About Tonilyn

Hello! My first name is Tonilyn, but I go by Bear. My interest in early childhood education began 12 years ago as an assistant preschool teacher. From there I continued to teach preschool and pre-k for 5 years. As a teacher, I had the joy of sharing my passion for nature and learning through play. Early childhood is an amazing period of growth and I love to be the support system for kids as they become independent, curious, and adventurous people! I spent a year as a live in nanny for a 4 & 8-year-old as well as another year as a nanny for a 5-year-old in Seattle. The last two years of my career have been spent as an administrator at an early childhood center. During this period, I created curriculum, worked to help teachers grow in areas such as classroom management, behavior understanding, and child engagement. I'm originally from Alaska & the PNW, which has contributed to the most important part of life for me - nature & making time to be outside each day with my husband & dog.