Tami has been a teacher for seventeen years; the last thirteen were at Gilman School. Most of her teaching career has been in a first-grade classroom, and she’s convinced the students taught her how to be empathetic, flexible, and creative, all traits that are needed to be the Director of a Preschool. Tami was also the Director of Early Childhood at Gilman and gained experience in creating the budget, working with architects to design spaces for little ones, purchasing curriculum, and researching developmentally appropriate practices. All prepared her for her new role as Director at Grace Preschool and leader during this pandemic journey, 2020 – 21!
With new technology and stringent safety protocols, Tami and staff have a plan in place for in-person learning, distance learning, teaching videos, and a plan for times when the school is between the two! Most importantly, the staff has restructured daily plans to incorporate community building, play, and communication more than ever. She has every confidence that students at Grace will be met with empathy, love, compassion, warmth, safety, and security.
Tami met her husband, Barry, in the Dominican Republic; they had moved there independently after college graduation to teach at an international Christian school in Santiago. After two years there, they married and continued to teach there two more years. They both became teachers at Gilman and now have four children, Emma, Dominic, Amelia, and Esther, all attending either Bryn Mawr or Gilman.