Kristen Affleck Varela

Educational Background
Master of Business Administration, University of St. Thomas
Bachelor of Architecture, University of Texas at Austin

Philosophy of Education
I believe children learn best in a comfortable, nurturing environment where they feel safe, secure and valued. Keeping Christ at the forefront of our lives and education is fundamental to fostering their spiritual, academic, and emotional growth. With a partnership of parents and teachers working together, we can greatly enhance a child's success in the classroom. All children deserve a school that challenges them to develop as life-long learners with self-respect, self-confidence, and self-discipline.

What is your favorite academic unit/lesson you teach?
Science is my favorite thing to teach. Preschoolers are naturally curious about the world around them, which can lead to exciting and fun opportunities for learning. In the preschool classroom, I think about science in terms of exploring, discovering, and nurturing students’ curiosity about the world around them through experimentation, investigation, and observation. Science activities can also help increase their descriptive vocabulary (crunchy, soft, sink, float, juicy, dry, fast, slow, heavy, light, rough, smooth, hot, and cold) and can reinforce and help preschoolers gain a better understanding of their world.