I was a Head Start parent who volunteered in my daughter’s preschool classroom in the 1994-1995 school year. An Assistant Teacher position became available and I applied and started as an Assistant Teacher in 1995. I taught in the classroom for just over 20 years. I spent four years as an Assistant Teacher and then the rest of my years as Lead Teacher until I took a Mentor position.

My favorite time to be in the classrooms is still Choice Time (Free Play). The amount of discovery, “lightbulb moments”, and learning you can watch unfold, and help facilitate during that time of day is just the best! I think that, like myself, most of the children would say Choice Time is their favorite time of day!

I am currently the Education Mentor for our Head Start program and handle Professional Development tracking. At 18, I knew I wanted to make a difference in the lives of children, and I still get to be a part of that by supporting their Teachers as they reflect on teaching practices and further their work as quality preschool teachers. I was awarded my CDA early in my career and kept that until I began college for Early Childhood. I love the position I currently hold, and the agency I work for, so I can see myself staying in this position as long as that’s possible. What I love most about being an Education Mentor is being able to be a support to teachers, knowing I understand and have been in their shoes.

CCEI provides our teaching staff with SUTQ Ohio Approved training hours that are relevant to their work in the classrooms. Through coaching, we can individualize our Professional Development efforts and assign CCEI trainings to staff considering their current goals and the needs they have expressed. I have received positive feedback from the teaching staff about how CCEI courses made them dig deeper and reflect on their practices. I will be using CCEI for my own professional Development in the future.

In my free time, I love spending time with my husband and our four granddaughters. I love to do art projects or crafting with my granddaughters. I love being involved at my church because it’s really my “home away from home”. I like to read and be near the water whether that’s a lake at a local state park, a waterfall on a trail, or at the beach. Those peaceful moments help me to recharge and refocus, so that I can give the best of me to my family and my career.