Alina C.

Meet Alina

• Speaks English
• Comfortable with pets
• Has a car

I have 20+ years working with children as an early childhood educator and nanny for infants through school agers. I am a certified teacher and hold a bachelor degree in Child and Family Studies and a masters degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I am trained in constructivist teaching, with anti-bias and culturally competent awareness. I am currently a substitute teacher for Portland Public Schools. I most recently worked at Helen Gordon Child Development Center at Portland State University, a Reggio Emilia inspired school, for 6 years. Before that, I was a nanny for 3 families for several years, and still keep in touch. My approach with young children is rooted in the philosophy that children learn best through hands-on play, inquiry, and exposure to the natural world around them. I love getting creative and messy with children, as well as engaging in plenty of physical exercise in and Read more out of doors. I guide children by modeling what I teach through age appropriate means and use positive discipline for behavior expectations, making connections before corrections to understand and remedy underlying problems. I see every child as a gift with unique abilities and contributions to offer and do my best to bring these qualities out in ways that are authentic, safe and inspiring. I strive to nurture their sense of self and passion for exploring, learning and growing in ways that develop critical thinking skills by posing provocations and asking questions rather than simply feeding them my own biased ideas and answers alone. I teach children empathy for others, problem solving skills, and self-help so they can grow into kind, confident, responsible and competent world citizens. Finally, offering children holistic nutrition, ample rest and a clean/safe environment are important aspects of my work with children. I feel all of these are necessary components in nurturing positive overall development in children I work with and care for and I take great pride in forging meaningful, lasting connections.

Trust & safety

Experience

References

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