Today we’d like to introduce you to Lizette Chavez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Lizette. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Ever since I was in high school, I remember envisioning myself working with children. At that time, I was not sure if I wanted to be a teacher, psychologist, or an event planner for children’s events. Shortly after starting college, I applied for my first job in a preschool as an assistant.
After taking two classes in ECE (Early Child Development) and working directly with children; it was clear to me that this was the field I wanted to explore and learn more about. It was fascinating to observe children play, learn about their thinking, and witness the endless possibilities that can happen when children are allowed to tinker with different materials, create stories, and build relationships.
Over the last decade, I have worked in preschool programs that have believed in me, challenged me as an educator and pushed me beyond my comfort zone and where I have met wonderful colleagues who I’ve cultivated relationships with both in and outside of work. I will forever be grateful to Malibu Jewish Center, Adat Ari El, and The Growing Place, for giving me the opportunity to learn, grow, and inspire me.
A little over two years ago, my husband and I purchased our first home in the San Fernando Valley. At the time, I was commuting from Canoga Park to Santa Monica. On good days, it would take fifty minutes to an hour – not bad for LA right? However, on rainy days or road closures, it could take double the amount of time. After eight months of commuting, it began to affect me emotionally, socially, and physically. I was always exhausted and opted out of any activities after work. I did not want to go out during the week because I would get anxiety thinking about my daily routine.
My husband and family started noticing these changes and became concerned. It was a Sunday morning my husband and parents invited me to brunch. During our time together they shared their concerns and asked me if my job was worth the stress and exhaustion I immediately responded, “Yes, I love my job!”. My father then asked, “What happened to the idea of starting your program one day? Have you thought about that lately?”
I responded….. “Starting my own program is something that I always think about. I just don’t think I am ready and to be quite honest I’m scared of failing.” My father responded, “If you never take the leap to see what’s on the other side you will never know! You have our full support and we are more than happy to help in any way that we can.”
After a week of thinking about it, I decided to tour some programs in my area with the possibility of finding something closer to home. During my search, I found many programs were missing elements that I felt were fundamental. The night after visiting the different programs, I made a list of all the pros and cons of starting my own program. I also wrote down the best practices of each program I worked in, along with ideas on how to support parents with the latest research on early childhood development. In the end, there were more positives than negatives and I decided to take the risk. There are no words that can express what their encouragement and support has meant to me. In addition, there are a group of amazing colleagues and friends who offered their time, knowledge, and love during the process. Thank you!!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It was definitely not a smooth road as we decided to do construction from the ground up. We came across many obstacles with the city, permits being delayed, and unexpected costs. There were moments where I thought that I wasn’t meant to do this. I felt frustrated and didn’t understand why things were not falling into place. Reflecting on this experience now, it was a journey where I learned more about, patience, compromise, my strengths and how I was going to need to worker harder to see my vision come to life.
Please tell us about Beyond the Lines Preschool.
Beyond the Lines is a Reggio inspired home preschool. We are committed to cultivating a high quality, creative, communal, educational program for children and families. We believe young children are competent learners who learn best through meaningful experiences.
We listen to children’s ideas carefully, observe and document play, ask thoughtful questions and facilitate deep reflections. We believe children deserve high-quality materials and tools to express their ideas.
We value meaningful relationships with all the members in our community including neighbors and local businesses. On a weekly basis we take community walks in the neighborhood and every week we discover something new. This could be meeting new people, observing plants, designs and so much more!
We believe it’s valuable for educators and families to work together to foster connections between home and school to support the child’s growth and development.
My hope in the future is that we are not just viewed as a quality preschool program, but a place in the community where children are viewed as active citizens.
Contact Info:
- Address: 8464 Remmet Ave.
Canoga Park CA 91304 - Website: btlpreschool.com
- Phone: 747-237-2454
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondthelines1/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beyondthelines1/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beyond-the-lines-preschool-los-angeles-2?osq=beyond+the+lines+preschool
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