The role of the educator at Play & Learn is that of a mentor and guide. As educators we observe the children, listen to their questions, their stories, find what interests them and, consequently, reinforce their playing so as to enable them to delve into their interests. The educational curriculum is not pre-arranged. The projects arise from the children’s interests and are aspiring.
The team of educators at Play & Learn is trained in a specific educational program based on the values and philosophy of Play & Learn. The initial training at Play & Learn lasts nearly a month. Afterwards, it is renewed at regular intervals with in-service training at Play & Learn.
Ms Agapi Liapaki is the CEO of Play & Learn. She is a preschool (kindergarten) teacher, an MA holder in Arts in Music Education, 2nd level Orff certificate holder and has a Diploma in Preschool Education Centre Management. During the last few years, she has had the pleasure of being the speaker at conferences that address all-round child development.
She has worked as an educator in the USA with children aged 2-16 years old and in private schools of primary education with diverse educational philosophies: Montessorian, Academic, Musical and schools inspired by Reggio Emilia of Italy, as well as schools of the Greek Expatriate community. She has also worked as a Manager of the Preschool Education Centre on behalf of the Pharmaceutical Company Bristol-Myer Squibb and Bright Horizons (of the top 100 companies in the USA) and as a School Counselor for the University of Memphis.
In 2009, she returned to Greece after working in the USA for 13 years. She was awarded in Sweden by OMEP (The World Organisation for Early Childhood Education) for her contribution to Education for Sustainable Development. Her work on Social Exclusion (Marginalisation) was also awarded in a Panhellenic competition by the NSS for E-twinning (European action for the Lifelong Learning programme). Since 2016, she has been ardently attending the educational seminar of the New Lacanian School of Psychoanalysis.
Play & Learn had pre-existed in her mind many years before it was created. Both her interactions with children and parents from all over the world and her language experiences with foreign-speaking families have helped shape her philosophy. She believes that learning a foreign language in a child’s early years is accomplished effortlessly. All the children, regardless of culture, play and learn in the same language, the Language of Play. English or any other language is one of the ways in which children become familiarised and learn within the school environment. At Play & Learn, learning English is the medium for the all-round development of children.
In 2011, she created Play & Learn – To Learn English by Playing (the Foreign Language Centre) and in 2016 the Play & Learn Preschool (the Preschool Education Centre) to help children enhance their self-realisation and grow up developing their critical thinking through learning English.
Nicola Dalziel is an experienced early education and childcare professional with extensive knowledge and understanding of working with children and young people. She is passionate about the importance of play in the promotion of learning opportunities to assist in a child’s development, experiences and understanding of t he world.
She has a BA hons in Literature, Art History and Culture and studied drama production as a part of my degree. She first became interested in play when she worked as a Playworker in an Adventure Playground i n Glasgow, Scotland, working with children and young people, including children with special needs. From this experience she gained a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) in Playwork. She is a qualified SVQ assessor and have experience of training and teaching adults to work within the childcare setting. She was an Early Education and Childcare lecturer in Falkirk, Scotland, where she gained a Higher National Certificate in Early Years Education and became an internal verifier for SVQ’s.
Since she was a child, she has always loved books and value them as a wonderful creative tool f or learning. One of her favourite authors is Roald Dahl. She has read many of his books as a child and continues to re- read them as an adult. He said: Life is more fun if you play games and she believes that to be true.
Combining herwork and educational experiences with her love for play makes her an enthusiastic worker, hoping to make children’s learning memorable and most important, fun!
Play & Learn constitutes a unique knowledge and learning experience for the experiential, well-rounded development of young children through interactive, sensory activities that underpin this educational process. This acts as an incentive not just for her but for her little pupils to distinctly draw inspiration from, creation and love.
She is an Early Childhood teacher with experience in special education. She is passionate about Early Childhood Education and is a hardworking person. She understands the importance of personal and educational growth for each child in a school environment and she loves to create a safe space for the children so they can express their ideas and feelings. Her passion is to embrace children’s imagination and encourage them to be independent.
She has a Degree in Early Childhood Education (University of Crete) and has attended a 9-month-long seminar in Special Education and training: Detection, Differential diagnosis (University of the Aegean).
She has also some experience in research. Her main research interests are education topics and specifically literacy development and special education. She has recently presented at the 10th Conference of IAKE conference, on emergent literacy!
Since she was a child, she has loved painting and writing short stories. She enjoys children’s literature and loves to read books to them. She believes that books open a window to learning not just through reading but also through dramatic plays, art, etc.
Play and Learn is a unique experience for her as Play & Learn’s philosophy focuses on children’s needs, not only cognitively but also helping them develop soft skills which are equally important.
She is looking forward to growing up with the children!
Maria Mozaki is an Early Childhood Educator.
Her professional journey started in United Kingdom where she was working as a Preschool Practitioner in play-based settings.
She has worked with children from 3 to 6 years old. She is inspired by pedagogical philosophies like the Reggio Emilia, Te Whariki and curiosity approach.
As a teacher she believes in the power of play - based learning in which the children are at the center of their own development and education.
She has completed further training in Special Education, Regio Emilia Approach & Active Listening by T. Gordon.
Maria Baltadaki has a BA in Literary Studies in English from the University of Luton in the U.K., followed by an MA in Bilingual Translation from the University of Westminster. She has worked as an English teacher teaching English of different levels to a variety of learners, from very young ones to adults, for many years. She has also completed a 4-year Greek Sign Language course, which has enhanced her ability to think in different linguistic levels, beyond the obvious.
In 2014, she attended a 1-year course to acquire the Certificate of Pedagogical and Teaching Competence from the Department of Primary Education of the University of Rethymnon so as to broaden her knowledge and teaching ability as a teacher.
The experiential approach at Play & Learn and the teaching of a foreign language through a “kaleidoscope” of child-centred, educational activities, especially adjusted to the children’s age, are another interesting, teaching challenge she is happy to meet every day, inspired by her love for children and teaching. Her ambition and ultimate reward is to see the children she has herself started to teach the basics of the language to in the long run transform into competent English-language users and self-confident, fully-fledged personalities!
Katerina Spanoudaki left Thessaloniki in 2011 as a graduate of the English Language and Literature Department and has been teaching English since then.
When she is outside of the classroom, she loves spending time with family and friends. She enjoys being in the nature, walking her dog and reading books. She also travels as much as possible since she considers every new destination a lifetime experience.
Watching children gaining knowledge and becoming confident in another language has always been inspiring and rewarding for her. She is eager to help each and every one of our children to discover new worlds and possibilities!
Stella Konstantoudaki is an English teacher. She has attended seminars such as “Overcoming Dyslexia’’ from Yale University, “Special Education Interdisciplinary Convergence Practices’’ from ΚΕ.ΔΕ.ΒΙ. Μ Ε.Κ.Π.Α, “Adult Trainer Education’’ from Go Learn, “Exams: Survival Guide by Eleni Livaniou” from Burlington books, “Webinar for Teachers-Will Generative AI ruin creativity?’’ from Cambridge University, “Unlearn-Relearn” by Good News.
She enjoys helping her students achieve their goals at their own pace adapting her teaching to the student’s needs. She has been teaching children with learning difficulties and she has learned a lot from them.
It is important to her to evolve as a teacher, so she keeps attending seminars and programs about new teaching methods and psychology.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Christina Kougiouri is a Social Worker, graduate (2016) of the Hellenic Mediterranean University of Crete. Having a particular interest in Diversity, which makes up our society, she continued her studies by completing her Master's degree entitled: "Intermethodical Social Interventions in Crisis Situations in the Family and in Displaced Populations" at EL.ME.PA., School of Health Sciences. She attended and obtained the annual Pedagogical Training Program (EPPAIK) at the ASPETE School of Pedagogical and Technological Education. She was trained in Braille Writing and Reading for the Blind where she was certified by the Center for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind. She also holds a Diploma in Coaching with NLP.
In recent years she has worked in the field of her expertise with various population groups, such as children, students, parents, refugees, the elderly as well as people facing mental health challenges. Her professional journey has been marked by important collaborations, each of which contributes to the breadth of her experience. Children are a point of reference for her, as over the years she has realized how important work can be done around this population group, both for the child itself and for the wider environment that surrounds it. The psychosocial development of children at school during the first years of life plays an important role in their development.
The philosophy of Play & Learn with experiential education, the use of the English language, the child-centered method, the ability to "embrace" children from all over the world in their first steps and many other innovations that offers, led to this cooperation and her contribution to this institution.
Meet us:
Play & Learn Preschool and Kindergarten
Play & Learn Foreign Language School
