Rainbow Room
Paige Loiselle (She/her)
Early Educator
Paige was raised in Vermont and attended school through the South Burlington School District. After earning her diploma in 2015, she began working towards her Early Childhood Education degree at the Community College of Vermont, and soon after transferred to the University of Vermont. Paige began working with children at a young age, and what started out as a part-time gig, turned into an exploding passion! Paige completed her degree in the Spring of 2020, and took the steps to become a Licensed VT Educator! Over the past few years she has fulfilled her degree with many teaching opportunities through UVM, as well as through her employment outside of UVM. Through these experiences she was able to explore many aspects of teaching, which has shaped who she has become as an educator. Some of Paige's favorite classroom happenings include reading, outdoor adventures, musical activities and sensory play! She strives to support a positive and therapeutic classroom environment, which is what originally drew her to TCC!
Paige lives in Colchester with her two cats, Ash and Queso, as well as her dog, Carla. Carla is a certified Therapy Dog and TCC is so happy to welcome her into our therapeutic practice.
Carla
Therapy Dog
Taylor O'Connor (She/he/they)
Teaching Assistant
Taylor is powered by an infinite zest for life, the universe, and everything! They have been teaching in some form since they could set up a classroom of their own toys. They have no memory of a time when they weren't deeply interested in children and their worlds. They became an older sibling for the first time at 15 and spent a lot of time helping raise their little brother, and then helped him through virtual 4th grade during the early pandemic. They were surprised and delighted by how natural teaching felt. In 2020, Taylor moved to Vermont because they really admire Burlington’s culture of self-expression and community care, and it was a natural progression from there to pursue a career in education. They can’t go a day without finding some way to express themself creatively, and they love using that energy to enrich their teaching. During playtime, they love building “fairy houses” from natural materials, manipulating water flows through the sand area, and making art.
Taylor's goal as a teacher is to foster a culture of acceptance and curiosity. They am thrilled to work in a team that celebrates each child as they are. A student recently said to them “Different brains do different things,” and they were overjoyed to hear it, because that is the very heart of Taylor's teaching philosophy. They are all about connection and making sure children feel heard and understood. Taylor endeavors to be a gentle, yet firm presence in their community, not just as a teacher. As an educator and a creative, they see immense value in the interplay between structure and flexibility: like plants growing on a trellis, we can reach greater heights through this balance.
Carla is a certified Therapy Dog through “Therapy Dogs of Vermont''. She began working at TCC in February of 2021 alongside her owner/handler, Paige. Carla is an eight year old, “Blue” Standard Poodle (hypoallergenic). She has many hobbies including paddle boarding, hiking, obedience, and spending time comforting and having fun with the humans around her! While in the classroom Carla enjoys sitting with friends during play, listening to friends read books, and supporting friends as they need. Carla is scheduled to spend the day in the classroom every Tuesday and Friday. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Classroom Phone Number
802-656-5012
