Background: Hi, I’m Erica Pagan. I was born in NYC and grew up in Hopewell Junction. This will be my third year teaching. I joined Little Garden when it opened, left to continue my education, and now I’m returning full-time this fall. As a child, I wanted to be a chef. I loved playing “kitchen” and helping my mom cook for our family.

Best Advice: The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is, "Failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone toward success." I decided to go into early childhood education because I saw how important it is for children to have a positive first experience with school. As preschool teachers, we are often the first teachers your children will have, and it’s crucial to create a positive foundation for learning.

Inspiration: The most inspiring part of working at Little Garden Montessori is watching children’s and families’ lives be positively impacted by the Montessori philosophy.

Montessori Work: My favorite activity with the kids right now is sound pouches. The children are so engaged and focused while doing this work.

Montessori vs. Traditional Education: I believe that Montessori education provides children with exceptional skills of independence and a greater knowledge of the world. As Montessori educators, we offer a child-led education, ensuring that each child gets exactly what they need.

Favorite Part of Working with Kids: My favorite part about working with children is watching them grow and become curious about new things, sparking new opportunities for them to learn.

Reason for Working at LGM: I work at Little Garden Montessori because of the sense of community and family that the administration has developed and nurtured.

Message to Parents: I want the parents of LGM students to know that we are here to be advocates for your child and the family as a whole. We hope this experience provides your child with the education they need, but our priority is to provide them with a safe and loving environment.

Favorite Story at LGM: Recently at LGM, the children learned about the lifecycle of butterflies. We watched them go through each phase and then released them when they became full-grown. The children were so excited and unpromptedly started singing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" as they were being released. To me, that moment was innocent and good-natured.