About Dana

I babysat while I was in high school and college. The children I watched ranged in age from a few months old to teenagers. I enjoy playing all kinds of games with kids, especially board games, sports, and learning games. I love arts and crafts, and would be happy to paint, draw, make jewelry, or do anything else in the creative realm. I know a little bit about music, but unfortunately am not very good. I was a high school math teacher in Philadelphia for two years, so I am very comfortable with teaching and tutoring mathematical concepts for all ages. I know about different learning styles and ways to engage students with math using games and technology. I believe in eating well and enjoy cooking, which I would be more than willing to do for kids. I think that being in the kitchen and learning about food is a great way to educate children while having fun. I lived in France for four months last year where I babysat for a local hotel during events. I then traveled and volunteered in Latin America for six months. Two of the volunteer positions were working with kids from newborns to age six. In Bolivia, I was a classroom preschool teacher in a center for children who live in prison with their parents and are bussed to the center daily. We worked on fine and gross motor skills, recognizing textures, colors, numbers, and letters, and doing puzzles. In Colombia, I was an aide at an orphanage. I performed all tasks including feeding, changing diapers, bathing, teaching, and playing. There were approximately 30 children in the orphanage, and I was often alone with about seven at a time. I think children are fun, intelligent, and have great insights into the world.