Last Day Q&A: Lucy Intriago

Bilingual provider engagement specialist, Lucy Intriago, is next up in our revamped Last Day Q&A series. Read below to learn about her experiences as both an early childhood professional and a mom of two!

What was your favorite activity to do with your kids in the classroom?

My favorite activity was to do choreography to celebrate holidays like winter break, fall break, and Valentine’s Day.

If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would tell yourself about the night before your first day as an early childhood educator?

Keep group sizes as small as possible. It can be chaos to keep little ones’ attentions for more than five minutes when they are surrounded by so many of their friends!

Talk about a fellow educator you admired and what you learned most from them. 

My favorite teacher/mentor was Veronica Di Caudo from Argentina. She made me realize that doing a lesson plan is not as complicated as I thought. She taught me to do a lesson plan focusing on just one material or object. For example, using a simple pumpkin, you can develop a great lesson plan and teach different areas. For math, you can count seeds. For science, you can feel what is inside the pumpkin from wet to dry. For art, you can color the seeds to create whatever a child can envision in their own imagination. For dramatic play, you can create a pumpkin patch. You can make pumpkin bread, cookies, and more. The possibilities are endless!

If you could go back in time, what is one thing you would tell yourself before you became a parent?

Let your child express their feelings in whichever way is appropriate for their age. Accept things as they come – you learn through time.

What has been your favorite age as a parent? 

I loved when my boys were around ten.

What is your favorite thing about your kids at their age now?

As a parent of a middle schooler and an adult, it’s great that they are very independent and can do most of the things in their own.

What is the best advice you ever got about parenting?

It’s ok to make a lot of mistakes as a parent. I loved being complimented for my patience too!

What is/were your favorite activities to do with your children?

Watch movies, eat pizza, and have those beautiful long car rides, where you just can have a rich, meaningful, and sincere conversation with them.

Want to learn more about Lucy? Check out her previous Last Day Q&A feature.