Teachers
Rainbow Room
Myrna Canon
I have worked for over 28 years as a preschool teacher at Hilltop Children’s Center. I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in elementary education in the Philippines, and taught in my native land for seven years as a kindergarten teacher. I twice received the Master Teacher Award from the Child Care Director’s Association of Greater Seattle, and have had a number of my documentation panels used as illustrations in the book Spreading the News. My work is also prominently featured in the video Children at the Center: Reflective Teachers at Work. My dedication to children and my own professional and spiritual development is outweighed only by a commitment to have fun!
Over the years, I have attended several early childhood continuing education courses to enhance my teaching skills. On the 25th anniversary of my teaching career, I was honored with the creation of a scholarship fund by a group of parents of Hilltop alumni. The scholarship provides temporary emergency funds for Hilltop families experiencing difficulties in paying for childcare.
I have been married 36 years to my beloved husband and we are blessed with one son.
During my 28 years at Hilltop, I have seen an enormous amount of growth and change, not only in myself, but also in the Hilltop community. I have been continually inspired by the new ideas that were steps in our journey at Hilltop throughout the 90’s: High Scope Curriculum, the Project Approach and the blend of Emergent Curriculum and Reggio Emilia we practice now. Throughout the evolution of these new philosophical approaches to curriculum, I have maintained a respect for the uniqueness of each child and have honored cultural diversity. I feel I have achieved knowledge and professionalism in the field of early childhood education that makes the hard work all worth it.
I share my passion for gardening as a metaphor for the passion I feel for the teaching profession. A garden, like children, needs consistent love, respect, care, and nurturing, in order to flourish. I find that the hobbies I pursue, especially ballroom dancing, complement my love of teaching as it helps me “go with the flow.” During the weekends, I enjoy hanging out with my family, dancing, and participating in Filipino cultural events.
My favorite children’s books are: The Little Cloud, Tell Me Something Before I Go to Sleep and The Pumpkin Blanket. The favorite books that I read daily are the Holy Bible and Keep Life Simple Therapy.
Here are a few quotes that I would like to share:
“Celebrate the ordinary. Your heart knows the comfort and beauty in common things. Let it tell your head.”
“A joy that is shared is a joy made double.”
“Learn to value spiritual things over material things. They last longer, cost less and bring more.”
“Create a ten-second wildflower meadow in your mind whenever you need it. Your imagination can be a great peacemaker in times of chaos.”
Sarah Greenleaf
Lindsay Johnson
Raindrop Room
Nick Terrones
Hi I’m Nick! I have been at Hilltop since July 25 2006 and have enjoyed every day of it. I studied Human Development with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, as well as Elementary Education and Special Education at Washington State University (Go Cougs!). Ever since I was a wee lad, I have always appreciated the teacher-student dynamic, and was generally fond of school. I believe that early education is the foundation for all future learning. Early, positive interactions with education are essential to everyone’s future, and it is this that makes me believe that the Early Childhood Educator is the most important professional of all others (even before doctors and lawyers). Hilltop was my first choice of employment and I feel blessed to be here. Hilltop’s philosophies align with mine because both value the importance of building relationships and questioning the world around us. I find the work I do to be reciprocal; children are my teachers because they help me learn and grow as a teacher and a person.
Outside of Hilltop I enjoy outdoor activities like backpacking/camping in the North and Central Cascades. I am also an avid snowboarder. To me, the winter is the equivalent to how most view the summer and sometimes I feel like I am the only one who appreciates the bitter cold! I also practice two forms of KungFu: Wing Chun and Bagua Zhang. I also have been playing the bass guitar for about 12 years. Did I say Go Cougs yet?
Emily Viehauser
I’ve been a teacher at Hilltop since September of 2005 and came here to learn about and practice emergent curriculum and the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning. During my time here, I’m proud to say that I’ve had some of my work published in some early childhood literature.
Primarily I come from the Midwest although I’ve spent much of my adult life on the West Coast. When I’m not at Hilltop, I’m usually spending time with family and friends. I have two girls of my own: Raiden is 12 and Jaisa is 10. They keep me rather busy but in our free time together we like going to the beach, having sleepovers in the living room, hiking in the woods, camping, paying attention to the moon, being silly, and snuggling up to watch movies. In my other free time with my friends, I like to drink beer, see live music, ponder life, and pretend that I’m funny.
I’ve been working with young children and their families for about 17 years now. During that time I’ve worked in many different child care atmospheres in a variety of positions. I’ve been an assistant teacher, a co-teacher, a lead teacher, a supervisor, helped two brand new preschool programs get up and running and now am a member of a three person teaching team. I’ve also experienced working in single age classrooms, multi-age classrooms, and cooperative preschools. I’m rather active here at Hilltop, having served on the Board of Directors, been involved in a number of committees to continue supporting the program’s growth, and often participate in educational opportunities in the early childhood community.
My education throughout the years has been continuous. In addition to having my CDA, I have attended a great number of classes, conferences, and workshops pertaining to all areas of child development to help me stay focused and refreshed. I have hopes to begin working towards a master’s degree in the very near future.
My focus while helping to create an engaging and responsive environment for young children is to foster a love for learning. I believe that self-confident independent thinking children will learn because they are enthusiastic about life and interested in the world around them. Working with children is rewarding in so many ways. Even after all this time, they still continue to teach and amaze me.
“I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.” –by Naomi Shihab Nye
Yvette Zaepfel
I started at Hilltop in August of 2011 though I have been working in early childhood education since 1991. In addition to being a preschool teacher, I have taught both children’s and adult’s theatre classes and once spent three months as an emergency interim preschool director. I graduated with a psychology degree from William and Mary in Virginia and received my Montessori certification here in Washington. While the Montessori system has many useful philosophies and practices, I found it too stringent for me and moved to schools where I could incorporate a variety of teaching methods. I believe my purpose as an early childhood educator is to help children discover their talents and passions in life so they have something to bring them joy during life’s inevitable rough spots.
When I am not teaching, I appear in plays around the Seattle area and have written and acted with The Pork Filled Players since 2004. The Pork Filled Players is the Northwest’s premier Asian American sketch comedy group. Since this may raise questions as to why I am there, I should add that we are also one of the few sketch groups in the world with predominantly female writers. I also won Most Humorous at 2010’s Great Boston Expo which shows that, unlike Emily, I have outside validation that I actually am funny.
I have a husband, Scot, a stepson, Trent, a basset hound named Fletch, and four accidentally accumulated cats, Jak, Zoe, Sybil, and Ripley. In our spare time, my husband and I wonder what it would be like to live in a larger house.
Mountain Room
Ellie Dawson
Hello Hilltop community! My name is Elizabeth Dawson, Ellie for short. I am excited and honored to join the hilltop staff this year. I can’t wait to continue working with the families and children I have met so far.
I have a Masters degree in Education from the University of Portland and earned a Liberal Arts degree, prior to that, from Soka University of America. Before coming to Hilltop, I worked, for four years, as a fifth grade teacher in Phoenix, AZ. I truly enjoyed working with my students to help ready them academically, socially, and emotionally for sixth grade. I started my journey in education when I was just 16, working in preschools in the Portland area throughout my high school and college years. I have found that I enjoy working with children because, through their eyes, the world is always new, exciting, and full of possibilities! As the teacher, I have the challenging and important job of facilitating children’s exploration of the world, which has become a great passion of mine.
Some of my other passions include traveling and scrap-booking! I have had the great fortune to both live and travel abroad. In 2004, I lived in Costa Rica for four months to study spanish. I have also spent time in Scotland and Japan. Through these experiences, I gained a greater awareness of the connectedness of all people and have made many friends around the globe that I treasure. As for scrap-booking, I’m a bit of a fanatic and even have a scrap-booking suitcase, with wheels! My other interests include moviegoing, playing with my cats Petey and Rascal, and picnicking in the park, if the weather permits.
Looking forward to the school year!
Sandra Floyd
Michelle Sanders
I hail originally from New Zealand – I was raised & nurtured by a loud & proud extended family. I was fortunate to have my maternal grandparents right around the corner & spent literally half my childhood in their home – a valuable experience that I still draw upon in my day to day life. Family life revolved around eating, drinking & talking together….all those family stories passed down from one generation to the next…
I have worked with young children & their families for most of my adult life & feel more passionate & grounded in my teaching work as I get older. In my work with preschoolers I like to focus on the social & emotional development of each & every child. I believe that a socially healthy & emotionally resilient child will be a natural inquisitive learner. I am as passionate in my ongoing exploration of social justice issues as I am about the correct spelling of every dinosaur – the latter being, in my opinion, no small task when working with 3-5 year olds.
I’ve spent the last 10 years living & teaching in a beach community in Sydney, Australia. My husband & I just returned to Seattle (we lived here in the 90s) & it’s great to be back although I miss the beach lifestyle. Outside of work I enjoy yoga, kick boxing, gardening, thrift store shopping, politics & old movies & I’ve never found a cheese or a pair of Camper shoes I didn’t like.
Things I’m thinking about lately include how torn I am between listening to KUOW or KIXI….the excitement of watching Roller Derby…..& how am I going to store all these books I keep collecting…..
Sunlight Room
Michele Beare
Ohio farm girl turned urban teacher.
Michele spends most of her time navigating the turmoil that comes with raising two teenagers. She attended Ohio University where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and has been a teacher at Hilltop since 2006. She previously taught kindergarten in Seattle Public Schools for many years. At Hilltop she brings her Appalachian roots to the Sunlight room by sharing songs and stories and her strange regional dialect.
When not teaching Michele runs, gardens and spends time with her high school sweetheart. Michele greatly appreciates when people remember to spell her name with only one “L”.
Christina Burgess
Mischa Redenbaugh
River Room
Diana
Jill
Jill left her childhood home with an extensive knowledge of desert animals and heatstroke along with a love of thunderstorms, road trips and avocados. Once she saw both Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen in concert in the same month and therefore has only the nicest things to say about Italy.
Jill has a B.S. in Elementary Education and Special Education and began working in the field of early childhood education while living in Boston in 2002. She joined the Hilltop teaching staff in 2006 and enjoys sharing with children the art of building with kapla blocks.
Jill aspires to one day own a boat and a dog (maybe not in that order).
Beach & Big Kids Room
Sandra Clark
Before coming to Hilltop I taught third grade for three years at a public charter school near Portland, Oregon. Prior to that, I taught young children at preschools in Portland and Seattle. I am excited to merge my knowledge and experience with these age groups and Reggio Emilia / emergent curriculum.
I am a lifelong learner and appreciate teaching’s focus on learning both in and out of the classroom. I have earned my B.A. in English Literature and my M.A. in Teaching. I continue learning more about teaching by observation of and dialog with other teachers, and reading teaching and curriculum books.
When not at Hilltop, you’ll find me spending time with friends and family. My husband and I enjoy hiking, camping, and going on picnics with our pug, Mr. “Schmoo Schmoo” Magoo. We love to travel and are always planning our next trip! My brother and his wife live in Seattle, while my parents and sister live in Vancouver, Washington, so we get together often for holidays, Mariners games, and eating out.
I am looking forward to meeting you, setting up a welcoming and engaging environment, and documenting and sharing your student’s learning.
Joel Metschke
I have loved working with kids for as long as I can remember. Being the oldest of five, I got lots of “on the job training” while growing up. Throughout high school, I helped out with children’s programs at church and eventually ended up heading to college to learn as much as I could about what I consider to be the most important and influential period of life, childhood. I recently graduated from the Children, Youth, and Family Studies department at Trinity Lutheran College in Everett, and am working on plans to pursue a Masters degree in coming years. Until then, I feel privileged to continue my education by putting my knowledge and interests in child development, emergent curriculum, and social scaffolding into practice. This year promises to be a great time of learning for both the kids, and myself.
I came to Hilltop in the Spring of 2010 as an Intern in the Beach room. Shortly thereafter, I also began working in the Big Kids program. My time at Hilltop has been incredible and I have learned much from its very unique environment, teaching strategy, and, of course, community. One of the things I love most about Hilltop’s approach is the way they value and respect each individual child, getting to know them at a personal level, and giving them the freedom and support to follow their own interests, learning in their own ways.
When not working with the kids, I can often be found shopping at Pike Place Market for local fresh foods, enjoying the perfect latte at an independent coffee house, or catching an incredible show at one of Seattle’s many awesome theatres. When possible, I love to get out hiking, kayaking, rock climbing, and have recently been pining after the opportunity to go on a rafting trip! While I have done a fair amount of traveling in recent years, I have yet to find a place I love more than our incredibly beautiful Pacific Northwest!