Henrico's Top Teachers – Gania Rose, LeafSpring School

Gania Rose knew at a very early age that she wanted to become a teacher when she grew up. During her childhood, she often found herself as a student by day and a teacher by late-afternoon.

“When I was maybe 10 my mother was a part of a single mothers group that would meet once a week and as one of the oldest children I would help out with the younger children, giving them crafts and activities, singing songs etc.,” she said. “I would also join my younger brother at his parent co-op child care after school and help the teachers in any way that I could.”

At 18, Rose began her first real teaching job as an assistant teacher in a preschool classroom.

“I absolutely loved everything about it”, she said. “I knew then that I didn’t want to pursue any other career and became very passionate about teaching, specifically early childhood education.”

Rose has been teaching pre-kindergarten at LeafSpring School for eight years now. Her nominator wrote that the school is incredibly lucky to have her because of her unique ability to connect with students.

“In her classes, Gania always emphasizes social and emotional growth and prioritizes the importance of students’ learning to communicate and respect one another,” the nominator wrote. “Students leave her class knowing they are safe and loved, and knowing they are good and strong.”

Since pre-k is such an important year for a child’s growth and development, Rose ensures that her students are not only academically prepared to start their educational journey, but emotionally prepared as well, she said.

“Sending a child off to kindergarten knowing how to read and write is fantastic, but more important is sending a child off to kindergarten that knows how to identify their emotions, how to navigate their feelings, and how to do these things with confidence,” she said.

Rose’s nominator wrote extensively about the positive impacts her emotion-centered approach to learning has had on her students.

“Students leave Gania's class knowing how to express their needs and how to communicate with one another and the adults in their lives,” the person wrote. “They always feel listened to, and in turn learn the importance of listening to those around them.”

Rose has worked in many roles in the early childhood development field from assistant teacher to a center director. Her favorite part of teaching is being able to watch her students’ faces light up when they are excited about what they are learning, she said. She is energized by her students’ budding independence and personal development.

“Truly the most notable moments for me are the little moments where you watch a student write something in their writing journal and see the pride and excitement spread across their face as you tell them that you are proud of them,” she said.

Though engagement with pre-k students can be challenging, Rose has found effective and caring ways to reach them.

“I think that one of the most effective ways of being engaged with your students is to follow their cues,” she explained. “Seek to understand what they are curious about and follow that with them.”

The flexibility and thoughtfulness with which Rose handles her students is one of her most admirable qualities as a teacher, her nominator wrote.

“Gania consistently focuses on the importance of learning through play – even though that often results in more work for her as a teacher! She loves taking her kids out to the dig pit to get muddy, and prioritizes creativity, expression, and individual interests.

“Lately she has been renovating her room each month to include a new and fun ‘invitation’ in the dramatic play center. Last month she turned it into a pretend vet hospital, and this month it is a flower shop.”

The pandemic presented uniquely challenging obstacles for Rose as a preschool teacher. Since pre-k students could not handle sitting on a Zoom meeting to learn, Rose and other early childhood educators had to find creative solutions to the sudden halt of in-person instruction.

“We would send videos of a variety of at home experiences that the children could engage in with their families in order to continue their learning,” she explained. “We engaged in several video calls, not to work on lessons, but to attempt to maintain their connection to their classmates and their school.”

Even after virtual learning ended, the pandemic continued to put hurdles in the way of pre-k education. Thankfully, Rose’s positive attitude and creativity allowed her to jump over them gracefully.

“With the world feeling like a less safe place in many ways one of the responses I had was to design a ‘peace center’ for the classroom,” Rose said.

Rose’s nominator wrote about the incredible effects the peace center – a space filled with soft lighting, plush pillow, fidget toys, coloring books and other calming materials – has had on her students.

“During the pandemic, Gania realized that there was a need for students to have the physical and mental space to process the big emotions they were going through,” the nominator wrote. “When upset, she guided students to head to the Peace Center to process their feelings, find what they needed, and regroup for the day. The kids have loved this center and have learned to go there independently when feeling overwhelmed.”

Despite the many challenges that come with teaching preschoolers, teaching is the most gratifying thing a person can do, Rose said.

“Knowing that I am sending [my students] off to elementary school as confident, curious, and emotionally prepared little learners is very rewarding.”