Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica DeLaCruz.
Hi Monica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Monica DeLaCruz. I taught in public education for 17 years. I was a preK teacher, a first grade teacher, a fourth grade teacher, a campus administrator, an adult education teacher and a district level employee. After experiencing many levels and at one point being on track to become a principal, I realized that early childhood education was my passion. I left public education after Covid because I saw a trend toward more screen time, less outdoor time, more worksheets, and less play time. I decided I wanted to start a preschool of my own. I researched how to do this and decided a licensed home would work best for me. Tiny Seeds Nature School was born and is in its fifth year of operation. We are a licensed child care home for 2-5 year olds. We focus on socializing in nature, using creativity, imagination, and independence, and discovering the joy of learning. I am trained in Highscope and Learning Without Tears and I utilize components of both programs with the children. I have an indoor classroom where we spend a little of our time and a large outdoor area where we spend 4-5 hours per day. In the five years that I have operated I have seen that parents are looking for alternatives to traditional childcare. They want their children outdoors, screen free, taking appropriate risks, learning to get along with peers, and exposed to literacy and math in natural and appropriate ways. Tiny Seeds Nature School continues to grow in its reach and I hope to soon bring the “Tiny Seeds Nature School Way” to more educators, families, and children.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has not been without challenges. I had to learn basic business accounting, management, and record keeping and the learning curve was pretty steep. Five years ago nature learning was not quite as understood as it is now, so I had to do a lot of research and reading. Despite the challenges I can say that every year I have developed more systems, organization, and I’ve felt more comfortable doing what I am doing. No job is without challenges, and I don’t think we are any different.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the owner and principle teacher at Tiny Seeds Nature School. Tiny Seeds is a home based preschool for children ages 2-5. We emphasize play based learning outdoors. Social emotional learning is given greater value than academic learning, although academic learning is infused throughout the day. Children are given a structure and routine for play that allows them to explore, develop socially, use their imaginations, and create within a loving and safe framework. Components of Highscope and Handwriting Without Tears are used consistently so that children have a method by which to plan their day, execute their play, think about what they’ve done, solve problems, maintain a schedule, and learn about letters, initial sounds, and math concepts. Tiny Seeds is unique in several ways. We spend 4-5 hours outside each day playing and learning in nature. We do not do worksheets or “table time.” Instead the focus is on what the children choose to do. We use a variety of loose parts instead of traditional toys. So, you might see children using PVC pipes, crates, and ripped cloth to build structures or forts. Or using napkin rings, corks, and bottle caps to count or “serve breakfast.” We also are huge proponents of safe risky play. So, you will often see children climbing trees, rolling tires, or climbing the fence. We garden and eat from the garden when it produces, we plant and grow flowers, we play with water from our recycling water pump, we learn about the earth and how to be good stewards, and above all we get messy and have fun!
How do you define success?
There are so many different kinds of success (personal, business related, relationship related, etc.). But, for me, the one measure of success in all areas is when I am doing the best I can for the people I am serving. I am operating with integrity, respect, honesty, care, and compassion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tinyseedsnatureschool.com
- Instagram: tinyseedsbigimaginations
- Facebook: Tiny Seeds Nature School
