Laura McCarthy, PK-3 teacher

Laura-McCarthy“The thing I love most about teaching/working at SWS is… The Community! The hugs! And kale.

The thing I am most proud of is… Figuring out that being an Early Childhood Educator was my dream and working really hard to make it come true.

In my free time I enjoy… Cooking, Baking, Thinky TV, and Musical Theater.

A teacher is as much a partner as s/he is a guide. A teacher conducts research on everything- the kids, the environment, and the topics, and comes up with ways to spark curiosity and inspire critical thinking. Once the path is set, the teacher steps back from the role of leader and joins the students as a partner in exploring and making sense of the new, the challenging, and the unknown in authentic ways that give learners agency over their own knowledge and understanding.

I am passionate about teaching children for three reasons:

  1. Children are some of the most fascinating and engaging people in the world.
  2. I believe people are lifelong learners. Being a teacher allows me to continue my path as a learner while I lead others in just starting out their own learners’ paths.
  3. I decided to go into teaching because when I was working as a nanny, I felt profound joy and excitement each time one of my charges picked up a new word or skill or made a new connection. Working as a teacher — especially as an Early Childhood teacher — allows me the chance to usher children through coming into some of their first understandings about the world. And each time I witness that, I feel that same joy all over again.

Ms. Laura brings to SWS a degree in Women’s and Gender Studies and Spanish at Clark University and a teacher certification Center for Inspired Teaching. She’s also a leader of Center for Inspired Teaching’s Fellows Advisory Board.