Education: Masters from UCD in 2017
Year you started in the field: 2013
Year you started at Paddington: 2015
What is Paddington to you?
Walking into Paddington in 2015 on my first day as an intern, I had no idea just how lucky I was. It was a transformative year in many ways, solidifying my educational philosophy and my belief in learning through play. Now, as a lead teacher at Paddington, each day makes me more of a believer in the extraordinary power of play and its purpose and place in the classroom and in the lives of young children. Every day, I see what learning through play looks like. I see children who are excited to be at school, children who are engaged in their learning, and children who are curious about the world around them. I see children who are encouraged to follow their interests as far as they go. I see children transforming paper and tape into something an adult could never have planned. I see groups of children swirling around the playground together, playing an imaginary game they have just created. Days at Paddington are filled with joy, creativity, curiosity, and exploration. Open-ended play allows for the whole child to be nurtured and to grow at their own pace, setting them up to be confident, empathetic, imaginative, and resilient citizens of the world.
When I’m not at Paddington….
I love to cook, hike, go to concerts, and spend time with my family, especially in the mountains!
Year you started in the field: 2013
Year you started at Paddington: 2015
What is Paddington to you?
Walking into Paddington in 2015 on my first day as an intern, I had no idea just how lucky I was. It was a transformative year in many ways, solidifying my educational philosophy and my belief in learning through play. Now, as a lead teacher at Paddington, each day makes me more of a believer in the extraordinary power of play and its purpose and place in the classroom and in the lives of young children. Every day, I see what learning through play looks like. I see children who are excited to be at school, children who are engaged in their learning, and children who are curious about the world around them. I see children who are encouraged to follow their interests as far as they go. I see children transforming paper and tape into something an adult could never have planned. I see groups of children swirling around the playground together, playing an imaginary game they have just created. Days at Paddington are filled with joy, creativity, curiosity, and exploration. Open-ended play allows for the whole child to be nurtured and to grow at their own pace, setting them up to be confident, empathetic, imaginative, and resilient citizens of the world.
When I’m not at Paddington….
I love to cook, hike, go to concerts, and spend time with my family, especially in the mountains!