Hello! My name is Machaela Whelan and I currently live in Lawrence, KS. For the last 6 years I have had the honor of being the Assistant Director at Hilltop Child Development Center here in Lawrence. Hilltop is affiliated with the University of Kansas, which just so happens to be my alma mater! I graduated with a Bachelor's in Applied Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education and Intervention in 2005. Since then I have worked as a teacher and administrator for several programs. I currently supervise 8 classrooms, 16 teachers and 200 children. I love working with both children and adults and really figuring out what makes them tick. We are currently using Creative Curriculum and I have enjoyed learning about their online assessment tool. I have worked closely with my teachers this semester to train them on using the Teaching Strategies Gold assessment tool. A challenge that I'm sure many administrators face is unity--how to get that many teachers on the same page, understanding and listening to each other. I work very hard to make sure that my teachers are heard and know that they are appreciated. I enjoy learning new things about Early Childhood, management, and public relations. I like to be active in my classrooms and aware of what's happening in the center.
I am very excited to really get in to the online learning community here at Walden. I consider myself to be tech savvy, and I enjoy meeting people with a variety of experiences, education and backgrounds. I'm looking forward to challenging myself with all of the new information! A potential challenge for me is time. Working a full time job and making sure that I have enough time for my school work is something that I'm going to have to be diligent about. I currently have a calendar that I am able to input deadlines for work and for school that will help me to stay on track.
I look forward to communicating and learning with all of you as we start the journey towards our Masters degrees!
