Teachers
Pedagogista Laila
The Reggio Approach takes years of study and practice to effectively understand and implement. I had the opportunity as a parent and then as teacher to really reflect on how best to engage children in the Reggio Approach for over 20 years. There is often a debate on which educational philosophy: Progressive or Traditional, is best for young children; and in my journey as a parent, I discovered how valuable critical thinking, confidence, and the passion to learn was over the mechanics of reading and writing. Children engaging in formulating theories, discussion of ideas, problem-solving, and role-playing collaborative stories are building much more on “reading comprehension,” complex thinking/analysis, and creativity. These are the learning experiences that are foundational to higher education, and I have witnessed this with my own children.
Atelierista Jazmin
I was born in Guatemala and I came to the US when I was just 10 years old. I worked diligently to learn English and focus on my education. I am the first generation in my family to attend University. Currently, I am in my third year working towards my Bachelor’s at California State University Northridge in Child Development.
My passion is to work with young children and I started my journey in ECE when I was just in my teens volunteering with children at my church. Three years ago, I started my journey as a preschool teacher at Synapse Atelier and I am extremely passionate about creating environments that inspire young children to connect with nature and to each other.
Because children are the future, I believe the greatest investment that the world can make is in their Early Childhood Education (ECE), empowering children to think as problem-solvers, engage in community discussions, and advocate for positive change.
Teacher Madeline
My parents are immigrants from Guatemala and I was born and raised in the US. My first language is Spanish but I’ve become balanced bilingual in English and Spanish. I am the eldest of 5, so from a very young age, I was caring for my younger siblings and I’ve grown to love it and appreciate it. I have 10 years of volunteer experience with children ages 4-12 at my church. I am the first in my family to attend college. I am in my 2nd year at Los Angeles Valley college, and I am applying to universities to get my bachelor’s in Elementary Teacher Education.
I am eager to learn more at Synapse Atelier about Progressive Education and the Reggio Approach as it focuses on the important ideas that children have and how they learn by engaging with peers and the environment.
