• Current student Oakland University.  Program:  Master of Education in Early Childhood Education
• Adjunct Instructor Macomb Community College since 2007.
• Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education, from Rochester College.  Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a cumulative GPA of 4.0  Fall 2006. 
• 20 years experience teaching and caring for children ages newborn through ten years old.
• Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education, graduated Summa Cum Laude, in the top eleven of fourteen hundred graduating students.  Earned the honor of one of Macomb Community College’s most distinguished graduates in 2002!
• 18 years owning and operating Little Tot’s.
• In both 2004 and at renewal in August 2007, received accreditation through the National Association for Family Child Care, honored for excellence in quality child care.
   
  Affiliations Past and Present:
  
• National Association for the Education of Young Children         1996 to Present
• National Association for Family Child Care                                        2001 to Present
• Michigan Association for Child Care Providers, Inc.                      1999 to Present
• Redleaf National Institute                                                                          2003 to Present
• Crisis Clinic Resource Network                                                                1989 to 1990     
   

The Philosophy that Guides the Little Tot’s team: 
 
There is currently a vast amount of information available on the subject of how children learn and develop.  It has been found, that early experiences have a critical influence on the architecture of the brain and on the nature and extent of adult capacities.  Early interactions do not just create a circumstance; they directly affect the way the brain is ‘wired’. Recent brain research suggests that warm responsive care is not only comforting for children it is critical to healthy development. Hence, it is my belief that the most important aspect of a child’s development is having a secure attachment to a stable nurturing caregiver.
 
It has always been our goal to have a personal family relationship with each child.  Children learn most through interaction with adults and peers.  Adult models greatly influence behavior and by the examples set, provoke similar responses from children. Role modeling positive prosocial behavior is by far the most effective way for children to learn how to interact with others.  It is necessary for teachers to give a lot of individualized attention while facilitating and supporting the child’s interest. There is a constant atmosphere of compassion and interaction.  I believe this is a key factor in determining a quality early childhood program.
 
The guidance techniques, used in this program, are problem solving, logical consequences, and behavior modification.  The use of logical consequences is the most natural way to handle a problem.  Through life, on a day-to-day basis, people deal with the consequences of their actions, from infancy to adulthood.  Children learn best this way.   Behavior modification is another way to guide children to behave in the appropriate manner.  By rewarding positive behavior, and ignoring negative behavior (when it is suitable to do so), adults have the ability to change behavior.  This theory works because children genuinely aim to please.   All three of these methods of guidance help to teach the children positive self-discipline.
 
It is the teacher’s job in an early childhood setting to empower children to take control of their own learning.  The environment that children interact in, is the foundation by which they learn  School success will occur in a child who possesses high self-esteem, initiative and autonomy.  It is my belief that in a predominantly child directed atmosphere, where enriched free play and positive social interaction are apparent, children learn best.  It is the process of frequently meeting and mastering meaningful new challenges, which helps to build a high sense of self.  Once the groundwork is set, the rest will come.