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.