Our Teachers

Lauren has a B.A. in Elementary Education from IUPUI and a Master’s in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Ball State University. She has over ten years’ experience in education working with children of all ages, including a position as Dean of Students for a middle and high school. Lauren's teaching philosophy is that all children are able to learn in a play-based, hands-on surrounding that challenges them to think and grow every day. She believes that we have a responsibility to model for children what it means to be a good citizen in order to prepare them for their future. Her major goal as Onsite Owner is to ensure that each child in our school receives a quality education in a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment. Lauren has not only been an employee for The Goddard School but a family as well. She has seen the benefits of having a child attend a Goddard School and is excited about the opportunity to become an Onsite Owner in partner with the Newkirk family.

Joe and Lynn are the parents of two young boys. Brody is 11 years old and Abel is 8 years old. Both have been guided by the professional teachers at Goddard Schools and benefitted from the Goddard Philosophy. They are confident The Goddard School located in Westfield will continue to instill a lifelong love of learning in your children while providing a safe, nurturing, and fun environment. Raising two sons and their love for family brought Joe and Lynn to the Goddard School as parents and now as owners. Please visit the school in Westfield to meet the teachers and learn more about the Goddard difference.

Andrea graduated from Ball State University with a Bachelor's in General Studies, with minors in Family and Consumer Science and Theatre. Andrea is currently attending Walden University to obtain a Master’s in Early Childhood Studies-Administration, Management, and Leadership. Andrea has served as Acting Director, Mentor Teacher and Events Coordinator at The Goddard School in West Carmel during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years. Andrea began teaching in Early Childhood Education in 2004 she has taught all age groups; from infant to Kindergarten. Andrea believes that making learning fun and engaging is key to getting children to develop a lifelong love of learning. Children learn best through hands-on experiences that allow them to explore on their own terms. As high expectations are set for our children they will not only meet them but exceed them far beyond our imagination.

Mallory graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and she has over ten years experience working in the early childhood field working with infants, toddlers, and early preschool ages. She believes that the best way for children to learn is through engaging, hands-on experiences and by planning activities based on what interests them to help foster that engagement. Her goal is to support our teachers to help ensure that we provide the best early childhood experience for the children in our care so they learn to love school and are excited to come learn everyday!

Rebecca has over 16 years of experience working with children. She joined the Goddard School in 2017 after working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. Rebecca has experience helping children develop social-emotional, cognitive, and language skills. Rebecca believes learning should be fun, positive, and interest-driven. She feels each child learns in their own way. Her goal is to help unlock each child’s potential by highlighting their strengths and by giving each child a voice to communicate their needs.

Ms. Abbi has her Child Development Associate as well as a mental health scholarship for infant and toddler. Her job as a baby-sitter and nanny helped make her decision to pursue a career as a teacher in the Early Childhood field. She understands that toddlers have big emotions that they are still learning to express so they deserve respect and patience while they figure out the world. Her goals in the classroom are to work on the toddlers’ social emotional and physical skills.

Ms. Angie received her education through the Department of Defense Army Childcare Training Program in 1997. She has her CDA specializing in Infants and Toddlers and has over 20 years of experience teaching young children. Angie's teaching philosophy is that children learn best through hands on-play based learning guided by a knowledgeable educator. Her goal is for the children in her care to be nurtured in a safe and fun learning environment that meets the needs of all children so everyone will thrive.

Ms. Brandy has been in childcare since 2009 when her own children were young. She has experience with children all ages from infants to 5 year old. She believes that they are all unique in their own way. She has worked the last five years in a center where she ended up in an assistant director role. Brandy hopes to continue her education in Early Childhood Education.

Cora is currently in school studying Elementary Education and Special Education. Cora's teaching philosophy includes creating a balance between social, emotional, and academic skills to give the child the best possible tools for success. In addition to teaching the PreK children Cora teaches middle school and high school age children how to dance and do color guard.

Ms. Carenci has over ten years experience working as both an assistant and a lead teacher in the early childhood field. Her philosophy is to always approach the day with a good attitude and teach and care for her students as if they were her own. Her goal is to have her students feel like their classroom is their second home and to have them ready and prepared for the next classroom they move up to.

Ms. Christi graduated from Ball State with a degree in Family and Child. She has loved working with toddlers for the past 14 years and believes that they all learn differently but through play and movement they will all gain knowledge and understanding. Christi’s goals are for her class to have fun and be themselves. She hopes to instill the love of being a helper and sharing kindness in all her students.

Ms Careli spent three years taking care of children while living in Mexico, where she developed a passion for helping them learn and grow. She plans on continuing her education while working so she can learn and grow along with her children. She has quickly developed a bond with the children that she has in class and works to get to know them as individuals. She is excited to start this new journey in Early Childhood education.

Heather has 25 years of culinary management experience. For the last 10 years, before coming to Goddard, she had been a store manager specialist for Justice and Aeropostale throughout Indiana.

Miss Emily has over two years experience working in the Early Childhood field working with children from the ages of one to five. She likes to keep things educational but also fun for the children because she knows that the best way for children to learn is through play. She strives to create a safe and fun space for the children in her classroom to learn and grow as much as they can. Her main classroom goal is to make sure the children are learning and growing in a safe and fun environment.

Ms. Ericka is a Venezuelan immigrant that completed her studies in Economics. Moving from Venezuela led to her working in other fields than what she studied, including gaining experience in childcare. From the moment she started working with young children, she understood how important it is to take care of a child. The main objective is that children learn in the most fun way, because learning should be fun for children. The love and attention of the little ones is the most important factor in a child's life because a happy child will be a healthy adult.

Miss Erickah graduated from High School in 2022. After that she attend IUPUI for Neuro Science and has plans to return to complete her degree with certification in surgical technology. Until she returns to school she is excited to learn all about Child Development. Erickah believes that children can always be learning and that patience and compassion go a long way. Her classroom goals are that the children will feel like they can have fun with her while learning and playing and that she can make personal long lasting connections with the kids and their families.

Erin has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Marian University. Soon after graduating, she realized her true passion is working with young children and she took a job teaching preschool in a daycare setting. She believes teaching should mostly be about the patient, gentle guidance. Children learn best in a happy environment where they have the freedom to experiment and explore while she protects their safety, help them through social challenges, and encourage them to try planned activities that meet important milestones and educational standards.She wants her students to feel empowered and confident as they learn to care for themselves. She also wants her students to cooperate with one another as they play so they can experience positive peer interaction. Erin believes meeting these goals will set all of them up for bigger successes as they progress to older classrooms.

Ms. Randa received her degree in Education (Kindergarten) Preparation of Early Childhood Teachers from Cairo Egypt. She worked at a children’s shelter called Good Samaritan for almost a year. Randa’s teaching philosophy is to use play in studying because it is the child’s world. The classroom should be a clean and fun place that is special for all the children.

Ms Grace has many years of experience working with children in her Church’s preschool and babysitting for neighbors and friends. She has her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Art with a minor in Art History from Ball State University. She believes that is important for children to feel seen as they learn and grow and they should be respected and cared for because they are still learning to express themselves and figure out the world around them. Her goal is to provide an environment where children feel safe and comfortable as they learn.

Miss Karla has been working towards getting her associates degree in Early Childhood Education at the National College University in Puerto Rico. Before moving to the US, she worked at a childcare center in Puerto Rico, first as an assistant teacher before working her way up to a lead teacher. She believes that each child is a unique individual who needs a caring and safe environment in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. Her wish as an educator is to help her students fulfill their potential in all areas by providing a safe environment.

Miss Isabel is currently a senior at Sheridan High School. She has been taking classes at Ivy Tech working with children that struggle to read. She plans on attending Ball State University this fall to study Early Childhood Education. Isabel's teaching philosophy is to create a safe, positive learning environment for everyone to succeed and thrive. She wants her students to have fun while still learning effectively.

Ms. Kelsey has her bachelor's in education from Indiana University and has over five year's experience working in the early childhood field. She believes that children learn through discovery and strives to help her children learn how to regulate their emotions by recognizing and acknowledging their emotions in the moment.

Lynda has recently moved to the area from California and before that she lived in Algeria. She has a Bachelor's degree in International Trade and Associate's degrees in Business Accounting and Teaching Preparation. She spent a year teaching in an elementary school and a couple of years after that in a center for early childhood education. Lynda wants to provide a healthy and safe environment while providing support for each child.

Ms. Micaela has her Bachelor’s of Social Work from Olivet Nazarene University. She was a case manager with the Indiana Department of Child Services before beginning her career as an early childhood educator. She believes that children learn and develop when they feel loved and cared for. Her goal is to love each and every child that is in her classroom.

Ms. Samantha has over five years experience working in the early childhood field. She believes that all students are unique and need a teacher that caters to their individual needs in a safe environment. She wishes to create a classroom where students flourish and explore to reach their full potential. Her goal for her classroom is to provide comfort and skills to feel pride in the accomplishments each child makes to get to that next step in their development.

Ms Julia’s childcare experience comes from raising her young son. Along with a strong background in parenting, she has a fervent passion for education. Her hands-on experience as a parent equipped her with valuable skills and tools to foster a supportive and safe learning environment. She believes that early childhood is a time of immense potential and discovery. Her philosophy centers on creating a nurturing, inclusive environment where every child will feel valued and supported. To further support each child, she believes in building a strong collaborative partnership with parents and caregivers. Overall, her personal expectation is to provide a love of learning and support each child’s individual journey of growth.

Sherlyn recently moved from Guatemala with her family. After she graduated from Westfield High School, she immediately went into the education field. She worked as an IA to help other students that were learning English. Sherlyn loves working with children and is excited to learn all about Early Childhood education. Sherlyn's classroom goals consist of teaching Spanish to the children that she is with in the classrooms and to help them get ready for the next stages in life.

Ms. Victoria graduated from International Business College with a degree in Medical Assistance but discovered shortly after that she is meant to work with children. She recently obtained her Child Development Associate's in Infant/Toddler Development. Ms. Victoria's teaching philosophy is for learning to be fun and purposeful. She believes that her children should create memories through play and explore their curiosity while they learn and play in a safe environment. In this space she wants to create positive relationships between the children and herself to foster learning and growth.

Ms Melaya has over eight years experience in early childhood education. She is currently working towards obtaining her Child Development Associate’s with a focus on preschool-age children. She believes that children learn through playing and that teachers should treat children with respect so they can grow confidence and a better understanding of the world around them. Her classroom goal is to create a safe and loving environment where all her students feel welcomed.

Ms. Joy enjoyed taking classes in Early Childhood when she was in high school and was excited to start her career after graduation. Early Childhood Education has been in her family and so she went from experience in her personal life to using it in the classroom. Ms. Joy believes that all children are unique and must have a educational environment where they can grow mentally, emotionally, and of course socially! She would like to create an atmosphere where all kids can meet their best potential.

Miss Tati has over two years experience working with young children. She is always willing to learn and try new things in her classroom and she recently began taking courses to obtain her Child Development Associates. She believes that every child needs a consistent and caring person that they can count on, and her goal is to be that person for every child in her classroom! She works within her classroom to keep her children safe, happy, and eager to learn!

Ms. Kaitlyn attended Ivy Tech for education after graduating from High School. She has experience in Early Childhood education through her years of experience through before and aftercare programs as well as other programs. Kaitlyn's teaching philosophy is that children need encouragement to become what they want to be. Through play, with or with out peers, they learn not only educational information but also important self-help skills. She wants her classroom to feel safe to all children so that they are able to explore the classroom freely.

Ms. Lisa has worked in Childcare on and off over the years and she raised her own children. More recently she worked in a retirement setting but is excited to return to working with children. Lisa enjoys helping children learn and grow in a safe environment and helping all children learn in a fun way that meets their individual needs. She believes that communicating and making relationships with the families is important to whole child learning and is excited to make these connections.

Ms. Dawn has over 25 experience working with children. She ran an in home childcare for 6 years providing love, fun, and education (using the school systems Kindergarten readiness requirements) to 5 girls ranging in ages 8 weeks to 5 years. She then followed them into the public school system as an instructional aide working with children that had special needs and literacy development. She has 10 years experience working as a literacy aide. Ms. Dawn believes that all children must feel safe and nurtured to learn and grow. Her first objective when meeting new students is to learn what motivates them. Her classroom goals are to build positive relationships with each student, provide a safe and fun learning environment for every child to thrive and teach students how to spread kindness.

Ms. Sarah is currently working on her degree in Secondary Teaching. She aspires to teach French or culinary classes in High School. Through babysitting and serving at her churches children's classes she discovered her love of education. When working with kids Sarah hopes to make each child feel seen and cared for. She strives to help everyone feel included and engaged in the classroom. Her classroom goals consist of helping the children feel safe and loved as they are learning.

Ms. Arti has her Bachelor degree in Education from University in India where she completed her courses before moving to America. After moving to Indiana she has been working in Early Childhood Education. Arti is working with the kids to help them to understand that they are safe and cared for. Her goal for her classroom is to make everyone feel safe and have fun learning. She wants them to be happy and excited to learn new things!

Ms. Maya is working to obtain her degree in Psychology from Indiana University. She had worked in the early childhood field since she was in high school, starting with babysitting, teaching swim lessons, and then working in early childhood learning centers. Maya wants her students to have fun in the classroom with hands-on learning. She wants to create an environment where children feel safe to express themselves at school. The most important thing for her is make sure the children are prepared for their future and enjoy coming to school.