Preschool Program : Coyotes

Graciela Guadalupe Hernandez Zaldivar, is an Early Childhood Education (ECE) teacher at The Lands End School in San Francisco, who has been fortunate to work in various centers and organizations with children of different ages, ranging from preschool to fifth grade. During this time, she has learned about various philosophies and strategies that enrich her knowledge and practice in the ECE field. Her interest in supporting children’s development began 14 years ago when she arrived in the United States and she noticed that marginalized communities needed extra support to reach their goals. At that time, her commitment was to support children from these communities and she started her career as a Childhood Teacher, where she learned the importance of creating a safe, nurturing, equitable, and inclusive environment where children can develop essential skills and be well-prepared for their future lives.

For many years, she has cared for people of all ages, from adults to children, in various fields. She started her career as a mother of four children, she was working with teenagers and adults as an aerobics and zumba instructor in Mexico, and later, she did volunteer work in different churches in Berkeley, California. She started working in Berkeley Unified School District in the after school program helping Spanish-speaking kids develop their literacy skills. After that, she ventured into the early education field as an assistant teacher in the afternoon program and as a special education assistant teacher in the morning. During this time, she learned strategies to support children with special needs, which equipped her with valuable
experiences promoting growth and development.

She started her professional development at Merritt College, where she earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. At the same time she was an English learner student, she got to experience how challenging it was to immerse in the English language. This experience provided her with an understanding of how multilingual students develop. She is currently at EDvance College in her eighth semester working towards her Bachelor’s degree in Education. Here, she has had the opportunity to learn about Early Relational Health and strong and responsive interactions. She has also participated in research on the determinants of health and development in children and how promoted children inquiry through observation, investigation and experimentation on STEAM activities from an early age, support children to develop cognitive skills. Additionally, she participated in a mentoring program at Chabot College and completed a year-long training on inclusive classrooms. These experiences reflect her commitment and dedication to the field.

She is an empowered 59 year old Mexican woman, the fourth daughter, first to graduate in a family of eleven, who is eager to succeed in the United States and serve children and families in this fascinating field of education. Outside of her professional career, she enjoys reading, dancing, running and appreciating nature, all of which have enriched her understanding and professionalism in education. She knows that achieving her Bachelor’s degree is just one step in her professional journey, and she also recognizes that there is much work to be done in the field of education, where small efforts can lead to significant changes.