STAFF
Our mission at World of Discovery is to “cultivate a community which respects and nurtures the rights of the learner in an environment that fosters life-long learning through collaboration, compassion, creativity, wonder, and curiosity.”
We believe each child has a strong personal identity and possesses great learning potential that is to be recognized, appreciated, and nurtured by educators. Our faculty receives on-going training to ensure we provide this environment for learning.
The Curriculum Expectations encompasses The World of Discovery’s philosophies and core values and translates them into a guidebook for teachers — a reference for environments, documentation, family relationships, teacher/child interactions, positive guidance, and more.
OUR TEACHERS
Our teachers meet the Maryland State Department of Education and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation standards, which require a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA), A.A., or B.A. in Early Childhood Education.
All faculty members also have extensive background checks, and receive CPR and First Aid Certifications, as well as universal precautions training.
We provide regular on-going professional development training for our faculty, with a strong emphasis on teacher collaboration. Opportunities include participation in weekly planning meetings and monthly faculty meetings, attending conferences and in-services, and working individually with consultants in the classrooms.
Our teachers
- Provide nurturing, respectful, encouraging relationships with each child.
- Create an exciting, inviting, aesthetically pleasing environment with an emphasis on natural materials
- Observe children closely, document learning, and use these observations as a basis for planning.
- Facilitate children’s expression of knowledge through representational media.
THE CURRICULUM COORDINATOR
At World of Discovery, there is a shared belief that children have within them an innate understanding of how to relate to the world and a natural curiosity which drives them to learn more. Children are not assumed to be empty vessels to be filled with instruction; they are seen as ready to learn when the right, best, or most appropriate opportunities are offered.
The curriculum coordinator’s work at WOD is to develop these kinds of opportunities and to assist teachers with consultation and planning that will facilitate and nurture this ability in children so that they can grow and learn.
As the interests of the children in each classroom are often vastly different, the curriculum coordinator works closely with the teachers to provide a curriculum structure that enables children to investigate their interests more deeply, answer their questions for themselves, and to test out their theories.
On-going projects — usually in-depth studies of phenomena that happen in a child’s everyday life — may last for weeks, months, or even a year. These studies can cover a wide range of topics, such as math, language, and science concepts.
Additionally, the curriculum coordinator not only develops relationships with center staff, families, and children, but also engages in problem-solving with staff, exploring new options and reflecting on what is going on in the center.
TEACHER-CHILD RATIOS
AGE GROUPS
AGES
RATIOS
Toddlers
18 – 23 months
1:3
Twos
24 – 36 months
1:6
Preschool/Pre-k
3 – 5 years
1:10
School Age
5 – 12 years
1:15
- Administrative faculty includes an executive director, one site director, a business manager, administrative assistants, and curriculum consultant.
- All faculty members have extensive background checks, CPR and First Aid Certifications, and universal precautions training.
- All teachers participate in on-going professional development. Opportunities include participation in weekly planning meetings and monthly faculty meetings, attending conferences and in-services, and working individually with consultants in the school classrooms.