Our Goddard School Teachers

Meet our Owner, Janki Patel. After four long years of preparation, Janki Patel is proud to be the new owner of The Goddard School of Hockessin. She is a mom to two boys, ages 7 and 5, and her pup, Logan. Janki’s passion for early childhood education began at a young age, and she is thrilled to finally turn that passion into a daily reality. Her mission is to provide a program known for its caring and qualified staff, engaging curriculum, and strong partnerships with families. Janki believes that it takes a village to raise a child and is excited to be part of the Hockessin Goddard family, continuing a legacy of excellence and community connection.

Ms. Kim is currently serving as our director. She previously served two roles in The Goddard School of Hockessin - Assistant Director and Lead Teacher in our Preschool Classroom. She has an Associate's degree from Del Tech in Early Childhood Education. She has an Early Childhood Administrator certificate with specialized training in Administration, Infant/Toddler, and Preschool. She has been with The Goddard School since 1997. All of her career in childcare education has been with the Goddard School in Hockessin. "I enjoy the children's smiling faces, their hugs, and seeing the individual development of each child."

Machelle is currently serving as our assistant director. She previously held the position of the lead teacher in our PreK classroom and has been part of our faculty since 2013. She is certified through the Department of Education as an Early Childhood Teacher and Administrator. Her Bachelor's Degree is in Birth - Second Grade Education from Wilmington College. Machelle says she loves the curiosity children have.

Jessica is the Lead Teacher in our Infant room. She has been with The Goddard School® since 2006. Jessica has an Early Childhood Teacher certificate from the Department of Education with specialized training in Infant/Toddler. She has her own children, two sons and a daughter. She loves that Goddard is more than just a child care center. Her son and daughter attend a local elementary school and her youngest is in our preschool class. She is excited that they have had the opportunity to be in such a great center. Jessica loves watching the children grow and develop into amazing little people.

Jen is the Lead Teacher in our Pre-toddler room. She has a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood from the University of Delaware and has worked at our school since 2003. Jen has an Early Childhood Administration with specialized training in Infant/Toddler and School-Age from the Department of Education. She is a mother of 3 sons and loves working in early child care. Jen loves watching children grow and learn. "It is a lot of fun being a part of the team at Goddard," adds Jen.

Linda came to us in 2020 as an assistant in our Infant classroom. She worked in the Cecil County Public School system for over 10 years, with both Preschool and School-Age children. She also is a volunteer at DFRC (Delaware Foundation Reaching Citizens with Intellectual Abilities). Linda has her lead teacher certification through the Department of Education. Linda spent a lot of her time with us as an assistant in the infant classroom. She recently took over the lead teacher position in the Twos classroom.

Zayna is the lead teacher of our Bridge classroom, which is our older two year olds. She has her Teacher certificate and has been working in the field of early childhood education for many years. She spent 11 years at the same center in New York at a child care center before moving to Delaware and joining our team in 2017. Zayna is excited to be a part of our preschool program. Zayna has one son who is in 1st Grade, and one daughter who attends our Preschool program.

Meet Gina our lead Preschool teacher. She has previously taught our Get Set and Toddler classes as well. She has an Early Childhood Teacher certificate with specialized training in Infant/Toddler through the Department of Education, along with an Associate degree in Early Childhood. She has been part of our faculty since 2003. Gina is married and a mother of 2, both children having gone through our Goddard program. She has a number of years in child care and in preschool settings. Gina says she enjoys watching the children learn and grow.

Ms. Hailey joined our faculty in the fall of 2022. Hailey has been in the early childhood field for over five years. She took a career pathway in high school, which helped her become certified through the state of Delaware. Hailey has two children, Ryder who is in first grade and Colton, who attends our preschool program. Hailey is excited to work with all of our wonderful families!

Maria is an assistant teacher in our Infant room and has been on faculty at Goddard since 2003. She has her Associates degree in Early Childhood and is certified through the Department of Education as an Early Childhood Administrator with specialized training in Infant/Toddler and Preschool. Maria loves that Goddard is so much more than a child care facility and has a lot to offer the children in the center. Maria loves seeing the determination of each individual child and their eagerness to learn.

Jen Davie joined our faculty in 2010 and serves as a floater in the facility, working with all of the age groups. Jen has a Masters in Elementary Education from Wilmington College and has experience teaching kindergarten and first grade, as well as Preschool and PreK. She has an Early Childhood Teacher certificate with specialized training in School-Age. In her spare time, Jen enjoys reading, long walks and spending time with her husband and daughters.

Sharon has been on faculty with us since 1998! She has her Early Childhood Assistant Teacher certificate and is a part of our Infant team. She loves working with the children and families in our preschool center. She enjoys furthering her understandng of child care programs and often enrolls in classes to learn more. Sharon also doubles as an administrative assistant, so you will sometimes see her in the office.

Susan originally joined our team in 2020, and has taught in multiple classrooms. She recently returned to our facility, where she is serving as a co-lead teacher in our Toddler classroom. She is certified by the Department of Education as a Lead Teacher, and is an education student at Wilmington College. Susan came to us with early childhood experience in center settings. Susan has two daughters, one who attends Kindergarten, and one who attends our toddler program.

Ms. Hillari joined our faculty in the summer of 2022 as a floater, getting to know all of our classrooms. Hillari is currently the assistant teacher in our young two's classroom.

Hannah joined our team in 2021 and been a wonderful asset to our infant classroom! She is certified as an Early Childhood Assistant Teacher and is currently working towards her Lead Certification. Hannah works full-time in the infant area as an assistant.

Ms. Andrea returned to our faculty in early 2023, after taking several years off raising her four children! Ms. Andrea is an asset to our faculty. She is lead teacher certified through the State of Delaware, and has several years of early childhood experience. She is currently serving as our Pre K assistant teacher.

Hailey joined our team in 2022. Hailey has her intern certification through the State of Delaware. She is an asset to every classroom, and is currently our opener for the toddler rooms.

Kailee joined the Goddard team in 2024, and comes to us with a background in early childhood education. Kailee has been a Preschool assistant teacher in her time at Goddard.

Ethyn started at Goddard in 2024, and has spent most of her time in the Toddler area. Ethyn received her intern certification through the State of Delaware.

Hanna joined the Goddard team in 2024. She has spent a lot of her time in the Get Set area, working with the two year olds.