What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? This will be my fourth year teaching Pre-K in DC. Prior to joining Stevens ELC to teach Pre-K 4, I taught in mixed-age Pre-K classrooms in local charter schools. I am excited to join the Stevens team and begin a new adventure.

What do you love most about the early childhood education (ECE) age group? Young children consistently inspire me with their ability to flourish when provided with the tools, strategies and opportunities they deserve. When offered respect, time and support, our youngest learners build caring, adaptive, and creative classroom communities together. I also feel that working with young children brings out the best in me. They inspire me to be curious, patient, welcoming and forgiving.  I feel lucky to be part of a profession that cultivates joy, creativity and friendship between students, families and educators.

Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? I believe in the power of high-quality ECE experiences and the importance of reflective and responsive practice. I believe my primary responsibility as an educator is to design a responsive education experience that introduces school as a place of joy, growth, questioning and support for both students and families. I believe children thrive best when we hold high expectations for both them and ourselves, but always remember that everyone requires time and love to grow.

How can we make virtual learning successful? Be responsive and adaptive while also anticipating needs. As teachers, we need to think through the details from the perspective of our students and their families at all times. We then also need to work individually with families to tailor the experience to their family’s unique needs

What are some of your favorite children’s books? Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey C. Kyle and Little Cloud by Eric Carle

What was your favorite childhood book? My favorite childhood book was Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Fun fact about myself: I have 9 nieces and nephews!

• What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? My role at Stevens is a lead PreK 3 classroom teacher. This is my first year as a lead teacher and I am beyond thrilled! I have been with DCPS for the last two years as a paraprofessional. Previously, I was a substitute teacher at a DC Public Charter school. I have been in education for a total of 7 years and it has truly been an amazing experience!
• What do you love most about the ECE age group? What I love most is their curiosity. I love that they are always so eager to ask questions and to seek understanding. For them, they leave no stone unturned! I also love how adventurous and bold they are. They cannot wait to see what’s next and how they can be a part of it, and they have no problem letting you know.
• Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? I believe that teaching and learning goes hand in hand. Teachers can learn so much from their students, which is why it’s so important that student’s voices are heard. Students should be given every opportunity to thrive in a warm, safe, fun, and engaging environment. I strive to inspire and to be inspired by my students and all they bring to the table. My goal is to show students that they are unique individuals whose learning is a top priority. I want them to know that they are important and a very valuable part of our classroom.
• How can we make virtual learning successful? We can make virtual learning successful though teamwork. Teachers, parents, family, community members, and so many more! When we are all working together to support and encourage student learning and achievement, students will be pointed toward success. It takes a team, and we are all in this together!
• Some of my favorite children’s book series include Pete the Cat, If I Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The Pigeon Book Series. My favorite childhood book was The Principal’s New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson.
• A fun fact about me is that I LOVE to sing, but I am always shy when asked to sing on the spot.

Now for our first PK3 Stevens teacher feature, Lillian Farnham! We are so excited for you to meet her soon!

How long have you been teaching? I am entering the 10th year of my teaching career. All of my formal teaching experience has been with DC Public Schools, I previously taught at Tyler Elementary School in Southeast, DC. 

What do you love most about the ECE age group? What I love most about teaching early learners is the children’s genuine curiosity about the world around them and watching their development over time. It is incredible to witness the pace at which our three and four year olds are able to acquire new skills and knowledge. 

Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? “I did not come to teach you. I came to love you. Love will teach you.” -Unknown. This quote very simply sums up my teaching philosophy. For many years I focused on lesson plans, data, scores, progress reports, growth, rigor because that is what is important outside of the classroom. What politicians, policy makers and administrators do not realize is that teaching has almost nothing to do with any of that. Teaching is love. It is recognizing that each child, no matter how small has a voice and place in the world. Teaching is about making children feel unconditionally welcome in their environment and allowing them to be their true selves. When children feel loved and supported they laugh, they make friends, they take risks, they grow. And when you truly love the work that you do as a teacher, the amount of growth that can be made within a single child is limitless.

How can we make virtual learning successful? We can make virtual learning successful by engaging as partners with families and children. The key to tackling the challenge of virtual learning is going to be clear and concise communication as well as helping parents and guardians feel empowered to help build skills at home. 

What are some of your favorite children’s books? Some of my favorite children’s books are: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I Am Enough, Giraffes Can’t Dance, Dragons Love Tacos, Abiyoyo, Friendshape, All Are Welcome. 

What was your favorite childhood book? My favorite childhood book was Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown 

If you could have any super power what would it be and why? If I could have any super power, I would want to be able to teleport to anywhere in the world. I love to travel to new places and I do not live close to any family, so I would use my powers to see the world and see my family all the time. 

We are so excited for Stevens Early Learning Center’s new school year! As part of this school’s modernization and reopening, we will be featuring different staff members here on our blog. Please meet one of Stevens’ teachers, Erika Blackburn!

How long have you been teaching?  This year, I will begin my third year teaching Prek4. My first two years were at Excel Academy, DCPS’s first and only all-girls school. Teaching represents a late career pivot for me. (Edit: Ms. Blackburn’s class will be a mixed-aged classroom for SY20-21.)

What do you love most about the ECE age group? I love teaching four year olds because I enjoy their natural curiosities and joyful energy. I got my PhD in developmental psychology from Cornell University where I studied development at the intersection of social and cognitive development. Teaching prek is an opportunity for me to apply what I’ve learned over the years from a research and evaluation perspective to everyday interactions in support of learning in a prek classroom.

Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? My teaching philosophy is under development, but facilitating authentic learning experiences seems to be emerging as central to my thinking and practice.

What are some of your favorite children’s books?  It’s hard to choose my absolute favorite children’s books, but I can say that I revel in the laughs I get when I read Mo Willems’ Piggie and Gerald books; I am fascinated by what children learn about the natural world when I read Dianna Aston’s series about sleepy seeds quiet eggs, and patient butterflies; and I am moved by the thoughtful questions I get when little ones study the righteous and moving illustrations in Kadir Nelson’s books.

What was your favorite childhood book? My favorite children’s book was The best-loved doll. I really appreciated how this sort of worn down doll who couldn’t really “do” anything fancy could have been the most loved doll in a collection.

Any fun facts about yourself? Fun and little known fact – I was scheduled to attend adult mermaid camp this summer in Florida, but it was cancelled due to covid-19. 😦