We are wrapping up our ‘Meet the Director’ blog series for now with this final post introducing Ms. Kacie! Ms. Kacie is our Director in our Downtown Des Moines location in Iowa. Kacie has been in our Downtown location for the last few years as a teacher and she was promoted to the Director position a few months ago. She has been leading her team with positivity and excitement as they transitioned their school into Yellow Brick Road!
To get to know Kacie more, we asked her a few questions! Our first question was “What started your career in early childhood education?”
“I began working in childcare at 15 years old, coming after school and just cleaning the building until I was old enough to be in a classroom with the children. I then began to LOVE being with the children, creating the relationships with the children, and their families, and becoming part of their path in life.”
As we get to know Kacie, we also want to get to know what encouraged her to become a Director at Yellow Brick Road! We asked her, “Why did you decide to become a Director at Yellow Brick Road?”
“When I was asked to be the director at Yellow Brick Road I was thrilled. I want to be able to make a mark on each of the children and the staff as well. I want staff to realize how important they are, how valued they are, and how important they are to all of these children that we get to love on each day! I want the staff to have the same realization that I did at a young age. This is so much more than just a “daycare”. This career is so rewarding.”
One of our favorite questions to ask our directors is, “What is the best piece of advice you could give to a first-time parent while they are touring preschools?”
“Be open-minded, ask ALL the questions you have, and choose a place your child can learn, grow, smile, and enjoy being a part of every day!”
When you tell someone that you’re a Director at Yellow Brick Road, they usually wanto to know, “What do you look forward to most when you come to work each day?”
“The kids, all of them. They have so much love to give, and so do we! Being greeted each morning with a smile and hug is the best way to start any day! Watching the kids AND staff learn and accomplish new things every day gives me so much joy.”
As a Director, growth is imminent and unavoidable, in the best ways possible! So, we asked Kacie, “In which areas have you grown professionally since beginning your career with Yellow Brick Road?”
“Yellow Brick Road has been an OUTSTANDING company to work for. They make me feel important, they make me feel valued, and they listen. They want the best for each and every one of their employees. They encourage me to try new things and to have the confidence to grow and expand!”
To us, core values are values that should be included in everything we do throughout the day. Our teachers are trained using our core values and our classroom structure is set to incorporate our core values in our students’ days every day. So of course, we asked Kacie, “Which of our core values stands out the most to you?”
“This is a hard one, definitely between Nurturing & Positivity. I would have to say Nurturing. I love to build relationships with my families and staff. Showing compassion and grace to every person who comes up our stairs and seeing each child and adult as an individual and helping promote healthy growth and development within them!”
Knowing that Kacie has been in this field fro a while, we asked her, “What piece of advice would you give to a teacher beginning their career in early childhood education?”
“Plan.. but also, be very ready to change those plans! Each day will be different. Be ready to switch up your plans, be ready to read your childrens’ behaviors and moods for the day, and then plan your day based on them! Each child is different, the way they learn will be different, and the way they express themselves will be different. Get to know your children, and how to best help them succeed!”
Our last question is one that we like to ask all of our teachers. Everyone who teaches children can answer this question easily! We asked her, “What is your favorite children’s book?”
“The Big Umbrella was one of my FAVORITE books to read to my PreK classroom each year, and I think adults could take something away from this book too This book sparkles with its celebration of the joy that comes when we include others. It was written by a mother and her daughter while walking to school in the rain. The story begins with a narrator introducing a big umbrella by the door; it’s a really big umbrella, big enough for everyone. I love the inclusion of a diverse cast of characters, making this a wonderful book with a very positive, uplifting message!”