Experience Summary
I am a recent Bachelor of Science in Child Studies graduate of FGCU and hold a current FCCPC. I am considered a non-traditional graduate (which in my case means older), and I bring with me a range of personal and professional experiences that have developed and enhanced my capacity for learning, teaching, and adaptability. My primary interest in learning is focused on the social-emotional and cognitive influences that create the optimal conditions for brain function during the learning process. Providing both the necessary supportive social-emotional environment through positive guidance as well as the cognitive stimulation that physical, sensory, and creative and artistic activities produce are fundamental to implementing a brain-based learning approach, and I am trained to integrate hands-on activities across the curriculum and learning domains that relate to real world experiences.
I have an extensive background in dance, and taught ballet and performed for many years, several of those years here in Lee County. In 2008, I began my training in early childhood education at Lee County High Tech Central (now Ft. Myers Institute of Technology) where I explored different early learning age groups and curriculums while attaining my FCCPC. After completing that program, I attended Edison State College and received an Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education, then transferred to FGCU to pursue a degree that is concentrated on child development.
Although, I am committed to all aspects of early learning programs, literacy is a foremost concern and proficiency of mine. I am an ESOL qualified advocate for reading and able to apply a variety of emergent literacy techniques and strategies to foster children’s interests and skills. I profoundly believe that families need to encourage and support learning in the home, and can facilitate and promote this critical concept.