Susie Lockard is the lead teacher for Madrona School’s Huckleberry mixed-age preschool group. She has served as lead preschool and parent-child teacher since 2015, and officially began assistant teaching at Madrona School in 2008. Since then, she has taught in all areas of the Madrona early childhood program: Parent-Child, Preschool, Kindergarten, Nature/Adventure Day, as well as the Kindergarten After- care. She is currently serving as Faculty Chair. She has been a member of the Madrona community since 2002, and is the mother of two Madrona alums.
Teacher Susie was raised on Bainbridge Island. As a working mother she returned to school to complete a BA in Early Childhood and Family Studies from the University of Washington, where she graduated summa cum laude. She received her Waldorf Certification in Early Childhood Education through the West Coast Institute for Studies in Anthroposophy in British Columbia, Canada.
More about Teacher Susie:
Pastimes. My family are my favorite people to spend time with. I love to bake, try new recipes, to walk, and bike ride. I’m partial to K-dramas and anime. I smother my cats with positive affirmations, and love taking photographs that make me happy.
Teaching approach. I consider myself to be an intentional teacher: I act purposefully to support children’s growth and development. I work to provide a supportive environment, and to be well informed and responsive to children’s needs and learning differences. I strive to meet and honor families where they are, partnering with them to support their child. Through validation, respect, and understanding I help children build a sense of security and strengthen resilience.
Path to Teaching. My dad taught public middle school here on the Island, and from as early as 3rd grade I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Teachers are superheroes to me. However, I followed different interests and did not find my way back to teaching until I enrolled my now college-aged son in a parent-child class at Madrona in 2002. I knew right away I wanted to be “inside the gate” with the children and other teachers.
Madrona School. The work with the children is very fulfilling. I love the life of the 3 year-old: the wonder, the earnestness, the highs and lows that come with their growing independence. Ultimately, I am so grateful for the community within which I work. I feel very supported by my colleagues, as well as the families I work with, and those relationships have allowed me the opportunity to grow both as an individual and a professional. Madrona School is a community of people working to better understand themselves, each other, and the world around them.
