Amanda DeCarlo

Amanda absolutely enjoys teaching kids how to express themselves through their art work. She also loves watching kids grow and take pride in what they can achieve through art. Her specialties are painting, photography, and pottery, but truthfully she enjoys nearly anything creative. She is currently teaching high school art and also has a strong ba... ckground in theatre. Amanda is excited to spread her love and passion for creativity with everyone! She grew up in Long Island, New York and came to Vermont to attend UVM in 2005. She has a bachelor’s degree in art education and has been happily teaching art ever since. Sugar encourages children to ask a gazillion questions, try new things, get messy, and make mistakes because that is how they learn and grow. She focuses on designing opportunities for each child to explore, experiment, and create. Sugar holds an Elementary Education degree with a concentration in Art from UVM. Additionally, she has been a yoga instructor for over twenty years. She taught preschool for five years and was also a puppeteer with Puppets in Education. Sugar took a break from teaching to pursue writing and become a mother. She is thrilled to be back in the classroom. In addition to teaching, Sugar loves animals and spending time in nature. She plays guitar, draws, sews, and bakes. She loves to make meaningful connections with students and their families while sharing her many passions and excitement for life. Elsa believes in teaching to individual children’s strengths and encouraging their own inquiry to inspire learning. By using emergent curriculum inspired by Reggio Emilia and the arts, she cultivates a joyous environment for learning and sees children’s self -esteem and love of learning soar. She earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Champlain College after receiving her Child Development Associate degree, as well as a bachelor’s in Sociology and minor in studio art from UVM. In her free time she loves traveling, playing outside, creating art, and spending time with her husband and children.Read More