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My background as a preschool teacher

My very first job teaching was a volunteer job in college. I wanted to make sense of my cognitive development course and I needed to be around young children to help it make sense. So I asked the campus childcare center if I could volunteer a few hours every week. It was so fun and interesting that I volunteered until I graduated and decided to study child development in graduate school.

 

I'm pretty sure no one pursues a PhD to become a preschool teacher ON PURPOSE. I know I didn't. I worked as a researcher for many years. And then an opportunity to work as a preschool teacher sort of dropped in my lap - and I've been teaching ever since, for the past seven years.

 

My philosophy

My teaching approach is part analytical, informed by all of those years of research, and part creative, as that college experience taught me about the joys of PLAYING with young children. I think of it as the art and science of teaching preschoolers - that is, the art & science as what is taught AND the art & science of how it is taught.

 

Art and science IS the work of the preschool classroom.

Young children are natural explorers and expressionists. They notice details, ask big questions, and experiment with ideas. In preschool, teaching science and art is about honoring children’s interests and abilities, and building on their strengths to help them grow new skills and ways of learning.

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Art and science is also in the HOW WE TEACH in preschool.

Science provides the knowledge we need to understand how children learn best—and that knowledge is continually evolving. Translating that science into the everyday performance of teaching is where the artistry comes in. Good teachers are strong in one area or the other. Excellent teachers blend both the science base with the performance art of teaching young children.

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With the art and science of teaching preschoolers as my framework, I am here to offer IMPACTFUL resources that are based in the science of learning, and that support educators in using creativity and a joyful approach to teaching in the preschool classroom. I am here to help you become an EXCELLENT preschool teacher.

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Check out my resources.