August National Teacher of the Month

Our teachers across the county are truly game-changers. They are dedicated, passionate and truly know how to engage each of their students every day.

The process of choosing just one teacher each month is beyond difficult, but we are pleased to announce that our 2019 August National Teacher of the Month is Lauren Arviso of Little Sunshine’s Playhouse and Preschool of Scottsdale, AZ!

We can think of no better candidate for the honor of Teacher of the Month than Ms. Lauren. She has been with Little Sunshine’s as the Lead Toddler teacher for just under a year. Ms. Lauren embraces the philosophy of “process over product” in her curriculum, which shows in every area of her classroom. The activities Ms. Lauren plans are all designed to inspire creativity and imagination while teaching the fundamentals of the lesson for that day. One of our favorite things to do is to watch her classroom transform throughout the month, as she builds and adds to the environment with child-led projects and activities. Ms. Lauren truly understands the mind of a toddler and has created an environment in which her students are able to learn and grow at their own pace, while oftentimes being introduced to a wide variety of objects and mediums to supplement their learning.

Here is some fun information about her and what makes her such a standout!

What age group do you teach?
Toddlers

What is the name of your classroom?
Wonderland

What do you love most about the age group you teach?
How much their curiosity drives their creativity to “think outside the box.”

What is your favorite curriculum project you’ve ever done in your classroom?
My favorite is a tie between our morpho butterfly board for the rainforest theme and the solar system display we put on our windows.

What do you enjoy most about working for LSP?
What I enjoy most is how much encouragement and support I have from not only my own center but throughout the entire company. The Educator Passion Bucket allows us to engage with one another making it easier to suggest classroom ideas or ask questions.

Who and/or what inspires you?
The Reggio Emilia concept itself inspires me a lot. I had heard of it before working for LSP but after I was hired, I dug a little deeper into what the core concept of it was. I have participated in trainings on how to introduce certain materials into the classroom. I believe learning the Reggio Emilia approach has challenged my teaching style, creativity and much more which makes me become a better teacher.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I enjoy spending time with my three boys, watching football, weight training and going back to the Hopi Reservation to visit family.

Tell us one special fact about yourself that no one would expect.
I’ve run in 4 marathons and 3 half marathons.

We also want to say congratulations to all the nominees who are listed below. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication!

Guillermina (GG) Serrano – Alpharetta
Kastasia Britt– Colorado Springs
Fierra Fowler – Franklin
Destiny Babb – Gilbert (Val Vista)
April Croce – Granite Bay
Jessica Garcia – Lakeway
Sierra Vest – Leawood
Monika Herbrand – Littleton
Kira Harvey – O’Fallon
Valerie Vacha – Overland Park
Sydney Hart – Ozark
Damaris Marquez – Rogers
Iliana Rodriguez – San Antonio – Dominion
Laura Cheesebro – San Antonio – Stone Oak
Stefanie Garcia – Southlake
Lydia Collier – Springfield I
Jamie Wilkison – Springfield II
Cheynne Horning – Springfield III
Hannah Hopkins – The Woodlands
Merissa Loucks – Willowbrook
Sienna Tuinei – University City