With a small group of twelve children with 4 primary teachers and a part-time afternoon teacher, our children receive lots of individual attention! As the first experience in a school setting for most of our children, the children work on developing friendships, building a sense of community, and learning to say goodbye to parents and reunite with them at the end of the day. Children this age are learning who they are as separate from the adults in their lives. They are interested in interacting with others but are most interested in pleasing themselves and have a hard time understanding other children’s perspectives. They spend most of their time engaged in parallel play, when they play a similar material or activity alongside another child without necessarily cooperating in their play together. Towards the end of the year, you’ll find that children begin to play cooperatively more often. The teachers work to create a calm, interesting, and fun classroom where routines help children to feel safe and nurtured. This is also the room where children work on becoming fully potty-trained, which is a big step towards independence!
Bluebirds Teachers
Adele Woodard has 6 years of teaching experience and a Bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Miami. She plays ukulele and bass, knits, crochets, and has taught outdoor education including backpacking a section of the long trail in Vermont
She says “I love that TCS gives us as educators the space and time to meet children where they are and respect their thoughts, feelings, and opinions. We get to give the children the space to learn and grow without judgment, which is so deeply important in developing a positive relationship with school and education as a whole. Getting to teach in a space where children are both doing an incredible amount of learning as well as feeling genuine joy from getting to come to class and be with peers is truly a gift. I am so grateful that we get to be the best educators that we can be and that we get to see the difference in the children that we work with.”
Pat Schreiber has 42 years of preschool teaching experience a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has taken supplemental coursework in Hearing and Speech Development and American Sign Language and has worked as a volunteer clinician in a Children’s Heath and Development Clinic. She also has experience coordinating intergenerational programming for preschoolers and seniors.
She says “TCS provides an environment that respects and supports children and their right to self-chosen, self-directed, play. I am able to develop a deep understanding of each child and their individual interests and passions.”
Natashia Hagans has 25 years of teaching experience and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Sojourner Douglass College.
She says “I love exploring with children their growth in social, physical, and emotional development. Watching children learn to think of others’ needs and work together as a classroom community gives me hope for our world.”
Claire McDermott has 5 years of early childhood teaching experience and a Bachor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of The Arts.
She says “What I love about teaching is sharing my creative arts background in the Bluebirds room. Introducing new materials to our classroom and seeing how each friend may choose to use them.”