Learn 2 Learn is Stephanie Cook
Welcome to Learn2Learn daycare located in the north west end of Peterborough. Learn2Learn is a Montessori based childcare operated by me, Stephanie Cook.
My Professional Life
My career began the day my son was born. I didn’t realize it at the time but having him and wanting to be the best parent I could be is what led me here. It started with workshops and courses about parenting and positive discipline, it grew into volunteering in classrooms, coaching soccer and convening for hockey, and eventually into the awakening of my true calling in this life.
I have worked as a nanny for 16 years. I have had the privilege of spending time, teaching and learning from some amazing children and some incredible parents.
In 2010, I did the unthinkable; I went back to school. The Canadian Montessori Teachers Educational Institute in Toronto. The training was challenging, but with support from family I didn’t give up. In 2011, I graduated with a 96% average and I couldn’t wait to start teaching.
After doing some supply work I found it difficult being stuck inside, but I couldn’t go back to being a nanny with all the knowledge inside my mind of what Montessori had to offer. It was then my family decided to turn our living-room and dinning-room into a Montessori environment.
Three years into our adventure, I am so pleased with our decision. We now have an amazing home that accommodates a separate area for home and Classroom where we incorporate not only Montessori but all of my motherly intuition, and my knowledge about children and what they love. I don’t believe there is only one way to teach a child or only one method. Every little person is so unique and so special. We need to learn the child and take from what we have, to teach in a way a child may receive the lesson. My goal is to teach a child in a way that not only teaches them information, but also teaches them about how they learn; hence the name Learn2Learn. I want to help raise polite compassionate and empathetic children who will make this world a better place. I want to share what I have learned with parents and remain open to receive the lessons they have to offer me.
I have been influenced by so many wonderful people in my life. I want to give that feeling to the parents who share their journeys with me.
I wake every morning wondering what I will learn today. I smile knowing I have one of the only jobs where it is okay to ask for a hug and give one in return. I truly and wholeheartedly enjoy what I do and it shows in the faces and the hearts of the little people with whom I spend my days.
My Personal Life
I was born in Hamilton, but raised in Peterborough, and have grown to love all that this city has to offer. I am the proud mother to Ethan and a very “Twitter-pated” fiance to Scott, both of whom are a tremendous help and are very involved in the Learn2Learn community. Occasionally I still find Ethan entranced in an activity in the classroom with the children watching in wonderment. Ethan is usually the first to hear the stories of the day and the adventures we had. Scott is my handyman, the man who makes my thoughts a reality, and my fill in when I need to go to an appointment. He sits in during interviews and is involved in many decisions made for the classroom.
As a family we really like to be outside. We enjoy back country camping, canoeing, Kayaking, fishing, summer and winter, picnics and long country road drives. We also enjoy bike rides along the trails, and the occasional trip to Toronto to see a play or concert. Oh! We also love DANCING!
At our space on Lily Lake road, we care for more than just our human family and friends; we have chickens, sheep, rabbits, three goats and a pig. They enrich the classroom experience and fill our lives with fun.
— Stephanie Cook