Working with Early Childhood Students, Pre-Service, and In-Service Educators In-Person in Michigan and Virtually Across the United States
“To take children seriously is to value them for who they are right now rather than adults-in-the-making.”
- Alfie Kohn
Let’s build your toolbox and invest in your professional growth as an intentional, equity-centered educator.
I'm so glad you're here. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or refining your practice, you deserve support that honors your unique teaching context and vision.
I offer workshops, consultation, higher education instruction, and professional development grounded in early childhood and early childhood special education. Together, we’ll explore how to create inclusive, engaging environments across self-contained, co-teaching, and general education settings. Our work together will center on responsive, inquiry-based and process-driven curriculum that nurtures the whole child—intellectually, socially, and emotionally.
If you’re passionate about creating music-rich classrooms, fostering collaborative partnerships with families, and designing learning spaces that celebrate the full diversity of children and their backgrounds, you’re in the right place. My offerings are designed to be practical, reflective, and rooted in current research and lived experience. Whether you're aiming to improve classroom culture, rethink curriculum, or navigate co-teaching dynamics, I’m here to provide tools, guidance, and space for growth.
Let’s collaborate to deepen your understanding of inclusive practices, strengthen your planning and facilitation, and empower you to advocate for what children and families need most. Every child deserves a learning environment where they feel seen and supported—and every educator deserves the same.
You're doing meaningful work. Let’s make it even stronger—together.
My Offerings:
Meet Ashley
she/her
With over a decade of experience in early childhood special education, I am a dedicated educator and higher education faculty member committed to fostering inclusive, child-centered, and justice-oriented learning environments. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Education and History from Skidmore College, a Master of Science in Education in Special Education from Fordham University, and 30 additional graduate-level credits through NYC’s ASPDP. I’m certified in New York State in early childhood, childhood, and both early childhood and childhood special education.
I’ve taught in Head Start and NYC public schools across self-contained, inclusion, and integrated co-teaching classrooms and am trained in ECERS and CLASS assessments. Currently, I serve as an adjunct faculty member at two Michigan universities, where I prepare pre-service teachers and offer professional development to educators and community partners. I also sit on the First Steps Kent 0–5 Millage Resident Proposal Review Board and design websites for educators and education-adjacent professionals (including this one!).
My work is grounded in curiosity, collaboration, and creativity. I believe classrooms thrive when they are filled with music, process-based play, and opportunities for each child’s voice to shine. Whether I’m mentoring a future teacher or working with a school team, my goal is to support people in building inclusive, reflective practices that center children’s strengths and lived experiences.
Outside of work, I love hiking and cooking with my family, collecting stickers for my ever-growing water bottle collection, and singing silly songs with my preschool-aged daughter. I’m also the kind of person who pets every dog I meet unless they are a service dog, instead, I just remind them, “You are doing the bestest job.”
My Values
Grounding every decision in purpose and reflection, with a commitment to developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and responsive teaching practices.
I bring deep intentionality to all aspects of teaching and learning. My child-centered, individualized approach ensures that every neurotypical and neurodivergent learner is met with strategies that honor their unique identities, needs, and strengths. Intentionality means designing process-based, meaningful experiences that nurture curiosity and foster agency. In my practice, every learning opportunity is an invitation to build connection, celebrate individuality, and support holistic development—socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Intentional teaching isn't static; it requires constant self-reflection, cultural humility, and a willingness to grow alongside students and future educators.
Centering the diverse needs of all learners and families by honoring cultural, linguistic, and developmental differences and actively working to dismantle barriers to access and inclusion.
Equity is the foundation of everything I do as an educator. Having grown up and taught in Queens, NYC—one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse places in the world—I’ve witnessed firsthand how systemic barriers shape the educational experiences of marginalized children and families. My teaching centers the belief that justice-oriented classrooms require all educators to expand their understanding of special education, differentiate meaningfully, and respect each child’s lived experience. Equity means honoring the whole child, advocating for their access to resources, and empowering pre-service and in-service teachers to lead inclusive, anti-bias learning environments that celebrate difference and resist deficit-based narratives.
Building strong partnerships between educators, families, and communities to create connected, child-centered learning environments that thrive on shared knowledge and mutual respect.
Collaboration is key to sustainable, inclusive education. I prioritize consistent, transparent communication with families and believe deeply that caregivers are a child’s first and most important teachers. Through family engagement initiatives, data-informed feedback, and community-building, I cultivate trust and shared purpose. In higher education, I model this same collaborative spirit with pre-service educators by facilitating reflective dialogue, co-construction of knowledge, and inquiry-driven learning. True collaboration means creating spaces where every voice matters—students, families, teachers—and where relationships are built on respect, empathy, and a shared goal: supporting every child to feel seen, safe, and celebrated.
