Ivette Cruz
My name is Ivette Cruz and I am an Early Childhood general education teacher. I began my journey as an Early Childhood educator in Chicago Public Schools in 2004, which has allowed me to develop, adopt and implement philosophies and teaching practices that I genuinely believe in. My experience with diverse populations has strengthened my abilities as an educator and in working with a wide range of student needs and families. I chose to be an Early Childhood educator because I believe that healthy and appropriate early childhood school experiences will help young children develop a true love of learning. My passion is social emotional development, as I believe that children need to learn about themselves and managing their emotions and behaviors in order to function within any environment.
Personal: My husband and I are parents to three children. Being a mother of three very different children has provided me with years of personal experience in a wide variety of areas. One of my children has severe food allergies, which has prompted me to advocate for safe school environments for children like her. My children attend a Chicago Public School, as did I. I truly believe in supporting public education, and partnering with school communities to strengthen educational opportunities. I was born and raised in Chicago, and love living in such a diverse and lively city. In my down time I spend time with my family. We love being outdoors and exploring nature, but also enjoy connecting over our love of movies!
Jahn: I joined the Jahn team in December of 2014. Through my experience here I have developed strong philosophies and methods of teaching in an inclusive setting. I've had tremendous success thinking "outside of the box". In my classroom, your child will be safe, know they are loved, learn, grow, and exceed all expectations, and most of all, have fun learning!
In the classroom: In my classroom, you will find the use of natural lighting (no fluorescent lights used), a sensory room, flexible seating, true play, strong social emotional support and behavior management, daily yoga/meditation, frequent opportunities for movement, students learning at ALL levels, and solid academic instruction and support. Over the years, our Early Childhood team has included educators with different backgrounds, areas of expertise, and experience, we've worked together to make sure EVERY child is learning in a way that is best for them, building on strengths, making improvements to areas of need, and providing exposure to all different modalities and styles of learning, and encouraging self-discovery.
