Ms. Alexa Warden - Director

Biography:

Alexa Warden was born into an educational community: her parents were teachers and administrators at the McLaren School in upstate New York , where one of her passions was early evident (her first word was “Doggie”). She grew up in northern Virginia and attended George Mason University for both her undergraduate and graduate studies.

Alexa's career in education took her from a position as assistant teacher to that of lead teacher in a private special education school and thereafter in private schools. Her background in special education lead to her being chosen by a prominent NGO (non-governmental organization) to work in children's homes throughout Bosnia Herzegovina in a program developed to address children's issues after the war and foster mutual understanding between Muslims, Serbs and Croats. Intermittently for more than two years she worked in this area (where “walking through a mine-field” was much more than just a grim metaphor).

Upon her return from Bosnia , with the backing a several concerned parents, and together with Rick Goldie, Alexa founded GW Community School in 1999, where she serves as Director and teaches as well. She was named VFW Teacher of the Year for Virginia in 2002.

Besides teaching and leading students in educational travel all over the world (Costa Rica, Spain, Africa, Iceland, England, Italy, the Grand Canyon) Alexa enjoys oil painting, kayaking and working out with her personal fitness students.  And of course it goes without saying that her life centers around one dark, handsome male known as “Jimmy” (the black Labrador retriever that some say is the real guiding spirit of GWCS, and who can be found every day inspecting and approving every corner of his realm).

Courses Taught:

AP Psychology

The study of psychology is a vast and far-reaching field. In this course we will learn and experience various aspects of the study of behavior and mental processes from the everyday, such as how, by masquerading as a neurotransmitter, the caffeine found in your double-shot mocha affects your brain, to the fantastic, such as why we are physically attracted to the people we are. We will study and examine some of the very questions that psychologists themselves are asking today, such as whether video games teach or release violence, if the concept of “addiction” has been stretched too far, and if animals exhibit language. We will look critically at the latest research on psychopharmacology, empirically validated psychotherapies, and the biological basis of behavior. 

This course is student-centered, with an emphasis on activities, discussion, open-lecture, and labs. The experiences you will have in class each day are irreplaceable and irreproducible; therefore regular class attendance is a must.

Required Text: Franzoi, Stephen L. Psychology: A Journey of Discovery, 3^rd ed. Ohio: Atomic Dog Publishing 2007.  (Includes a study guide)

Current Issues in Psychology

coming soon...

Personal Fitness

Personal Fitness class meets three days a week at Audrey Moore ReCenter.  Students set and meet fitness goals addressing cardiovascular health, weight training and sports-based recreation.

Hours Available For Extra Help: 

By appointment.