“Being vulnerable and sharing a piece of yourself might be the hardest thing we do as humans. What if we are rejected? What if we aren’t liked? What if we are othered? Being part of a group that is often lumped in with others, the world often forgets just how brilliant and beautiful our people are. In this interview, Mike […]
I used to think that there were thoughts that needed to be filed under a mental cabinet called “the things I will never say or think about ever again”. I used to think that if I were to say some of my thoughts out loud, they would take their own form, create little legs, run away and cause chaos everywhere. […]
My palms were sweaty for the first time in a long time. I hadn’t figured out the bottle warmers yet. My co-teacher, Andrea (she/her), and I talked about the sensory experiences we wanted to bring in. We arranged our room to be cozy and homey. The familiar sight and scents of our rainbow room, a room I had just spent […]
Preface: This blog is a reflection of the conversation educators in River Room at Hilltop had with their 3-5 year olds when news broke that the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found. Acknowledgements: I want to start by honoring and thanking Queen Anne’s Program Supervisor, Theresa (she/her), an Indigenous womxn from the Crow Nation, whom in a conversation last […]
“I’ve always wanted to have a classroom mural created by kids.” I honestly cannot remember what my co-teachers and I were talking about before this came out of my mouth, but from that point on, it was inevitable – we would have a mural. We actually ended up with three, one of which was a mural installed at a bus stop shelter across the street from Hilltop at our […]
Remember your hand placement. Remember to smile. Remember to ask permission to reach over. No sudden movements Mike, no sudden movements. My mind raced. My heart was beating twice as fast. The thought of “will I be another hashtag” floated in my mind. Last night, on St. Patrick’s day, I got pulled over. I was doing 35 in a 30 […]
The pandemic exposed a lot things in our society. How little regard we have for educators especially early childhood educators and the childcare system. How we view, treat, and support or Black, Brown, Indigenous, brothers, sisters, and two-spirits. How White Supremacy and the manifestation of racism is embedded in every fabric of society. How empathy and compassion can go a […]
Hilltop set to become a Seattle Preschool Provider Hilltop will join over 120 providers in providing high-quality, affordable preschool to children across the City of Seattle. Seattle, WA – Published on Mar 9th, 2021 – Hilltop Children’s Center and Educator Institute has been accepted into the Seattle Preschool Program (SPP). Hilltop, a reggio-inspired preschool, afterschool program, and early learning professional […]
It was 15 years ago this August when I was sitting at a table with my parents and their friends at some function I probably didn’t even want to attend. I was undoubtedly filling my face with cake at the table, having decided I was “way too cool and way too old” to be seen interacting with the group of 5-year-olds […]