natural classroom specialist

Create a Classroom Where Nature, Play, and Standards Coexist.

You don’t have to choose between meeting standards and honoring the magic and wonder of childhood. You can have a plan, follow children’s curiosity, and create meaningful learning experiences where play and purpose go hand in hand.

I’ll help you find that middle ground through Teach the TK Way™ and The Natural Classroom Specialist®, right where you are, with the classroom you have.

Teach the TK Way™ brings together research-informed teaching strategies, practical classroom tools, and real-world experience to help early childhood educators bring more nature, play, and child-led learning into their everyday routines.

Inside The Natural Classroom Specialist®, you’ll learn how to make learning meaningful and intentional while working within the curriculum, standards, and expectations already part of your day.

nature based learning

A Little More Calm in Your Classroom

Creating a classroom that feels calm and welcoming doesn’t mean every moment will be quiet or perfectly organized. It’s about making thoughtful changes to your environment and routines so children know what to expect and have the space and support they need.

This guide walks you through simple, budget-friendly ways to create a classroom that works better for everyone, including you.

Get the Classroom Guide
nature based teaching

Plan with Purpose, Leave Room for Play

I love a good plan, but I also know that some of the best learning happens when we leave room for children’s curiosity. This editable, yearlong planning resource helps you connect play-based experiences to learning standards without making your days feel rigid.

You’ll also get a learning module to help you think through your goals and create a plan that works for your classroom.

Planning Challenge

Bring a Little Wonder Back to Your Science Center

You don’t need an elaborate science center or expensive materials to give children meaningful opportunities to explore. Sometimes a few natural materials, interesting objects, and a little room for curiosity are all it takes.

This free guide helps you create a science space that encourages hands-on discovery while connecting naturally to the learning standards you’re already teaching.

Revive My Science Center

Helping Others See the Learning in Play

Play and purposeful teaching aren't opposites. And you don't have to choose between them.

Sometimes the challenge isn’t knowing that children learn through play. It’s helping others recognize the learning that’s happening and understand how it connects to the standards we’re expected to teach. I’ve been on both sides of that conversation, as a classroom teacher and as a director, and I know how much easier things become when we have the language and tools to explain what we’re doing and why.

Whether you’re looking for a little more flexibility in your day, fresh ideas for your learning spaces, or practical ways to connect children’s interests to your curriculum, these resources are here to help you make meaningful changes without starting over.

You can have a plan, meet the standards, and still leave plenty of room for the magic and wonder of childhood.

nature based lessons
natural classroom ideas

There's More Than One Way to Grow a Classroom

You don’t need another long list of things to do. You need practical ideas, thoughtful resources, and a little support bringing more play, nature, and purposeful learning into your classroom.

Whether you’re looking for help planning your year, making better use of your learning spaces, or finding ways to follow children’s interests while meeting your standards, there’s a place to begin.

I’ve created different ways for you to explore, learn, and grow through Teach the TK Way™, because what works for one classroom might look completely different in another.

After 26 years in early childhood education…

Both as a classroom teacher and a director, I’ve learned a thing or two about what teaching young children actually looks like. And I can promise you, it rarely looks like those perfectly curated classrooms we see online.

I’ve taught in classrooms where the schedule was designed around everyone else’s needs, where transitions could make a grown woman cry, and where the expectations didn’t always match what I knew was best for young children. I’ve also been the director responsible for understanding the regulations, supporting teachers, and figuring out how to make all those moving pieces work together.

And somewhere along the way, I learned that we don’t have to choose between doing our jobs well and honoring childhood.

Hi, I'm Tina!

A Little About the Teacher Behind Teach the TK Way™

I believe in play, nature, curiosity, and giving children opportunities to lead their learning. But I also love a good lesson plan, predictable routines, and knowing which standards we’re working toward. Those things aren’t opposites, and I’ve spent much of my career helping educators bring them together.

My classrooms weren’t picture-perfect, either. Most days, our outdoor spaces looked more like the local junkyard, with mud, sticks, and rocks that made perfect sense to the little minds using them. But I knew how much learning was happening in that mess, and why it mattered.

That’s why I created Teach the TK Way™. Not to tell you to throw out your curriculum or start over, but to share practical ways to bring more play, nature, and the wonder of childhood into the classroom you already have.

Because there’s more than one way to teach well.

Meet Tina →

You Bring the Experience. I'll Bring a Few More Tools.

I know there’s no magic formula for creating a classroom that works for every child, every teacher, and every school. But I also know how much easier it can feel when you have practical ideas, a little guidance, and someone who’s actually been in your shoes.

That’s why I created The Natural Classroom Specialist®. It’s a way to take the ideas behind Teach the TK Way™ and explore how they can work in your own classroom, using The LEAF Method™: Learn, Explore, Act, and Flourish.

We’ll look at how to bring more nature, play, and child-led learning into your everyday routines, connect those experiences to your standards, and make thoughtful changes that fit your classroom rather than someone else’s idea of what it should look like.

You already bring so much knowledge and experience to your teaching. My hope is to help you build on it, one meaningful step at a time.

Learn More About The Natural Classroom Specialist® Here

Your Professional Learning Can Count Toward Graduate-Level Credits

Earn Up to 10 Graduate-Level Credits

What makes this opportunity a little different is the focus on something we don’t always see in graduate-level professional learning: how to bring play, child-led learning, and academic standards together in a real early childhood classroom.

Through University of the Pacific and Courses4Teachers, educators who complete eligible coursework from The Natural Classroom Specialist® Collection have the opportunity to earn up to 10 graduate-level semester units.

That means you can explore practical ways to bring nature, play, and purposeful learning into your classroom while also working toward your professional development goals.

Here’s what you should know:

  • Up to 10 graduate-level units: Available through eligible coursework and the university’s registration process.

  • Learn on your schedule: Work through the course materials at your own pace, with lifetime access to your purchased course.

  • Make your learning count: Graduate-level units may support salary advancement, professional development requirements, or other career goals, depending on your district or licensing agency.

Click HERE to learn more!

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A Little More From the Classroom

More Blog Posts

A Little More Room for Childhood

If you’ve made it this far, I have a feeling we see early childhood education in much the same way. We believe in meaningful learning, thoughtful planning, and giving children room to explore, play, and discover the world around them.

I’d love to keep the conversation going.

Through Middle Moments, I share classroom stories, practical ideas, and a little encouragement for educators who believe there’s more than one way to teach well.

No perfect classrooms or impossible expectations. Just real conversations about teaching, learning, and making room for the magic and wonder of childhood.

See What I’ve Created for You: take a look around, find what interests you, and start wherever it makes sense for you.

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