Meet our Teacher
I believe that learning starts with trust, therefore, I make it a priority to build traditions with students based around open communication and rapport. I take pride in creating a warm and inviting environment where children feel comfortable sharing their ideas and asking questions, leading to a more enriching learning experience for everyone.
I am a licensed elementary educator with more than 15 years of experience teaching children. My introduction to teaching was as a community educator in my own children’s homeschool co-op. For almost a decade, I was able to teach a very diverse group of students from all different backgrounds, beliefs and age groups. I learned how to scaffold and adapt lessons to meet the individual needs of each unique student. The last five years, I have worked in the Yelm School District as both a Title/LAP paraeducator and as a kindergarten teacher. As a paraeducator, I specialized in running small intervention groups to fill gaps in student learning. I made it my # 1 priority to know my students and their families. This allowed me to create a safe and calm environment that resulted in better focus during evaluations and a stronger sense of pride for the student as they saw their ability increase. As a kindergarten teacher, I took over as a long-term sub for a teacher on maternity leave. Relationship building was imperative. By building simple traditions and routines with the students, we were able to start fresh together and have a very successful year.
With a focus on preparing 3-5-year-olds for kindergarten, I offer two time slots daily to accommodate busy schedules while providing a quality education. Join us in this journey of learning and fun!
Welcome to Ms. Heather's Kinder Prep
FAQs
What does a sample day look like?
A typical morning session of preschool would look something like this:
8:45-9:15: Morning meeting, calendar time and social-emotional learning
9:15-9:50: Phonemic awareness and reading lesson
9:50-10:05: Reading centers
10:05-10:45: Math lesson
10:45-11:15: Writing/Social Studies/Science (depending on the day)
11:15-11:30: Structured play
11:30-11:45: Pack up and snack
I use the Heggerty Pre-Kindergarten curriculum for phonemic awareness. Letter sounds will be introduced in the same order as in the CKLA curriculum used in Yelm Community Schools. For math, we will focus on being able to count, subitize, and both recognize and correctly write numbers.
My afternoon session for 2-3 year old students will typically look like circle time (where we will talk about the calendar, the weather, etc.), a story, a craft and structured play time.
What sessions do you offer?
I offer one session for 3-5 year olds, which is capped at 10 students to maintain a low student-to-teacher ratio. This session runs from 8:45-11:45 am, Monday through Friday.
I also offer one session for 2-3 year olds. This sessions runs from 12:30-2:30 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays.
What does your pricing look like?
Tuition for my 3-5 year old class is $300 per month. Tuition for my 2-3 year old class is $160 per month.
Classes can be paid for on our website or in person. Tuition must be paid by 1st of each month.
Why should I send my student to you?
I love teaching and have been involved in the world of education in one capacity or another for over fifteen years. Teaching kids how to read has been my absolute passion since I took my very first linguistics class at the University of California, Riverside over two decades ago. I finished my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with WGU. I also hold my ParaPro certificate and have completed countless trainings on classroom management, the Science of Reading, small group instruction, dyslexia, cultural responsiveness, etc. I am CPR certified. Most of all, I love this job. I am excited to teach. I care about my students. And I will do everything in my power to give your child the best preschool experience possible.