Meet our DREAM TEAM of Teachers!
This May we are showering our teachers in gratitude! Please consider dropping Teacher Appreciation gifts by our Proctor location 3808 N 27th Street Tacoma and/or helping us pool funds to give them a gratitude bonus for all they do! #bettertogether
We would be nothing without the amazing, creative, devoted, hard-working, loving, dream team of teachers that keep our world spinning around. Our staff is always excited to welcome you! Learn more about them below and why we love them so!
Ms Natasha
Natasha founded Tacoma Children’s School and The Co-Lab out of a sincere desire to increase the availability of high-quality, integrated, and creative early childhood education in her home town. After graduating from UW, Natasha went on to receive her Montessori teaching certification and teach as an environmental educator. By drawing from numerous philosophies, Natasha is able to create a unique, child-driven, beautiful classroom environment. Natasha lives in Tacoma, WA with her family. She is an avid reader and loves dabbling in the culinary arts. On weekends, you’ll find her hiking with her family, at the playground, or elbows-deep in finger paint. Ms Natasha teaches KinderFirst programs at The Co-Lab and is frequent and friendly face in our spaces.
Mr Stewart
Mr. Stewart loves bringing his creativity to teaching! Whether it’s playing Frozen tunes on his ukulele, drawing comic books, or playing with kids on the playground, Mr. Stewart loves making kids laugh and inspiring them to try new things! After studying music at WWU, Mr. Stewart moved back home to Tacoma with his wife Natasha to start Tacoma Children’s School. He has two busy boys, Hudson and Harry, who give him plenty of practice staying on his toes. Mr. Stewart teaches M-F Preschool Programs at Tacoma Children’s School as well as Enrichment Classes and substituting at The Co-Lab!
Ms Chris
As The Co-Lab’s Site Director & Lead Preschool Teacher, you can find Ms. Chris playing and creating with our littlest students Monday through Friday in Proctor and ensuring smooth transitions into the afternoons. She is a professional artist, the brains and creative genius behind our themed monthly playsets. She brings our dreams to life with full space stations and deep-sea diving suits, mailboxes to Santa, fossil filled paper “rock” walls, bright-eyed animal friends and so many magical art projects.
Ms Natalie
Ms Natalie is our Preschool Teacher at The Co-Lab, on site weekday mornings. She is the perfect balance of peaceful and playful. As an experience childcare provider, mother of two and friend to many, she knows the ins and outs of balancing our rotating groups and themes, helping new friends feel welcomed and parents at ease. The perfect teacher for all ages.
Ms Abi
Ms. Abi is a gift to our programs, making our second or third childcare group available through our daily, flexible, drop-in programs, which function safely, alongside our formal classes. Ms. Abi is a mother of two and a ray of sunshine in our spaces.
Ms Deborah
Ms Deborah is the beloved teacher of our KinderFirst classes each afternoon during the week, she also helps facilitate Enrichment Classes and drop-in care as needed. Raising a little one of her own and having a long line of childcare experience in her past makes her a natural fit and long-time treasure on our team.
Ms Milena
Meet Miss Milena, one of the teachers who keeps our afternoon enrichment classes and drop-in care running smoothly She loves to draw and create crafts for the kids, helping hands-on in the classroom and designing much of our enrichment class curriculum. Born and raised in Brazil, experienced au pair and Portuguese speaker, she is helping our kids learn a second language and culture through play and exploration.
Be sure to sign up for her classes! Great for all ages.
Ms Mel
Ms Mel joined our team last season as we expanded to regular weekend offerings! She’s a mother of two with a professional childcare background and early childhood education. You can find her on site, capably and excellently running our spaces on Saturday mornings by welcoming drop-in children and on occasion leading weekend workshops and birthday parties for our kids.
Ms Ainsley
Ms. Ainsley was a golden hire from our 2021 summer programs at the ocean and when she moved to the South Sound for her first year of university, we were so thankful to welcome her back!
This sweet, funny and friendly teacher is an experienced childcare provider helping us close out the afternoon and evening shift of our Saturday drop-in programs.as well as assisting with birthday parties and substitute needs. The kids adore her, and we trust her dream of becoming a Kindergarten teacher will be much deserved and perfect fit after she graduates.
Be sure to swing by on the weekend and spend some time in good company.
Sheri Gorman is our lead preschool teacher at Tacoma Childrens School. She has been teaching and working with families in various ways for the past 15 years, is a WSU graduate for early education, and taught preschool for 10 years. In the last 5 years, she has nannied and supported families as a birth and postpartum doula while raising her own babies! Sheri knows there is something extra special and magical about working with children in the preschool years! Witnessing the growth and development that occurs in these transformative years never ceases to amaze her!
When not working with children and families, you’ll usually find Sheri making memories with her own little family of five! She has a 5-year-old, 3-year-old twins, and she and her husband have been together since college! They love exploring the great PNW, hiking, camping, spending time in nature and traveling.
Ms Kayla loves diving into imaginative play and cherishing the early childhood years. With two decades of childcare experience in diverse settings, she has now centered her life around the work and play lifestyle, bringing Tacoma transparent, welcoming, kid-friendly spaces where fun and memories are made. Kayla co-owns The Co-Lab, runs The Pod Works and loves being Mama to her little girls. The Pod Works & The Co-Lab have brought her dream job to life and it’s only the beginning. Ms. Kayla is a co-owner of our spaces, leads most of our family events and helps fill in staffing at our locations as needed, though likely with a baby on her hip.
Ms Anna is mama to two little boys and our incredible team admin. In the past she has created engaging curriculums like Wearable Art at Tacoma Children’s School and parties with Tacoma Craft Society. She now works remotely from Michigan but is the kind and knowledgeable source answering emails and calls and connecting all the important dots that complete our programs.