About Stephanie

I began working with kids at the age of 13. For three months I cared for two children 7 days a week 8-10 hours a day. When I started the youngest was a newborn, 3 months, and the oldest was 7. I did this job every summer for 3 years. At 16 I started volunteering in a head start preschool programs in EGUSD and fell in love working with children. As I became more comfortable in the classroom I started volunteering in the autism program also through Elk Grove Unified and ultimately ended up becoming a para educator for the program. In the years of being a para educator I was able to gain experience with all levels of autism as well as general education classes pre-K to second grade. Having worked with such a variety of students I can honestly say I love teaching and working with children. Regardless of verbal skills, behaviors, intellect, etc. I always strive to find a way to make a connection with each student. I don't really like to consider myself a "babysitter" because I value the time I get to spend with a child and I want to do more than just watch over them. My experience has given me a confidence to be more hands on when working with a child. I would much rather read a story to a kid before bed than sit them in front of a TV. Being that I have mainly worked with children in a classroom environment it is much more natural for me to interact and do arts and crafts rather than give a kid the newest electronics. To me when it comes to kids, no matter the age, it's those things that make a difference, and for me the whole reason I work with kids is because I'm hoping to (even in the smallest way) make a positive difference in their lives.