Global Resources with Local Support: How a New Maple Bear Teacher in the U.S. Made a Successful Transition
When Maple Bear Justin Road in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas was first preparing to open its doors, teacher Stephanie Chamberlin was also busy with a very important transition in her life: she was expecting a baby!
But when the fog lifted and she was ready to think about work, she read through the Maple Bear curriculum and reports: everything clicked.
“I was so excited to see everything that was provided and that most of the work was done for us,” she recalls. “I just had to learn it and then implement it!”
With ten years of experience in early childhood education, Stephanie knew an excellent curriculum when she saw one. What stood out the most to Stephanie?
“Maple Bear is global. The same curriculum and methodology are being used in more than 15 different countries around the world. That shows me that it will work here in Texas.”
“The Maple Bear curriculum gives teachers the time to focus on the children,” she adds. “A teacher isn’t rushing to get everything done. The striking difference I noticed with Maple Bear is that the curriculum provides the teacher with the opportunity to work one on one with the children which is not the case in other schools.”
“Stephanie has been an exemplary Maple Bear teacher in every way,” says Maple Bear DFW Area Manager Janel Villegas. “She has used her years of experience and knowledge in the early childhood years and applied it to implementing the Maple Bear curriculum which has a culture of giving and sharing, and most important of all, excellence.”
“And, she not only made it a priority to learn about Maple Bear and its curriculum, but she has demonstrated her leadership skills by mentoring her peers to gain confidence in taking the curriculum from the intranet, in preparing daily lesson plans, and finally, implementation,” says Janel.
The comprehensive training provided by the Maple Bear Global Schools faculty helps Stephanie and all Maple Bear teachers around the globe. “I found the process of one-on-one training to go through the curriculum and the amount of time given in advance to prepare the lesson plans in order to be observed by the school’s Academic Director incredibly helpful. Getting feedback before we are required to actually teach a unit in the classroom is also critical. It really helps the teacher learn the Maple Bear way.”
Stephanie recognizes that change can be a scary proposition for teachers—and in this case, Maple Bear Justin Road switched from being the Jack and Jill Academy to a Canadian style pre-school—but she stresses the importance of being open to new things.
“And, the resources provided for the curriculum are the most complete resources I have ever worked with,” she says. “Maple Bear is awesome!”
