Educator Profile: Teresa Garcia
Roles and Responsibilities
Meet Teresa Garcia, former lead teacher, and present-day director of The College for Kids Bilingual Daycare—an Early Childhood Center in the Federal Way School District. At the Center, Teresa is responsible for keeping the environment safe and the daily operations running smoothly. Her role requires her to collaborate and communicate with multiple different members of the education team.
For example, she will meet with organizations specialized in child development, and then provide resources to families and teachers within her community. She will work alongside teachers, developing curriculums, and coordinating schedules. To continue promoting multicultural equity, she takes the extra effort to communicate with the families directly.
Teresa’s multifaceted position requires her to have an in-depth knowledge of child development, and a well-rounded understanding of her staff. Not only does Teresa hire, supervise, and manage the staff, but she encourages their ongoing professional development by offering them coaching and training. She supports the children by providing play-based experiences and an ideal learning environment.
Recommendations for Future Educators
Before entering into the Early Education field, Teresa urges all potential employees to gain an understanding of how an Early Childhood Center works, and what the expectations are for teachers and staff. In Teresa’s case, part of her job is to ensure the Center is compliant, and the lesson plans are consistent with local and federal regulations. Thanks to Teresa, the Center’s facilities are safe, clean, stocked with supplies, and maintained to state regulatory standards.
When advising future educators, she emphasizes that the needs of the students are the first priority. Teresa says that for a child to feel supported, safe, and happy, the staff members must demonstrate leadership, creativity, love, advocacy, and understanding. When teachers and staff understand the uniqueness of each child, they are better equipped to support the child’s development.
“Each child is unique and each of them learns in their own pace and style.”
Teresa explains that the beauty of each child’s personality offers a tremendous opportunity for the educator to provide the right environment for he/she/they to learn and grow while feeling supported. As a child follows their own path, various needs and learning opportunities are going to arise; Educators must be ready to act and accommodate accordingly.
Challenges Along the Way
Before becoming the director of the Center, Teresa worked as a fast-food supervisor, and lead teacher. As with any career path, she has experienced highs and lows on her journey. Currently, Teresa’s progress is stalled due to a language barrier and lack of funding. As a mother, she has chosen to put her children’s education costs first—which means she must depend on outside funding and scholarships for her own education expenses. In the long term, Teresa would like to complete her Bachelors’s degree and become a certified teacher.
Sometimes, others will ask Teresa if she will be able to continue teaching in the next quarter. At 49 years old, Teresa is aware that she does not always have the energy to be around children all the time, but she knows that she loves to teach. She sees a need, that children need teachers who look like them and identify with them, to help them feel proud of who they are.
Rewarding Moments
Teresa is passionate about advocating for better opportunities for children. Even on challenging days, the children are full of love and ready to share it. Teresa believes that as an educator, she has a privilege, an honor, and an enormous responsibility to create an impact.