Empowering Minds:
Matthew & Beau's SEL Journey
Meet Matthew and Beau, dedicated educators and co-founders of Positively Patient, on a mission to transform lives through Social-Emotional Learning.
Matthew DuCharme is an educator, endurance athlete, and passionate advocate for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Since 2010, he has served as a classroom teacher, dean, and in various coordinator and director roles. Throughout his career, he’s worked to empower students, parents, and fellow educators by fostering emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and resilience. These are skills he believes are just as essential as academic achievement. Currently, he teaches at Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Outside the classroom, Matt is an endurance athlete currently training for his first Ironman. He’s confident it won’t be his last. He thrives on pushing his limits, setting ambitious goals, and embracing the growth that comes from consistency, challenge, and reflection. Setbacks and failures aren’t roadblocks; they’re lessons in disguise that shape who we become.
Matt holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from Manhattanville College (2016), with a concentration in Biology (grades 6–12), along with an Advanced Certificate in Education for Sustainability. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology and Environmental Studies from St. Lawrence University in 2009.
Beau Macksoud is a 9th-year Spanish teacher at Montclair Kimberley Academy. He believes in the power of self-improvement through relationship-building. His journey is fueled by a love for hiking, surfing, fishing, travel (100 countries and counting), bikepacking, running, skiing, gardening, reading, yoga, and simply engaging with folks from all walks of life.
Before teaching, he lived across the U.S., worked as a deckhand and in sales, taught ESL in Spain, authored The Best 50 Hikes in the Community of Madrid, and founded a Madrid-based hiking group that remains active after 14 years. As a tour guide in Central/South America and Africa, he developed a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and human behavior. He brings these insights to his classroom and to Positively Patient.
He holds master’s degrees in Spanish (Middlebury College) and Education (Northeastern University) and an undergraduate in Sociology (Bard College). He has served as both Grade Dean and Language Department Head, while attending and presenting at conferences on language, diversity, and SEL. He firmly believes that students thrive, academically and personally, when they feel seen, safe, and supported.
The Birth of Positively Patient
We started Positively Patient after years of working in schools and seeing firsthand how much kids need more than just academic support. They need tools to manage emotions, build confidence, and bounce back from challenges. We created our social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum to meet that need with engaging, evidence-based activities that truly make a difference.
Whether you’re a parent, teacher, camp leader, or any organization that relies on connection, our resources are designed to fit right into your day and curriculum … and to actually work. We use proven frameworks like CASEL and Marc Brackett’s RULER to help kids build emotional intelligence, resilience, and strong decision-making skills.
In today’s unpredictable world, kids are facing more stress, more pressure, and more distractions than ever. Give them the tools to thrive.
Join the Movement
Success isn’t about grades or financial achievements; it’s about unlocking your potential with the right mindset and tools. Through Positively Patient, we strive to help young people develop these essential skills in a way that’s engaging, meaningful, and life-changing.
If you’re ready to transform the way we support our students, let’s connect. Explore our SEL curriculum and join the movement to create a brighter, more emotionally resilient future for all.Ready to see how our curriculum can transform your students’ lives? Dive deeper into our innovative SEL program today.