Our Teachers
Early Learning Center uses a team teaching system. In such an arrangement, each teacher has equal responsibility for all classroom functions including planning, teaching and parent conferences. All staff are fully qualified and come to your children with a variety of teaching experiences.
We are confident in our team teaching system and know this approach will provide an enjoyable learning environment for your child. The teachers are excited about sharing another year with the children at ELC, and look forward to making this the best year possible for all families involved in the preschool.
We are confident in our team teaching system and know this approach will provide an enjoyable learning environment for your child. The teachers are excited about sharing another year with the children at ELC, and look forward to making this the best year possible for all families involved in the preschool.
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Nancy Martin | Butterfly Class
Nancy Martin began teaching at Early Learning Center in 1998. She began her career in preschool many years ago where she was working in both a preschool and a Kindergarten class. After that she had a licensed child care home and finally discovered ELC. Mrs. Martin has a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and 18 additional graduate hours in Educational Psychology. Her favorite thing about teaching is witnessing the love of learning in young children and knowing that she is playing a part in that. Her favorite thing about ELC is the families and the staff. She feels the staff all work together to give children the best start in their educational journey and support the growth of the whole child. In her spare time, Mrs. Martin has an online quilting business and loves to express her creativity. |
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Sara Rydell | Butterfly Class
Sara Rydell began teaching at ELC in 2017. As a former parent, board member and teacher's assistant, she has a wonderful history with ELC and loves the family-oriented atmosphere. She has several years of experience in education which started at the college and secondary level. After staying home with her children for several years, she came back into education working in a Kindergarten classroom and now at ELC. Mrs. Rydell has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Central Michigan University and a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Her favorite thing about teaching is developing relationships with the children and seeing how much they grow as individuals throughout the year. Her favorite thing about ELC is the community. "Most of our staff has been here for several years and our families return when their younger children are of preschool age. It just makes for a warm community which is more like a family." |
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Angie Meyers-Purkiss | Caterpillar Class
Angela Meyers-Purkiss (Angie) joined the ELC team in 2021. Angela began her education with a degree in Mathematics from Eastern Michigan University in 1998. Family changes led her into an unexpected role of caring for children in her home and, later, into the role of substitute teacher in the local elementary school. Angela’s work as childcare provider and substitute teacher led her to begin coursework in the field of early childhood education in 2018. She completed her Master’s degree in Family Studies and Human Services, with a concentration in Early Childhood through Kansas State University in May 2022. She comes to ELC from a Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classroom (4’s) in Ypsilanti where she worked as lead teacher during the 2020/2021 school year. Angela’s favorite thing about teaching is interacting with children. Learning through the give and take of conversation, children mature in a lively and welcoming environment at ELC. Angela loves to hear conversations between caregivers and children as they work through their day. She appreciates getting to know the families at ELC and the support they provide to the development of their children. |
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Sarah Auerbach | Caterpillar Class
Meet our newest teacher, Mrs. Auerbach! Bio coming soon! |
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Tracey Smith | Director
Tracey Smith is our wonderful director. Tracey has been working with young children since she graduated with her BA degree with a major in child development/preschool from CMU in 1985. Tracey recently earned her Master’s degree in Early Childhood from Eastern Michigan University in April 2017. She comes to us with many years of experience teaching toddlers, preschoolers and kindergartners. Previously, Tracey was a teacher and co-director at a preschool in Novi for 20 years. She is excited to be a part of the community at ELC and loves the family environment that it provides. Tracey enjoys supporting the teachers and families at Early Learning Center and is passionate about advocating for young children to learn, create, discover, pretend and play in a warm and nurturing developmentally appropriate environment. |