Meet Miss Melissa!

Hi! My name is Miss Melissa and I am excited to have joined Children Central as your Assistant Director. I have been teaching preschool for approximately 25 years.  I am looking forward to stepping out of the classroom to begin learning the administrative aspect while still being able to assist in classrooms and be around the children.  I am looking forward to getting to know the teachers, students and their families and making sure that everyone is happy and excited about coming to Children Central.

Being a parent myself, I want our parents to be able to drop their children off, feeling secure, knowing they are safe, well cared for and receiving the best education by wonderful teachers to prepare them for ‘Big School.”

I am currently attending Keystone College where I earned my CDA (Child Development Associate Credential).  I will soon earn an Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, as I am working towards obtaining the Director’s Credential.  I have been a preschool teacher for 24 years covering infants up to school age students. While teaching, I have also worked evenings and weekends for the United States Census Bureau tracking the data from the families in the United States.

My teaching methodologies are strongly centered around ‘experiential’ learning.  Experiential learning is an engaged learning process whereby a student “learns by doing” and then later reflects on his or her own experience. I believe, in today’s generation, children learn faster and more by being a part of the learning process.  Having their hands, eyes, thoughts and senses, involved in learning is important. Engaging students in this fashion, allows them to connect theories and knowledge learned in the classroom to real-world situations.

My teaching philosophy incorporates the idea that every child is curious, and capable of learning new things. However, each child is unique with different interests, backgrounds, and developmental stages. As an educator, I  feel it is our role to facilitate learning by providing a supportive learning environment and endless opportunities for each child to experience, explore, discover and imagine, while continually encouraging creativity.

When not at work, I spend my free time with my own children and fiancé. I am a proud mother of my 27-year-old daughter, Kelsey, who lives and works in New York and Hunter, my 8-year-old son and of course, less I forget, my newest child (dog) Sophie she is a 6 month old lab. I love being outside, enjoying the world around me and learning about its history. I enjoy day trips to the beach, driving my jeep and spending time with friends and family. My hobbies include photography, genealogy, and flea market/yard sale hunts with my mom.

I am thoroughly thankful to Kevin and Sharon, for the opportunity to work with the staff and families of Children Central!