School:
Illinois Park Early Learning Center, U-46
Position:
Principal
Number of Years Teaching:
7 years as Principal, 9 years full-time Teaching; 3 years part-time Teaching
Different Grades that you have taught:
Only Early Childhood (Preschool)
How did you know that you wanted to teach early learners:
- I feel in love with working with the special needs population at a young age and knew I wanted to be a teacher. However when I had to opportunity to work with the early childhood students in the Milwaukee Public schools while in college, it was like fireworks going off. This was my new found passion that merged with special education.
- The learning that occurs, watching these young students make so much progress in such a short amount of time and working alongside the students best teacher, their parents.
- I knew early childhood would be an amazing place to work because of the fast pace, never stop and always trying to investigate a new situation within the classroom.
What are a few “non-negotiables” of your early learning classroom (kinda your educational philosophy)?:
- That all students need to learn how to get along with peers (every child this can look different)
- Firm but nurturing environment
- Creating a safe haven for the students and families (this is sometimes the first experience our students have away from their parents).
- Open door policy (no question is a dumb question- for staff and parents)
- Be safe and have fun (our students are very young and are learning to be independent, we have to ensure our building is safe), (have fun- learning should always be fun and if it isn’t something is wrong). These students have a long road ahead of them in school and our job is to help them love learning.
- Hands on learning
What is something that you want us to know about you as a teacher of young children?:
That we are all learners! Once we stop learning than it is time to retire. Our students help us learn if we are patient enough to watch, observe and teach them. Some of the most challenging students I had as a teacher taught me the most on how to work with all kids. We can learn a ton from them as long as we are willing to keep learning.
Anything else you would like your viewers to know?:
