Our children deserve an education rooted in love and respect, with an opportunity to gain the skills needed to grow and to learn. All families should have a chance to provide their children with that foundation in a trusted, safe environment. It is my viewpoint that teaching is the center of that overall educational experience for the child and the parents.

The driving force in teaching starts with compassion. A teacher should have the heart for the work of nurturing and educating our children. I believe that it is important to create an environment conducive to learning. A classroom setting should be comfortable, trusted, God centered, and inclusive. All our children learn at different levels and stages. It is critical that teachers allow children to learn at a pace that creates an ongoing setting for learning. I believe that structure, routines, and adhering to the curriculum schedule are essential, however, it must be done in ways that are enjoyable to the children. Teachers are students in many ways, because it is important to be adaptable to promote a positive experience. Some will require that one-on one experience to have incremental change over the school year. I love the concept of ‘more than’ and ‘pursuing progress’ because it incorporates my philosophy in learning and in growing together to create better for our community.

The teaching experience is more rewarding when the organization functions as a team, as educating our children takes a village. As the team functions it will permeate to the experience of the children. Once the families and the children enter the campus, they should feel the cohesive unit. A well-organized team is effective when it is accountable to each other and the children, and innovative in ways to educate, to inform, and to keep the campus safe. I fit well into teams

that communicate and collaborate on ways to meet the needs of the individual student and to make our overall teaching role easier.

In my early childhood career, it has been essential to engage families in the child’s educational experience from the onset. Not only does it provide the foundation to understand the needs of our children, but the family engagement is the conduit to effective teaching and parenting.

I believe in daily interactions with the families to communicate the goals, their growth over time and the areas of improvement for our children. When the interactions are intentional from the beginning, it builds relationships. Whether it be communicating on the importance of classroom time or how the child and family enjoyed their weekend, it is meeting the families where they are and working together so that the family can thrive.

I want to be a part of educating children, empowering families and impacting communities. In order to be well-rounded in touching the lives of our children, it is imperative that I develop educational skills, adapt as needed to an ever-changing profession, and improve in my approach to better serve the needs of students. I have experience as an at-home nanny, helper, assistant teacher and teacher, but I endeavor to learn how to not only do my job better, but to improve the ways in how I can reach our children. Every child is different; each day in education is exciting and different. I welcome the opportunity to pursue courses and trainings to further develop my skills. I want to be able to professionally address the needs and development of the individual child in new ways.

My philosophy of the early childhood educational experience incorporates all four aspects of learning and teaching; teams; family engagement, participation, and development; and professional development. But it starts with my passion for the profession that will provide that opportunity to the child, the families and our community.