Meet Our La Petite Academy Staff – Ms. Esther, Lead Preschool Teacher

Meet Ms. Esther, lead preschool teacher at La Petite Academy on Crosslands Rd. In Fort Worth, TX! And did we mention that she was named the Teacher of the Year out of our entire Learning Care Group family of brands?  Way to go, Esther!

Read on to learn more about this incredible member of our La Petite team!

Tell us about your background in early education!

I’ve been working with children for 31 years. I have a little bit of college and have taken some courses on education. I have a 31 year old daughter and a 24 year old daughter. I’d never worked with children before – I was maybe 19 or 20 – so I started working with children and taking classes to learn more, just educating myself as a young mother, and I fell in love with it!

Did your school do anything special to announce your Teacher of the Year award?

They did! My school is very special. My staff just told me corporate was coming, and everybody was scattering and going crazy, and I’m just thinking of how I like when corporate comes because they get to see my room! I work really hard on my room. So two ladies came in and they were looking around and asking me questions. Then later when I was getting ready to go home, they were like, “Come here, come in the village for a little bit and bring your kids!” I thought, “Oh, it must be graduation for Pre-K!” Didn’t even know it was for me! It was a blessing.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

It’s rewarding to me because when the parents of these children are not around, I am their parent. I treat them the way I would my own children. I love them and I can’t wait to see them, and if one is out, I’m worried and I call, and when I’m out, I’m wondering who’s in there! I have a few that don’t speak very much and I know how to communicate with them. I make sure I pay attention to each one of them individually. I love my job. I love my kids. I love my room.

What is your typical day like?

Busy! It’s extremely busy, but I have so much stuff planned on a daily basis. My mind is going crazy – every day I try my best to bring in something new to introduce to my class. I take a lot of pride in what I do and I want to make sure my kids are happy and busy at all times.

Why do you feel early education programs are important for kids?

It’s important because they learn how to get along without their parents there. We talk about stranger danger, we talk about when to call 911, we talk about our phone number. All those things that some parents may not have time to teach them, that’s what we do. I give them my best every day.

Can you share some of your favorite hobbies?

I’m an artist. When I leave here, a lot of times on weekends, I paint murals on walls for businesses, churches, schools, hospitals. You name it.

Is there a memorable moment that you’d like to share from your time at La Petite?

When I first came to La Petite, there was a little boy in my class who was Indian and he didn’t speak any English at all. He didn’t eat, he didn’t want to play, he was just there. He was four and I had three-year-olds, so it was time for him to move up, and I asked my boss if he could stay with me for just a little bit longer. He wasn’t potty trained either. Well, I potty trained him and he learned to speak amazing English! When I mean amazing, I mean amazing! He started school and he did great in school. To this day, his mom still brings him to come see me. He’s so amazing, you should see him! As a matter of fact, he came to see me for Teacher Appreciation Week! I almost started crying.

What are some future accomplishments you’d like to achieve?

I’m looking at getting my CDA. I want to move up in the company. I really, really want to move through the company and go to different schools and show them how I set up my room, how I make it fun. I want them to get a feel for how blessed these kids are to have us. That’s what I want to do. My heart is truly into my job and I want everybody to know that and I want everybody to feel the way I feel.