The Olive Branch Community School

Calling all early childhood educators 🔊

We're hiring! If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you. Message us to submit an employment inquiry & we will be in touch within 24hrs!

Primary objectives for OBCS teachers:
* Provide loving care and supervision to all children in the program, and work to develop strong, personal bonds with each child.
* Collaborate with team to develop and implement curriculum in accordance with OBCS’s guiding philosophies and pedagogy.
* Maintain a safe and rich learning environment for all children.

OBCS teacher requirements:
* Ability to pass state-mandated background check
* Completion of mandated reporter training or willingness to do so
* An interest or experience in play based, project based, and/or Reggio Emilia inspired preschool environments preferred
* A passion for Early Childhood and child-led learning
* Creative and artistic nature
* Completion of or progress toward 12 core ECE units

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS! 🫒

Introducing Lauren! 👋

As one of OBCS's directors and the head of our elementary homeschool enrichment program, Lauren Eisenmann believes deeply in the power of education. Her passion for education began at the young age of 5 when she met her Kindergarten teacher. Inspired by her teachers, she went on to become an Early Childhood Educator, earning her B.A. in Child Development. During her first few years of classroom instruction, she began to uncover her unique ability and passion for leadership within the field. Lauren pursued an M.S. in Educational Leadership and fine-tuned her school leadership toolkit through certifications on Inclusive Leadership, Managing to Change the World, and Workplace Equity. Concurrently, Lauren began developing her own approach towards education. Merging the ideas of Maria Montessori, Lev Vygostky, Bev Bos, Loris Malaguzzi, Alison Gopnik and many others, Lauren began to define her own philosophy.

Today, Lauren knows that fostering children’s curiosity and innate aptitude for learning is key. Growing a love of learning and a base for learning transcends any specific fact or unit that can be taught. Lauren knows that teaching children to read, write, count, etc., is not about “checking the box,” but moreso about giving children the requisite skills to access life opportunities and all the world has to offer. Lauren seeks to foster environments and instructional approaches that steward each child’s relationship with the world, themselves, their place in their community, and their futures.

Outside of the classroom, Lauren rigorously advocates for underserved communities, commits an abundance of time to her children and family, and loves to be outside. Her goal in life is to leave the world a better place than when she entered it. She looks forward to continuing to learn, grow, and make an impact!

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS! 🫒

Introducing Danielle! 👋

As a mother and a teacher, Danielle Schneider believes strongly that young children learn best through play and hands-on experiences. She values creating an environment where children feel safe, respected, and encouraged to explore, ask questions, and make choices. Danielle views her role in the lives of young children as a gentle guide: supporting children as they lead their own learning, helping them build social-emotional skills, and encouraging creativity and independence.

Danielle began her consistent work with children at the young age of 15! After beginning as a babysitter, she continued her work and studies, pursuing work in nannying and substitute teaching. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Danielle spent multiple years as a fifth grade teacher before ultimately finding her home in Early Childhood Education here at Olive Branch. Here, she takes pride in the strong, trusting relationships she builds with our children. She reflects, “I make it a priority to really listen to them—whether they’re telling a story, expressing a feeling, or just sharing something small that matters to them. I want every child to feel seen, heard, and valued.”

Outside of her work in the classroom, Danielle enjoys staying active by playing soccer! She has a strong belief that both adults and children benefit from opportunities to move their bodies, build coordination, and work together as a team. Most notably, Danielle finds the greatest joy in her work as a mother. She loves spending quality time with her young children (ages 6 and 3) and finding creative ways to play and learn together.

🫒Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS 🫒

Introducing Stacey! 👋

Stacey has worked with young children for more than six years. Her extensive Early Childhood background includes experience with children at a variety of ages – something Stacey is particularly grateful for, as she has been able to experience the uniqueness of each age group firsthand. Her understanding and appreciation of the developmental spectrum of Early Childhood help to inform her incredible work with children in our mixed-age environment here at Olive Branch.

Stacey takes particular pride in her ability to build strong relationships with children and to offer a unique developmental responsiveness in her approach. In addition to her intimate understanding of ages and development, Stacey has a particular knack for forming intimate and personal bonds with each child in her care, shaping her approach to teaching on an individual and personalized basis. As a personality who thrives on strong interpersonal relationships, Stacey reflects that her favorite part of working with young children is witnessing the friendships they develop with one another at preschool.

When not at work, Stacey enjoys spending time with her family, particularly her nieces and nephews, and regularly hosts dinner parties for her many friends! In her spare time, she loves baking, crafting, and shopping.

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS! 🫒

Introducing John! 👋

John is a patient and compassionate Early Childhood professional. In his approach, he takes personal inspiration from a variety of approaches including play based learning, emergent curriculum, Anji-Play, the Reggio Emilia approach, and more, summarizing his pedagogy as, “always child focused; always child-led.” He finds the most value in his work with children in the social-emotional learning that is foundational to an empathetic and compassionate human being. He builds strong relationships with each child at Olive Branch that rest on a foundation of mutual trust and respect.

Uniquely, John’s pedagogy grows and adapts with his participation in regular professional development opportunities. As a flexible and adaptive professional, John has participated in a number of workshops and seminars with Early Childhood leaders such as Jesse Coffino of Anji-Play, Samuel Broaden of Honoring Childhood, and Prerna Richards of Together We Grow.

Beyond the classroom, John finds fulfillment and inspiration in art and storytelling like film and television, live music, working with clay, and spending time with his partner, Bonnie, who he describes as both a mentor and muse in his Early Childhood work.

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

🫒 MEET OUR TEACHERS 🫒

Introducing Sophia! 👋

In her work with young children, Sophia is thoughtful and determined. With a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Studies, she is a well-rounded educator who brings a lot to the classroom. Her experience in Early Childhood includes childcare settings as well as in-home work as a developmental specialist supporting families and young children with developmental delays and autism.

Sophia’s unique approach to her work with children includes a passionate belief that children learn best through the hands-on experiences they encounter through natural play and exploration. Her points of pride include her ability to facilitate these experiences as well as her disposition to learn from and through the children she works with. She particularly loves to witness the children create bonds and relationships with one another at school.

In her spare time, Sophia, her husband, and two pups love to attend local events like farmers markets, and you can catch them at the beach any chance they get!

🫒 Read more about our teaching team by visiting our website through the link in our bio! 🫒

So much fun playing with shadows!

Today our preschool transformed into the !
For weeks, these kids have been sharing their knowledge of stores, doing lots of shopping play, and swapping farmers market stories. We have filled our preschool with books about stores and markets and opportunities to create props and goods for market play. Today, we compiled it all and hosted our own pretend market, complete with signage, money, homemade goods to buy, live music, blankets and chairs for lounging, and even pony rides!

Thanks to all of our amazing OBCS families who joined us at the today! We had such a blast! Have a great spring break, everyone!

🐆•🦓•🦩•🐪•🐘

Kids are cooking up lots of JOY in our mud kitchen this afternoon! 🍴