Anastasia Machan, B.A., M.A. R.E.C.E. 

There is one thing that I know, in my heart, to be true. Children are born to learn. No matter the learning style, children demonstrate, on a daily basis, what it means to engross oneself in continuous learning and development. Children are natural subject matter experts. Do you know what else I know to be true? We are doing education wrong. Barring some of the fantastic educators and programs out there, the fact of the matter is that traditional educational practices and institutions do not work for all children. Children who may not fit the traditional mold, individual children with unique identities, are not being served in a traditional setting. Whether it is a diagnosis, an exceptional learning style or something else entirely, our educational system acts as a one-size-fits-all when, in actuality, learning is not.

 

My name is Anastasia Machan, and I am passionate about the topic of accessible Early Childhood Education. My background in Early Childhood Education, Gender Studies and Psychology, as well as my experience as a mother of a neurodiverse child, has had a profound effect on how I view the early years. Inspired by the Swedish, Reggio Emilia and Waldorf approaches, my pedagogy is play-based, child-led, and exploratory.

 

My goal is to increase accessibility to Early Childhood Education, irrespective of a child’s abilities, gender identity, sexuality, class and race. For more information about my background, please download my CV.