"Your place is where the world's greatest need meets your greatest love." I work at Neilson Grove in the Out of School Care, Preschool and Kindercare Programs. My qualifications include: A Bachelor’s Degree in Arts with a double minor in English and History, My ECCE Assistant Certificate and I am currently working towards the completion of ECCE certificate.

A little bit about me: Last summer, in 2008 I got married. My husband Kalle and I live with our dog Tula next door to my parents and little brother. I also have an older sister who lives in Tsawwassen. I have lived in Ladner my whole life always near or on a farm and right now I live on a farm. Some of my favourite things to do are read, write, and go for walks with my dog, camp and travel. I also love spending time with family and friends they are very important to me. My favourite places to travel are Las Vegas and Mexico! If my friends were to describe me they would say that I am honest, caring, and compassionate. I am usually always smiling and I am very environmentally aware!

Me and Childcare: Working with such a wide range of ages is interesting to see the similarities between children and the differences between their ages. I love working with the preschool age children because they are excited about school and it is such a rewarding feeling to watch the children learn and grow. The kindergarteners are always happy to share stories from “big school”. The school aged children are so creative and inventive; the opportunities are endless for older children as they transform our room daily into shopping markets, restaurants, doctors offices, etc. I love when the older children sit down to share their day’s experiences with me, show me projects they are working on or even ask for help with spelling or reading. I love that our classroom is like a community; there is respect and a sense of comfort that make the children feel safe and at ease.

I love the Reggio approach to teaching because the focus on the children, which is so important. I believe that children learn more when they are truly interested in what they are learning about. I also love that play is an important aspect of the Reggio philosophy because I believe that children learn so much through playing and interacting with their peers. Our topics change as the children’s interest change and that flexibility is a wonderful thing to work with! It makes coming to work each day a new experience. One of the most interesting projects that I have worked on with our preschoolers is a doghouse. The children in both the 3 and 4 year preschool class love the topic of dogs and to expand on that we brought in a real wooden doghouse for the children to paint and play in. The children worked hard on designing the exterior of the doghouse, first on paper with black felt and then on the doghouse with crayon, then finally on the doghouse with paint. The whole process was so great to watch, and the finished product sits in our dramatic play corner and is one of the most popular pieces of furniture in our classroom.

Conclusion: I see the potential that all children have to learn. I enjoy the fact that all children in every age group are unique and that they all have different strengths that all work well in our little classroom community!