About
Introductions
Hi, my name is Miss Nicole. My husband and I moved here from the west coast four years ago with a growing family in mind. I am so happy to be enjoying the seasons again. About me: I am pretty sure I prefer St. Paul, sorry Minneapolis, you had me for a second in my early 20's but I am over you for now. I do love art and music thought. I hope to one day get my family traveling. For now we like exploring the outdoors, indulging in food and learning about new things and people. I "found myself " in my family and faith. We are so blessed with our sons. I am one proud Mama Bear!
Vocation
Credentialed and trained as a master teacher and assistant director of Preschool, I was passionate about early childhood education long before becoming a Mama. What a gift to be a teacher /Mama. Always exploring different philosophies and programs, my niche is my own vibe inspire by life-experience. I could be nature-based and maybe Reggio Emilia, leaning Montessori and pro -risk Chinese philosophy, Anji play. I have recently added a lot of Conscious Discipline, and special needs skills to my toolbox too. I love providing opportunities for children to learn at their level, on their terms and in the wild. Courage, creativity, trust and excitement pour out of these risk-taking and play-filled learners. Children are genius beings, and our adult needs pale in comparison to their insatiable appetites for change and challenge. We all need nurture, nature, passion and confidence but they have the high-energy to demand whatever it takes to get them going. It's my vocation and it's a true gift of joy to open up and attune to their needs with compassion and connection. I am grateful for the opportunity to be at home with my boys doing a job I love.
Language Enrichment in French
It doesn't matter if you don't speak another language. The ways language and bilingualism improve brain function are impressive.
The children listen more because their ears are busy working to decipher and decode patterns in sounds both at home and in the immersion language. Already they have more potential to learn new words in any language, to speak any language and to organize thoughts in multiple languages. They can memorize the order and structure of multiple languages with no effort at these early ages, and it isn't grammar, it's just immersion!
This organizing and structuring part of the brain develops and increases growth in other ways too, like enlarging the use of the part of the brain that finds patterns like those used in math and music. That means children are now noticing concepts like similarities and differences more readily and problem solving with more success, using both sides of the brain and their executive functioning skills.
Does that sound like they may have a brain fit for STEAMM? Yes or anything challenging. Creativity, problem-solving and flexible open-minds make self-starters with regulation skills to manage life stressors. Children will feel competent at learning. This leads to seeking and discovering awe and wonder.
How about the diversity of our country and world. It's full of beautiful multiple languages, cultures, foods, art and beliefs. This may be an opportunity to embrace all that. What if the French language brought your family to discover new art, film, people and places?
Disclaimer: Immersion-ish
It does matter to many people how often and well I speak French. If you do not want immersion, your child will only be spoken with in English. I am interested in phone conversations with those people who do want French and can just say that I lived, worked and related in French for many years but all that was years ago. I will say however, that compared to schools I am familiar with, I am much more inclined to correct behavior and connect emotionally in English with English speakers and French with French speakers.
I will justify this with an example. If your child was a Spanish speaker at home, only speaking Spanish with caregivers and then went to school and had some hard times, hard days, challenging behavior and needed extra love, what would you think if his or her preschool teacher who was Spanish speaking used your home language with him or her? If you think that it's cheating him or her out of language skills, then this school is not a good fit for you. If you think that it's important that your child feel heard, seen and understood in their home language too, then this is a good fit for you.
Qualifications
I have 15 years experience working as a teacher, child care provider, special needs aide and senior care giver. I worked as a lead teacher in multiple two- year-old classrooms, a co-teacher in a 3-year old and 4 and 5-year old classroom and a private assistant to an infant with special needs at a Head Start Program. I have worked in multiple styles of schools, including a 0-5 Head Start, a 2-5 French Immersion Co-op Preschool, and a private Reggio Emilia Nature-Based school. I have a Bachlors from Northwestern University and a Bachlors from a Parissien Haute Couture fashion school, L'ECSCP. I then went to school at night to get my Master Teacher and Site Supervisor Permit at Merritt College in Oakland, CA while teaching in their Preschool. Going forward, I have expressed interest in Trauma Informed Care, Child Psychology and both Anji Play and Montessori Method. I am a lifelong learner.