Our wonderful, NVC-trained teachers / facilitators are passionate about our students and our school, which creates a joyful and compassionate environment in which the children, parents, and facilitators alike can feel connected and secure.
Our teachers are experienced preschool teachers and child care facilitators who also hold advanced degrees and certificate in art, languages, education, linguistics, mathematics, nature, physical fitness, literature, art, science, child development and brain development, which bolsters the enriching environment for our children. We have an incredibly attentive ratio of 1 to 4 (typical), with a 1 to 6 maximum!
Linda Shannon, Founding Director/ Facilitator
Linda is the mother of 3 young children: Kian, Kaveh, and Laleh. She is an avid gardener, a builder, a writer, an artist, she is bilingual in Japanese, an unexpected potato farmer, and she loves people. She graduated with honors from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and minors in Mathematics, Linguistics, and Japanese; she has been working with children and youth for over 20 years.
Linda has completed multiple sessions of coursework at the Center for Non-violent Education and Parenting (now called “The ECHO Center”), with founder and executive director Ruth Beaglehole. She has also completed studies directly under both Bev Bos and Marshall Rosenberg (Non Violent Communication). She completed her studies in early childhood education at UCLA (University of Southern California, Los Angeles) Extension, and is currently in process of becoming a director mentor with the California Early Childhood Mentor Program.
Linda writes a blog that appears on various multinational websites, including that of the Center for Non Violent Communication. She has also served on UCLA Extension’s Education Department Early Childhood Education Advisory Committee, and is a life coach, working with children young and old to reach their highest potential and find fulfillment within their lives.
“Our motto really says it all: ‘People are people no matter how small.’ And you really have to come and visit to appreciate what this means to us.”
Adelaide Long, Facilitator, Mentoring Teacher
Adelaide moved here from Florida with her husband. She originally went to school for nursing and then went back to school to get her Early Childhood Degree. She has over 10 years of experience working with special needs people. She is so comfortable working with kids that they feel comfortable almost instantly when in her presence. Adelaide has a very gentle way of being in the world, and we are very lucky to have her here with us. Adelaide completed the Echo Center series, and has been continuing to learn about the authentic and transparent approach developed by PlaySchool through ongoing staff development. We rely on Adelaide to hold space for us at PlaySchool: Adelaide is an active and important part of teacher training. She also comes up with some amazing and engaging plans for the kids… PlaySchool wouldn’t be the same without her.
“I just love it here and when I am not here I miss it. There is no place like PlaySchool…. PlaySchool will be around forever, because it has to be.”
Melody Elder, Educational Advisor and Parent and Faculty Support
Melody is the mother of an adult daughter, is a teacher and parent educator with over 35 years experience working with children and parents in nursery school, elementary school, and home-school settings. She has taught parenting classes for South Bay Adult School and the Center for Positive Parenting and works part-time teaching and directing at Manhattan Beach Nursery School. Melody maintains a private coaching practice in the South Bay where she facilitates parenting support groups as well as 1:1 coaching (www.awakenedheartparenting.com). She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and in Spiritual Psychology and is a credentialed teacher in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education.
PARTNERSHIPS WITH UCLA and EL CAMINO COLLEGE
We are also proud that UCLA Extension and El Camino College early childhood education departments have chosen Riviera PlaySchool as a practicum site for their student teachers. On any given day you may also see a fabulous teacher in training out in the yard, lending an extra hand at playschool! Our fabulous teaching staff serves as mentors to aspiring Early Childhood educators, and in exchange they impart their passion, wisdom, and experience to playschool! Win-Win!
A Wise Word from TASHA BUCHANAN, Facilitator (2008~2011)
“I have been working with children for about 8 years, and have been at Riviera PlaySchool in various capacities for the last 3. I have been a nanny, a tutor, a preschool teacher, and now a substitute preschool teacher while I complete my studies in nursing. At Riviera PlaySchool, our primary focus is to help the children develop emotional intelligence and encourage them to express their needs to each other, and make successful connections with their community.
I think that the key to avoiding problems is building as much communication as possible with everyone concerned. I’ve seen a few situations where a child’s behavior starts changing at home and the family believes that he/she is getting this new attitude from school. The parents expressed their concerns, and this helped us be more aware and know what to look for while the children play. By talking frequently with parents AND children we are able to tackle different situations as a team. In the end, the biggest potential problems usually stem from a lack of communication.
Just listening and seeing what interests the kids also helps me keep current. Whatever they are drawn to out in the play yard, in the studio, or talk about, I make note of and see if we can turn those ideas into a learning experience or a teacher-led plan.
We encourage healthy development through listening and giving the kids a place to really explore. By being student-led we are encouraging creativity and critical thinking. If a child wants to try to make an airplane, we will do our best to provide the materials to do that. If she wants to paint the playhouse, great! what happens if we mix the green and the yellow?? If one wants to put toys in the water table, what sinks? which floats? Also, when we do set limits we check in with them and see if they have any ideas. By giving them a voice we are helping build confidence and independence. For an example, a few weeks I was having a hard time taking hikes with the kids. One child in particular would take off running every time we went out on the trail. Instead of throwing down the hammer and telling him he could not go on the hike anymore, I brought him to the side and told him that it was becoming a big problem and we needed to come up with a way to fix it. He said that if I yelled stop as soon as he started to run then he would stop right away… The next day it worked! I yelled stop and he came right back… and ran in circles!”
