Erica Devitt M.A. - Teacher

My name is Erica Devitt and I am one of the teachers here at Sprouts Academy. I have worked with children throughout my whole life, and am very excited to embark upon a career as a teacher in a Reggio Emilia inspired program. I currently hold a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from Western Illinois University, and completed a Teachers Certification Program at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. I received my Type 04 teaching certificate in December 2009, and most recently obtained a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education in May 2010. I have worked with children for many years, first as a Gymboree teacher and then as a teacher in a Montessori Preschool and Kindergarten. While completing graduate school, I continued to work closely with families and children as both a nanny and a personal support worker for children with disabilities. I am very much looking forward to teaching at Sprouts Academy! The Reggio Emilia philosophy of education, with its emphasis on extended projects that follow the child’s interests, has always been appealing to me as a teacher. I am an advocate for keeping the fine arts in our schools and have a strong background in music, literature, and visual art, so I am particularly excited to begin teaching in a program where art is always included in the daily curriculum. As a teacher, it is also refreshing to find a school that has made such a commitment to the nutrition and overall health of our children, as well as to the preservation of our natural environment.