About Marigold

A journey inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to early learning.

Thank you for stopping by! I would love to tell you about my school! Please, get a cup of coffee or tea and have a seat. We are about to begin… :)

Hello, nice to meet you! My name is Heidi. I am a teacher and have been for close to thirty years. My teaching journey started in early childhood, moved to elementary school, and found its way back to where I belong, early childhood. :)

After my first introduction to the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Education back in the late 1990s, I was fascinated and obsessed with learning more about it. Back then, not many early learning programs had heard of Reggio Emilia, and they were stuck in traditional philosophies and cookie-cutter boxed curricula. While those programs have their use and their niche, it was not for me. So, my journey continued.

I took a side step during grad school to become an elementary teacher, a “teacher-researcher”. While there were many aspects of the K-3rd grades I enjoyed and found inspiring and appropriately challenging, I couldn’t accept the limitations put on me as a public school teacher. You see, my early years as a preschool teacher and my college education focused a lot on lifelong learning and always growing and seeking new perspectives. Although for some, the public sector is perfect for that, for me, it was stifling and not supportive of my desire to grow as a teacher.

I took time to seriously reflect and found myself back in early learning programs both here in Vancouver and in Portland. I loved being back amongst kindred spirits and around all the familiar smells of play-dough and paint, colors, and sounds of young, joyful children always ready for whatever life had to offer! :) Have you felt that belonging in your career?

Then one day, I realized I had many years under my belt of being a master level teacher, and knew I needed to embark on my own path. This led me to having a serious discussion with my sister, with whom I share a home, and together we remodeled our garage, so I could have my dream school. Without my sister and my mother’s support, my school would still be a dream.

With a strong background in Constructive and Constructivist training in both undergrad and graduate school, I was fully ready to jump into creating my own program inspired by my love of the Reggio Emilia Approach! :) With a lot of hard work and perseverance, I slowly gained students and families. The Marigold Community was born. :)

My journey was not smooth, though. I found out that running a school alone was more work than I had imagined! I was over my head many times, conducting multiple-day classes and including makeup days! This led to massive burnout, but then Covid hit, and my health plummeted. While my enrollment was great, I was miserable. So, I stopped working as hard and allowed my enrollment to fade, so I could focus on myself for once.

Reducing my classes from four options to one was the best choice I made! It has given me time to heal, time to reflect, and time to fully enjoy the school that I have created alongside every single child and family who has come through Marigold. You see, this school has life and an abundance of memories, all thanks to the young children who animate, and have animated every corner! :) Marigold is for young children, and they have created this school. I have been along for the ride, all while continuing to learn more and more about the massive intelligence and endless creativity young children possess.

Today, Marigold has been a part of my life for over a decade, and will continue to be an important part of my life, and I hope yours, too. Embracing many aspects of the Reggio Emilia Approach puts children first. Because of this, I see every child not as an empty vessel or sponge, but rather as an intelligent human being with unique perspectives and ways in which they interact with the world. I can observe, be a part of, and support the many different ways in which young children communicate what they know, what they are curious about, and what they want to achieve.

The Marigold School of Early Learning is here for your child. This is a school for your child to learn, grow, be supported and appropropriately challenged meeting their developmental, social and emotinal needs. Through play, the natural way to learn, your child can express their curiosity, explore their ideas, can communicate in multiple ways with other children, and be supported all the while by a teacher who has devoted her life to teaching young children.

You may have thought I forgot about you, but I didn’t. I hope you have enjoyed your coffee or tea as I told you my story. I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my journey and are inspired to embark on your own.

Now, I want you to know that you, the parents, matter; you are the center of your child’s universe. You are raising the next generation. You are the hard-working moms and dads who are there for your child every day and night. I value and respect you for the commitment you have made to raise a child. And, I thank you for entrusting me with your child’s first early learning experiences. Rest assured, your precious child will have a strong foundation to build upon when they graduate from The Marigold School of Early Learning. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit me today. I hope you come again soon. :)

Spread the word, or shall I say, seed, about The Marigold School of Early Leanring! :) Your child of three, four or five is welcome to join our journey!