Meet Ms. Lyman

Joy Lyman is the Lower Academy US History teacher and the 11/12th grade Historical Mythbusters teacher at FlexTech Brighton. She also works as the Network Lead Instructional Coach for all three FlexTech schools. She has worked in diverse positions in the education field, as a museum educator, teacher, and instructional coach.

Before coming to FlexTech, she had the privilege of working with several organizations that gave her rich experiences to draw from as a teacher. She worked at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, using the extensive collections and resources of those organizations to create engaging learning experiences for students across the country. Since working in those museums, she has always strived to find ways to incorporate historical artifacts, people who made history, and place-based education in her classroom. As a teacher, she has worked exclusively in small schools in the Metro-Detroit area, with focuses on student-centered learning. Small schools are uniquely able to create a close-knit community, and for that reason they often provide the best educational experiences for our students. During her time as a teacher, she has advocated for project- and place-based learning, cross-curricular project planning, emphasized student choice, and taken leadership roles in curriculum development and Advisory. She loves professional development, and graduated from the Galileo Teacher Leaders Cohort, Aspiring Leaders Academy, and Michigan Teacher Leaders Collaborative as well. This year she is part of the Teach for America Michigan Education Policy Fellows.

When she's not in the classroom, she has a lot of hobbies and passions. She loves all things style, has a weakness for vintage clothes, and actively works to reduce her impact on the environment by buying from thrift stores. She also enjoys music immensely, loves to discuss all genres and artists, and discover new things to listen to. She's a reader, writer, and vegan cook when she has some spare time. She loves spending time with her colleagues, friends, family, and her cats, Jasmine, Rory, Lila, and Grover.