TerraNichol Academy Of The Arts Teaching Team

TerraNichol Academy of The Arts is led by two early childhood professionals with a strong commitment to providing thoughtful and inspiring experiences for young children. Our team of enthusiastic and passionate educators embrace the school’s philosophy and work collaboratively with the families and community to create a place where children belong, develop a lifelong love of learning while caring for each other and our planet.

Our Preschool teachers are under the direct supervision from The Preschool Educational Director Michelle Messier and Founder Terra Tominelli.  Terra has had over 20 years helping to educate children in Sarasota County. Terra Tominelli and Michelle Messier also have all the necessary Florida educational degrees and credentials  for teaching and being a director and owner.  "Miss Terra" and "Miss Michelle" are devoted to all the children and parents.
         
The teaching team are all trained in CPR and First Aid, Universal Precautions, and Early Childhood Education.  The TerraNichol Academy of the Arts teachers have the necessary Florida educational degrees and credentials for teaching early childhood. We do hire and accept teachers that are interning or are working on completing their degrees in Early Childhood Field. We feel our program is a great site for mentoring and training first year teachers! 

The teaching team that are presently employed at TerraNichol Academy of the Arts have all met all the teaching standards recommended by the Department of Education. With a mixture of educational degrees, our teachers are devoted to helping the children succeed with more than the average education. The preschool team has a very strong commitment to professional development and participating in training courses and workshops throughout the year.

TerraNichol is proud to have a superb teaching team, interns and substitutes. Years of teaching round out their experiences, creating a teaching team that works together for the betterment of each child. Meeting weekly and planning together, we work closely as a team. We consider ourselves professionals and take ongoing classes challenging our thinking and keeping us abreast of new research and curriculum instruction. The Teaching Team here at TerraNichol Academy are required to go through a special 3 month training program with the founder Terra Tominelli to be trained in our unique program and teaching style.

The Role Of The Teacher-The image of the child shapes the role of the teacher and involves four major components. Teachers are:

• Co-constructors: partners, guides, nutures, solves problems, learns, hypothesizes.

• Researchers: learns, observes, revisits

• Documenters: listen, records, displays, revisits

• Advocates for children: involved in the community, politics relating to children, speaks for children and presents work to other educators and community members.

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 TerraNichol Academy Inspired Teaching Intern Program

TerraNichol Academy Of The Arts Inspired Teaching Intern Program, a professional learning community of teachers that ensures that a diverse group of students achieve their potential as accomplished learners, thoughtful citizens, and imaginative and inquisitive problem solvers through a demanding, inquiry-based curriculum. With its clear mission and prominent location in Englewood Florida the school serves as a model of instruction for students and training for teachers, with the goal of becoming a leader in changing the way teachers are prepared and supported and students are educated nationwide.

Inspired Teaching Intern Program implements the philosophy and instructional methodology of TerraNichol Academy of The Arts-based educational organization that has served Englewood teachers and students since 2006, with the goal of ensuring that teachers make the most of children's innate desire to learn. Within its walls young people learn and achieve at high levels without having to surrender their intellectual curiosity and passion for learning. The school exemplifies the Inspired Teaching's of the intern program educational philosophy and history of honoring and investing in teachers and their students.

Primary methods of instruction include inquiry and active learning, where the teacher serves as facilitator and coach to support student learning. Instruction includes an emphasis on social-emotional learning, and learning labs care characterized by student-centeredorganization styles such as differentiated instruction, collaborative groups, and child-initiated play.