Ms. Valentine ~ Floater, Pre-K  & After School Afternoon Teacher 

Hi! I am Valentine , the floater and Pre-K and After School Afternoon teacher.  I double-majored in Theater and Africana Studies at NYU, and studied African Dance at a summer course at the University of Ghana, in West Africa.  I then pursued a Ph. D. in Sociology at the University of Arizona. I completed my first year, and began an earnest search for a dissertation mentor in my department.  I wanted to know the difference between sociology of education and educational sociology.  When I realized my current professors did not have any clear grasp on the definitions, I decided to conduct fieldwork to get a broader understanding for myself.  I have finally concluded my fieldwork, and will be ready to return to my studies in the next few years.  I started having particular interest teaching in pre-school when I enrolled in a graduate course for early learning as an undergraduate student at NYU.  I was further compelled to study this topic when I became interested in the writing and philosophy of people like Thomas Dewey.  There has been much difference in opinion about how professionals should approach early learning strategies.  I believe my best education has always been in the field, and my students have always been my best teachers!