Faculty
Joanne Brown (Instructor) Joanne has been working in the field of Early Childhood Education since the early 70’s. She worked with young children as a teacher and supervisor in full and half day childcare programs and for the last dozen years has enjoyed teaching ECE students.
Visual art has been a source of inspiration for her teaching, and in turn, her own work is inspired by the creativity of the children and adults she has encountered.
Joanne has an ECE certificate, a BFA from Emily Carr School of Art, and a B.Ed and M.Ed from UBC. Her interest in the schools of Reggio Emilia has put her on a journey of rethinking teaching and learning both for children and for ECE students. She hopes to foster the disposition for life long learning and it is also her hope that students begin to experience teaching as research in ECE environments
Email: jobrown@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5765
Room: B148b
Claude Painter (Instructor) has nurtured and taught young children between the ages of infancy and 6 years for over 20 years and in that time, specialized in caring for children who required extra supports. Her passion is to provide people of various communities both locally and globally, with quality care and education related to early childhood issues and services. She was invited to teach in Langara College’s Early Childhood Education Department in 1991 and continues to teach courses in both the ECE Diploma Program and in the Post-Basic Early Childhood Special Education Program. While at Langara she served as a co-coordinator of the ECE Department for 5 years and as chair of the department for another 5 years. Claude also served as co-chair of the B.C. Provincial Early Childhood Education Articulation Committee for 2 years, and has sat on numerous municipal and provincial childcare and education committees.
More recently, Claude has served on the Langara College Board and sits on several faculty selection and evaluation committees, as well as on committees that support student and community fundraising projects. She is a member of two international societies that foster empowerment and leadership for women and children, and is an advocate for further promoting the rights of children. Claude holds a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Vanier College where she began her studies in Montreal, a diploma from the Instructor Diploma Program of B.C. and a Master of Education degree from Simon Fraser University, B.C. Her own journey in serving young children and their families has proven to her that one is only limited by imagination when it comes to seeking a fulfilling career. Her message to her students and prospective applicants is that if they follow their passions and learn to contribute to others with creativity, compassion and dedication the rewards they receive will be priceless.
Email: cpainter@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5766
Room: B148c
Valerie Simmons (Instructor)
Over the past 30+ years, Valerie Simmons has worked as an educator and administrator in a variety of child care settings including preschool, group care and inclusive child care sites. For the past 12 years as an Instructor @ Langara College, she has taught in both the diploma and post-basic ECEd programs. Valerie has a BA ( Queen's University, Kingston, Ont.); an ECE Diploma ( Conestoga College, Kitchener,Ont.); and ECE Special Education (Langara College). Valerie previously served as a Board member of the Society of Richmond Child Care Centres. Valerie strongly believes that child care must be an integral part of our social and economic system, providing essential support and service to young children and their families. As such, young children and their families have the need and should have the right to accessible, affordable and high quality child care. At the same time, ECE's must be recognized and valued for the important work they do caring for and educating young children and supporting their families. Educated and well-trained ECE's are essential to the professionalism of our field. Valerie believes the ECED programs at Langara College offer exemplary training in the province.
Email: vsimmons@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5767
Room: B148f
Diana Stewart (Instructor) has 24 years experience as an adult educator in Early Childhood Education sharing her enthusiasm for curriculum planning and implementation; observing, recording and documenting; and language arts. She obtained her B.A. from Simon Fraser University and her M.Ed. (Curriculum and Instruction—Early Childhood Education) from the University of Victoria. She also holds a current Licence to Practice as an Early Childhood Educator in BC.
Diana currently serves as the Director of Communications for the Early Childhood Educators of BC (www.ecebc.ca) and has previously served as a Board Member for the Western Canada Family Child Care Association of BC and Westcoast Childcare Resource Centre in Vancouver.
For recreation, Diana enjoys gardening, kayaking and reading mystery novels; as well as backpacking in adventurous locales.
Diana believes that her greatest inspiration and learning comes from her husband, two daughters, colleagues and students.
Email: dstewart@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5045
Room: L008
Kathy Stoessl (Instructor) has worked in the field of Early Childhood Education for over thirty years. She brings stories from her wide range of experiences both in Canada and England to enrich her teaching. Students appreciate Kathy’s warmth and easy humour in the classroom. She provides a model of professionalism and continually demonstrates a strong commitment and passion for quality in early education.
Email: kstoessl@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5240
Room: B148a
Carol Turner (Instructor) has been an enthusiastic member of the ECE community for over 30 years. She worked with preschoolers, junior and senior kindergarten children in Ontario and British Columbia. For the last 20 years, she has taught in the ECE Department at Langara College.
Inspired by the schools of Reggio Emilia, Carol supports the principles of respect for young children and the tremendous potential that each child possesses. She hopes to inspire Early Childhood Educators about the uniqueness of each child and their wonderful potential.
Carol also has a passion for Quality Children’s Literature and uses story as a means of facilitating concepts throughout the curriculum.
Email: cturner@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5764
Room: B148d
Carolyn Wing (Instructor) has been an early childhood educator for over 20 years. Her educational and experiential ECE passions include supporting children with special needs and the healthy social emotional development of all children. Carolyn believes that all families deserve the option of accessing quality early childhood programs and that all children and families should feel safe, nurtured, accepted and valued for their uniqueness within these settings. She is a Langara ECE graduate (1985) who also has her Special Educator and Infant Toddler credentials.
Carolyn earned a Bachelors of Arts, University of Victoria, School of Child and Youth Care in 1992, and a Masters of Education, University of Victoria, 2004.
Throughout her career, Carolyn has worked with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children in a variety of non-profit and inclusive settings. She has also worked as an administrator for small stand-alone non-profit child care centres.
Carolyn has volunteered as a board member for non-profit childcare centres, and she has also sat on numerous community committees including the Vancouver Supported Childcare Planning Committee, Westcoast Multicultural and Diversity Services Advisory Committee, the Early Childhood Educators of British Columbia’s Journal Editorial Committee.
Email:cwing@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5240
Room:B148a
Susan Young (Department Chair) is an early childhood educator and caregiver who has been involved in the profession for over 20 years. She has had the pleasure to nurture and teach young children of all ages and abilities. She believes that quality childcare not only nurtures young children’s growth but is also a cornerstone in supporting healthy communities to thrive as well. She was invited to teach in Langara College’s Early Childhood Education Department in 1998 and continues to teach a broad scope of courses in both their ECE Diploma Program and in the Post-Basic Early Childhood Education Program.
Email:syoung@langara.bc.ca
Telephone: 604.323.5769
Room:B148e