Laura Balch
Laura lives in Hartland with her husband, two kids (who are still at home), and 3 dogs. All four of her children attended the Co-Op when they were little. She loves how special the Co-Op community has been for families and children throughout the years. She is excited to be back!
Laura has worked in the field of early childhood education for over 11 years. She began as a paraeducator, then became a classroom assistant. She did coursework to become an early childhood special educator. She was an early childhood special educator for years, then moving on to be a co-teacher, and social emotional interventionist. While all of those roles had different responsibilities, the core philosophy remained the same: build relationships, meet every child where they are at, and teach through play.
In the classroom Laura makes social emotional learning a priority. Starting with relationship building, she makes sure that every child feels welcomed & valued by teachers and each other. By providing structure and routine, her students start to learn how to navigate a school environment and participate in their learning. Laura knows that children learn through play and she is passionate about creating play areas and themed units that encourage all children to explore, learn, be social, and have fun.
