Open to early childhood, preschool, and kindergarten educators, our Featured Teachers Program makes it easy to bring STEAM into your classroom! Join this group of teaching professionals today! To learn more, email us at  steampoweredpoetry@gmail.com  and we’ll send you the information! 

Meet our FEATURED TEACHERS! 

Today we celebrate JILL PERVIN, who has served Brightpoint IL for ten years in the Birth-3 Early Head Start Program. With a bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education and Infant/Toddler Studies, Jill is dedicated to creating nurturing learning environments and is a strong advocate for the children and families she serves. We’re grateful for her passion and commitment, and for her kind review of our Wee Steamers’ mini-lesson, “Bulldozer.”

We’re pleased to welcome MELANIE BENNETT, a passionate early childhood educator whose journey began as a babysitting teenager and led to a B.A. in Childhood Education. In 2010, she opened Blue Sky Daycare, where children from three months to four years thrive in a nurturing environment. Her program fosters social skills, self-esteem, independence, and a love of all creatures great and small through sensory-rich activities.

Welcome to our Featured Teacher, NIKKI CALDERON! Nikki is a Pre-K Teacher at Messiah Lutheran Child Care Center. She began working in Early Childhood Education as a student aide in 1987 and has since devoted her life to nurturing and educating young children, working in both family childcare and center-based programs. 

We’re thrilled to shine the spotlight on KIMBERLY ROBINSON! Kimberly holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education and a bachelor’s degree in social work. As the dedicated owner of Helping Hands Learning Center in Evanston, IL, she has created a warm, nurturing environment that provides high-quality care for children of all ages.

Welcome SEEMA ALI, a passionate bilingual early childhood educator and the proud owner of The Kiddie Palace. She holds a Master’s Degree in Economics and will soon acquire her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Seema is passionate about providing warm, nurturing care for infants and toddlers.

Our Featured Teacher AMANDA NEIDHARDT brings energy and passion to her pre-primary classroom at Little Ones Preschool in Northbrook, Illinois. As a former children’s dance instructor and artistic director, she is thrilled to share her love of art, literature, and movement with young children. We’re honored to have Amanda as part of our growing Featured Teacher community!

We’re excited to spotlight MAZHAR AHMED, a devoted early childhood educator at Little Bird Child Care. Since 2009, Mazhar has provided family childcare, nurturing over 60 children from more than 40 families. She is celebrated for building relationships with families in the community. 

Featured Teacher ANA NEDLELEA teaches a bilingual mixed-age group with joy and kindness, profoundly impacting her students’ learning experience. She is the owner/founder of Sunshine Home Daycare in Chicago, a former teacher at Little Angels Childcare & Learning Center, and a former special needs teacher in Romania.  Ana is also a WEE STEAMERS advocate!

Steam Powered Poetry Video’s new outreach, Featured Teachers, showcases how easy it is for educators to integrate STEAM learning into early childhood classrooms! This month we’re proud to highlight CARRIE RAFALSKI, an experienced educator for 30-plus years. Carrie is the Director of Operations at GoAEYC, an Illinois Birth-to-Five Action Council member, and Early Childhood Teacher at Hoffman Estates Park District.

Welcome, MOLLY BABU, a seasoned early childhood educator with more than thirty years of experience, currently a Transitional Kindergarten Teacher at Kensington School in Glenview, Illinois.  A dynamic ECE presenter, Molly also serves as GoAEYC Membership Chairperson and Equity Board member.

We are delighted to feature TRACEY NEUMARKE! Tracey is an ECE Consultant and Presenter, Supervising Teacher for Student Teachers, a GoAEYC Board Member, a Head Start Teacher— and a WEE STEAMERS advocate! Tracey introduced not just one, but three WEE STEAMERS lessons to her young learners. We the photos!