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As an early childhood educator, I have committed my life to the education of young children.  As a child, my mother was a childcare provider which lead me to the teaching field. After being a childcare provider myself for 12 years, I decided to work for the Office of Child Development and Early Learning as a Certification Representative aka Childcare inspector.  I was able to work with so many wonderful committed providers and teach at statewide conferences.  Although I loved my job, I missed working with children.  I missed seeing their smiling faces each morning and sharing stories.  I missed teaching them about the caterpillar I just found outside or why the rain made a rainbow. I missed watching as a young child took their first steps or when we celebrated when they lost their first tooth. I missed their honestly and their natural curiosity to always know more.  I missed them!   

 

I decided I needed to return to the field and directly work with children. As my journey has continued and I’ve had the opportunity to network and learn from other providers, teachers, professors from all over the country and even other countries.  I’ve expanded, developed, and challenged what I thought I knew about early childhood.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the first 2,000 days are the most important days of a child’s life and they are not meant to be rushed through.  These days are truly where a child builds their character and learns where and how they fit in the world.  These first 2,000 days set the tone for their whole future.  Knowing just how important these days are, its our responsibility as adults to protect these days, to allow children the time to learn, problem solve and negotiate their world.  To allow them the time to investigate why the dew appears in the morning but is gone by midday.  Sure, we tell them why, but the joy and deep understanding a child develops by investigating themselves is unparalleled. For this reason, we’re not just play-based, we are play-obsessed!  Children can learn everything through play and when done with the support of  strong educators, this learning can be enriched into deep understanding that simply can’t be duplicated in a traditional classroom. 

 

I invite and encourage you to allow Nature & Nurture Discovery School the privilege of working with your family to show you the nature and play based way of raising happy, healthy, independent children.  

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Jessica Shertzer

Owner