My name is Renée LaBossiere.  I live in Pinellas County, FL and I have been in the Early Childhood field for 20 years.  I didn’t choose this career path, but I feel like it chose me. I feel like this is where I’m meant to be.  It is a passion of mine to watch our children flourish and be who they are meant to become through nature, discovery, wonder, and fun.  I’ve always believed that children learn best through play.  It is also a passion to help educate others about the benefits of learning these ways.

I’m always learning, growing and evolving with the children and within myself, as a teacher and personally.  Continuing my education is also a passion.  After six years through Penn Foster online, I received my AS in Early Childhood back in 2016.  I have been taking courses through CCEI for ten years now and I really like all of the information I obtain.  As a CCEI course reviewer for the past four years, I enjoy seeing and reviewing the new information being presented.  My three top recommendations are SOC106: The Value of Mindfulness in Early Childhood Settings,  CHD109: Supporting Spiritual Development in Early Learning Environments, and the most recent one I reviewed is CUR125: Loose Parts: Incorporating Found Objects and Open-Ended Materials into the Classroom.

I was already doing many things that came naturally to me, throughout my years of learning and discovery, and I realized that I’m a mixture of philosophies – Reggio Emelia, Magda Gerber’s RIE, Waldorf, and Montessori all inspire me, among a few others.  One of my pastimes has also been running my Facebook and Instagram page, Calming Me, Calming You – The Owl’s Nest for going on three years as well. I also enjoy being outside in nature, at parks or the beach, spending time with my family, dancing, yoga, crafts, art, reading, and writing from poetry to quotes. I have a started a blog and I would really like to write some children’s books.