel people’s driveways when it snowed. As a high school student, I started a Peer to Peer Appreciation program where native English-Speakers could partner with students in the ESL (English as a Second Language) program to support them in learning English. More importantly, the real purpose of the program was to help students in the ESL program feel a deeper sense of belonging to our student body. Since high school, I knew I wanted to support students. I soon received my Master of Education and began teaching English and theology. My philosophy of education was to empower my students through cultivating intellectual curiosity.
After four years of teaching, I wanted to continue supporting kids but in another way. In my classroom was a huge sign that read, “You are worthy of love and belonging,” a quote from one of my favorite thought-leaders, Brene Brown. It’s no surprise that my next move was being a school counselor!
This led me to St. Brendan School in Koreatown, LA where I was their Wellness Counselor! The SBS Community is amazing & welcomed me with open arms. There I was able to support students and whole classrooms through providing education on social-emotional learning. It was in the spring of 2020 when George Floyd died. His murder was all over the news, people were protesting, LA had a curfew…and our students wanted and needed to know what was going on. I was then able to support students in an age-appropriate way through educating them on the Black Lives Matter movement. This included explaining what happened to George Floyd and teaching important vocabulary to students such as: Racism, marginalization, oppression, police brutality, classism and other relevant terms. This soon led to me leading several Social Justice Book Clubs at school! After nearly two amazing years at St. Brendan, I left to pursue other things. My kids and families at St. Brendan were so amazing that I continued supporting many of them after leaving the school. This led to me starting my own business as a Kid’s Life Coach and Social Justice Educator! As I do this, I am also a full-time student as work towards my Master of Social Work.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course, becoming a business owner and entrepreneur has not been a smooth road. Some of the struggles have included inviting people to consider how important caring for our kids’ mental health is. It’s easy to prioritize kids’ physical health without realizing that a lot of our kiddos are suffering in silence. Specifically, we want to equip our kids with tools they can utilize and people they can turn to if their mental health starts to decline. Instead of being reactive when our kids are struggling with their mental health, we want to be proactive and invest in prevention work.
Another struggle has been inviting families to consider how important exposing our kids to social justice literature is. If we want a more equitable future, it is of paramount importance that we are having age-appropriate conversations with our kids about the implications of race now.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a Kids Life Coach & Social Justice Educator, I support students’ emotional well-being by facilitating 1:1 Coaching & Emotional Support, Current Event Discussion Groups, and Workshops for Drug Prevention, Positive Masculinity, Female Empowerment & Public Speaking. I also formally meet with parents to share insight into what their child is experiencing and provide education around how they can most thoughtfully and effectively support their child.
What do you specialize in?
1:1 Coaching. Consistent areas that I support students in include navigating anxiety, cultivating confidence and self-esteem, fostering unconditional self-love, learning about emotional intelligence, developing a growth mindset and staying organized in school.
What are you known for?
I am most known for providing effective 1:1 Coaching & meaningfully connecting with children and teenagers. Also, I am known for being warm, kind, patient and understanding with the families I work with. I go above and beyond for the kiddos I support through consistently communicating with parents about the ways that they can specifically support their child. One way this is shown is through hosting Parent Sessions and providing relevant literature and parenting advice that they can apply to support their child.
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my work in supporting children in cultivating radical self-love and acceptance. I am also incredibly proud of my Drug Prevention & Awareness Workshop. This workshop educates teenagers on the long and short-term effects of alcohol, methamphetamines, fentanyl and other substances on the body. The workshop also educates on how to spot an overdose and administer Narcan.
What sets you apart from others?
The Drug Prevention & Awareness Workshop! This workshop goes in-depth to share facts in detail around what the Opioid Epidemic was, how different substances affect the brain, what the dangers of vaping are, how to spot an overdose and administer Narcan, and how to stay social and safe!
Also, I do a lot of prevention work when it comes to preventing mental health struggles. Many kiddos don’t yet need a psychotherapist or child psychologist, right now they need a coach to help them become self-aware, identify emotions, learn coping skills, practice self-advocacy, become aware of the supports in their lives, and cultivate confidence in their authentic & powerful selves!
What makes you happy?
What makes me the happiest is hanging out with my dog, running half marathons, playing piano, playing tennis (I used to be a Tennis Teaching Pro at LATC: Los Angeles Tennis Club) and improving my Spanish. (This Monday I leave for Spain for a summer trip!)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.margaretkidslifecoach.com/
- Instagram: @MargaretKidsLifeCoach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087798411528¬if_id=1689049663186472¬if_t=page_user_activity&ref=notif
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/margaretteague/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=margaret+kids+life+coach
