Zina N.

Meet Zina

• Speaks English and French
• Comfortable with pets

You will find that my 4+ years of experience working with primarily preschool aged youth in various settings (private families, classroom, summer camps, after-school programs) and my self-designed major in Global Development and Early Childhood Education have given me an excellent early child background. I believe strongly in the value of education, and the opportunities it provides not only for individual success and growth, but also for social change. Through my self-designed major I cultivated a multi-disciplinary understanding of educational potentials, strategies and desired outcomes focused on advancing social justice through education. This involved studying diverse pedagogies, from traditional to child-centered (Montessori, Waldorf, etc.) to foreign (specially, Finnish, Korean and East African models) to more specific models (garden-based, trauma-informed, art-therapy, multiple-learning theory). During my time working with NAEYC, I have been able to ground my knowledge in Developmentally Appropriate Practice, especially as it relates to dual-language learning, trauma-informed care and Read more technology. In my experience working with preschool aged children, I have found that with clear and consistent boundaries, a reliable routine, and supportive reinforcement, the children are able develop and explore their natural inquisitiveness, critical thinking and socio-emotional skills. I believe in taking the long route with my children: providing explanations for my boundaries, posing questions and offering a safe space to explore ideas, and encouraging independence, consent, self-control where needed, and, most of all, agency. I have had great success with these strategies in the diverse classrooms I have worked in, but am always eager to learn more methods and develop my co-learning abilities. As a non-career bot, I also love gardening, cooking, doing yoga and dance daily, singing really loudly, outdoor sports like hiking and swimming, spending time with my friends and family, and relaxing with a good book or movie. I am new to New York, enjoying my first break from work in 10 years and very eager to get to know to know the city!

Trust & safety

Experience

References

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