Nicole Mogil

Teacher Training Program Alumni, Former Dance Connection Teacher

Nicole is proud to be the President and Co-Founder of Gavin’s Got Heart, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to spread congenital heart defect (CHD) awareness while offering support to families with children affected by CHDs.  Nicole is a former dancer, dance teacher, and elementary school teacher (kindergarten and first grade) with a Bachelor’s Degree in general and special education and a Master’s Degree in literacy. She has worked in the East Islip, Sayville, Farmingdale, and Smithtown school districts. It was her 6th year teaching in the Smithtown Central School District when her son Gavin arrived. Since then, she has pursued the efforts of Gavin’s Got Heart full-time.  Nicole actively speaks at Rotary and PTA meetings in an effort to spread CHD awareness. She has worked with the American Heart Association and Mended Little Hearts to support passage of CHD Awareness Week in New York State as well as legislation requiring all newborns to receive pulse oximetry screenings before discharge, which may unveil undetected CHDs. She currently holds the position of Educational Coordinator for the Long Island chapter of Mended Little Hearts and has been appointed to the Family Advisory Committee for Winthrop University Hospital.  For more information on Gavin’s Got Heart, visit www.gavinsgotheart.org.

What ages did you participate in the Teacher Training Program?
I don’t remember the exact age I started as a student helper, but I know that it was as young as Miss Mary would let me! I couldn’t wait to get in that studio!

What classes did you teach?
Being in the Teacher Training Program gave me such a broad range of teaching experience. I’ve helped out the tiny dancers who walk into the Preschool 1 class, but I’ve also worked with dancers at the competitive level. Every moment spent teaching was gift.

What was your favorite part of the program?
My favorite part of the Teacher Training Program was watching the progression of the dancers from that very first class in September up until their big stage debut in June. It was so rewarding to be a small part of that journey.

What was the most important thing you learned in the Teacher Training Program?
The most important thing I learned from the program is that a true teacher never stops learning.

How did what you learn in the Teacher Training Program apply to life outside the studio?
I used so many of the skills from the Teacher Training Program outside of the studio as I pursued a career in teaching. As a kindergarten and then 1st grade teacher, time management, positive reinforcement, lesson planning, and communication skills all came in very useful.