Here is the deal about work, play, and education.

Early childhood education is my first love. It gave me some of the most valuable experiences I’ve had as an educator. I learned from very young children that we start out in life not really knowing the difference between work and play. Adults teach us to stop playing and get to work. Maria Montessori said, “play is the work of the child.” Youngsters have an incredible natural drive to learn through play. As a teacher, I see this as my golden ticket! Faced with a classroom full of diverse kiddos, with many different emotions and levels, finding any commonality can be a powerful tool. All children have the energy and the motivation to play, I just have to find purpose to the play and coach them through it.

–Marlene O’Keefe