Hello Everyone!
My name is Marissa (Gray) Michelin and nature-based education is my passion! Over the past decade I have gained invaluable experience working in the Early Childhood Education field. My experiences have ranged from being a lead classroom teacher at an inquiry based and social constructivist school, to facilitating an ECE outdoor enrichment program and everything in between.
During my time working in Early Childhood Education I have spent time with 2-5 year olds taking care of gardens, hiking through the forest, designing and building large scale forts, investigating yellow jackets, starting a worm compost from scratch, and studying cartography and map making! I believe strongly in the practice of leaving children’s questions “unanswered.” As an educator I feel that it is my job to guide children in developing their own hypotheses and answering their own questions through critical thinking, research, problem solving and experimentation!
In 2015 I received a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Southern Indiana. As a dedicated lifelong learner I returned to school at the University of San Francisco and graduated with a Master's Degree in International and Multicultural Education. My thesis focused on Empathy Building in Early Childhood classrooms. While teaching in San Francisco, I developed a stronger understanding of the significance and benefits that can stem from providing young children with a quality education!
I recently moved to the Durham area from San Francisco with my husband Walter and our sweet rescue pup Mila! In my spare time I love to read, test out new recipes in the kitchen, tend to my plants and garden, explore this new and beautiful area, and hike with my family!
Pronouns: She/Her