We know that every child is unique and deserves a unique education. Our highly qualified teachers and staff guide the way for your child to become independent while making good choices. We strive to ensure that your children will be introduced to every aspect of learning in their formative years, so they're prepared for the future.
We are extremely proud of our excellent staff of teachers, directors and support staff. We require on-going training for our staff through a detailed onboarding orientation, teacher development classes, on-site training, and on-site seminars hosting various certified professionals in the education field. All of our staff are trained in First Aid and CPR. We take great pride and responsibility to keep our children safe while educating and nurturing the children in our care.
Hadas is married to Ilan and together they have four children, each having attended Tiny Tots. Hadas, having initially trained as an accountant and working at Deloitte, left the corporate world to pursue her true love - educating young bilingual children. Hadas has since taken many classes in Early Childhood Education, exceeding the State of Illinois qualifications for a Childcare Center Director and to be prepared to provide the best learning and developmental experiences for the children in her care. From her studies and over 15 years of hands-on, practical experience directing a home daycare program and childcare center of her own, Hadas knows that young children learn best through play and hands-on learning.
Ilan, having worked in corporate finance for over 15 years, left the corporate world to obtain a Masters degree in Education. In addition to taking many courses in Early Childhood Education and exceeding the State of Illinois qualifications for a Childcare Center Director, Ilan has also worked for CPS and obtained his Professional Educator's License through the Illinois State Board of Education.
All of the Tiny Tots graduates have been well adjusted and well prepared for kindergarten with academic school readiness skills, exceptional social skills, and fluent language skills. We invite you to become part of the Tiny Tots family!
Brenden Hejmej brings over 10 years of professional experience working in Reggio-inspired preschools and has a great deal of experience and passion working with young children of all ages. As Assistant Director, Brenden is responsible for supporting the program’s classrooms and assisting with day-to-day management and teacher development. Brenden originally joined Tiny Tots Incorporated in 2020 in the Lead Preschool Teacher role.
Brenden relocated to Chicago from Southern California and embarked on his early childhood career while living in Los Angeles. Brenden earned an Associates degree in early childhood education from Santa Monica College and had the opportunity to gain valuable experience in a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool classroom.
As an educator, Brenden’s personal philosophy is that every child deserves to learn in an enriched environment that is designed to fit each child's individual needs. His goal is to create a welcoming and supportive environment in which every child is free to explore individual interests while developing a lifelong love of learning. In his role as Assistant Director, Brenden strives to ensure that the program’s teachers have the support and guidance needed to be successful and to provide a warm, enriching, and nurturing classroom environment.
When not at Tiny Tots, you can find Brenden spending time with his family, watching soccer, playing golf and chasing his two children, Malcolm and Sloane!
Hannah Nelson is excited to have joined Tiny Tots as the Lead Preschool Teacher! Hannah has taught in various Early Childhood settings for the last 13 years. In college, Hannah worked on campus teaching children’s programming for families who had moved from overseas to live on campus. After college, she spent a summer teaching school-age children in Africa. She then worked at the YMCA for several years teaching preschool, after school programming, as well as summer camp. Hannah has been teaching in the early childhood setting for the last 6 years, mainly in the twos and preschool age groups. Hannah's favorite aspect about teaching is watching each child grow into their own individual personality, develop their own opinions and form their world view. Preschool is one of Hannah's favorite age groups because preschoolers ask so many questions and are always excited to learn and explore. Inside the classroom, you’ll usually find Hannah leading messy projects, fueling their silliness, and dramatically reading books. Hannah also holds a psychology degree and seeks to incorporate social emotional learning every chance she gets in order to set a foundation of emotional intelligence for the next generation. When she's not teaching, Hannah enjoys crafts, trying new dining establishments, going to concerts, and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Julia Schulgasser is thrilled to be one of our Co-Teachers at Tiny Tots Incorporated! Julia has always been so fond of children and loves getting to see them grow individually. Julia gained lots of valuable experience working as a summer camp counselor for 3 and 4 year old children. Over the years, she has also cared for many young children and is now thrilled to be part of the Tiny Tots team. Julia is very energetic and social which the children are drawn to and she thinks it is fascinating the way that her preschoolers think and socialize and how they learn from each other. Julia loves interacting with the children and getting to know their own individual personalities and help bring out their most creative selves! In her free time, Julia is either hanging out with friends or family or out at different restaurants trying new foods.
Kathryn (Ryn) Langford is originally from central Indiana and moved to Chicago in 2013. Ryn has over two years of experience in early childhood education and fell in love with it! Ryn started as a camp counselor before joining Tiny Tots Incorporated. She has experience working with many different age groups spanning from infants to early elementary age children and has truly loved transitioning into the two year old classroom! Her favorite aspect of teaching is when the children ask her "why?" Helping the children find the answers to their questions and seeing them learn is what she finds most rewarding! Ryn spends her time outside of work reading on the couch with her cats or walking around the neighborhood with her dog.
Lauren Alexander is elated to have joined Tiny Tots Incorporated as a Lead Toddler/Two's Teacher. Lauren graduated in May from Michigan State University with a degree in Human Development Family Studies and has been working with children in the early childhood setting for many years. In 2014, Lauren was a counselor for children entering kindergarten and fell in love with early childhood education and knew that this was the career for her! Lauren also taught as a preschool teacher at a school in East Lansing, Michigan. Lauren cannot wait to get to know all of the children and have an incredible year learning and exploring!
Xiomara Rico has been with Tiny Tots Incorporated since 2019 and was born in Mexico, in a small town in the state of Guerrero. Xiomara immigrated to the United States at the age of 7 with her mother and younger brother. Xiomara has always loved working with young children. As a teenager, Xiomara gained experience with young children in her neighborhood over the summers and would volunteer as an after school tutor and aid at her former elementary school.
After graduating high school, Xiomara left the city and moved to the suburbs to work for a pharmaceutical company but ultimately decided to move back to the city to pursue a career in early childhood education doing what she loves most by working with young children! Xiomara is currently in the process of obtaining her degree in child development and early childhood education. In her spare time, Xiomara enjoys cooking, spending time with her fiancé and their three cats Oso, Snow and Hazel. When Xiomara is not busy chasing around a classroom of toddlers, she spends time volunteering on community walks and runs for organizations such as aids awareness and cancer reasearch as well as dedicating time to help children in need. Xiomara also enjoys travelling and getting to know different regions of the world; her most recent memorable adventure was to Peru, where she hiked Rainbow Mountain, Vinicunca that sits over 15,000 feet above sea level and visited Machu Pichu!
Madison McSherry has joined the Tiny Tots Incorporated family and is delighted to be a part of such an excellent team. She graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 2023 with a degree in Professional Photography. After graduating, she began working as a Teacher Assistant at The Stepping Stones Learning Institute in Trenton, NJ. Madison worked at her previous preschool for over 3 years, giving her great experience working with children of all ages. Since graduating, Madison has found an immense passion for not only photography, but also educating young children. Recently having moved to Chicago, Madison was drawn to Tiny Tots Incorporated "because of their amazing values, staff, and hospitable environment!" Madison strives to create a safe, welcoming classroom to ensure students feel seen, validated, and inspired. She loves guiding the children in expressing their creative freedom through arts and crafts, enjoying music, and exploring the outdoors. In her free time, Madison loves photographing, taking walks and watching movies. Madison is elated to have started her journey at Tiny Tots Incorporated and is thrilled to see what the future holds for her early childhood education endeavors!
Emma O'Mahoney originally from Bloomington, Indiana moved to Chicago in the fall of 2023, shortly after graduating with a Bachelors Degree from Bradley University. Emma has enjoyed working with young children of all ages and in various capacities for the last 10 years!
After directing children's theatre, supporting diverse learners in elementary classrooms and substitute teaching for young children from infacy through adolescence, Emma found her way into an infant classroom and absolutely fell in love!
Emma feels honored to support the growth of her little ones during such a precious and formative time in their lives. She is dedicated to serving the unique needs of each infant, ensuring that her children meet their developmental milestones in a safe clean and nurturing classroom environment.
At the same time, Emma is a self-proclaimed "silly goose" who loves singing, playing and laughing with the little ones! Outside of the classroom, Emma loves working with nonprofit theatre companies and finding ways to contribute to mutal aid efforts in her local community. Emma is so grateful to be part of the Tiny Tots community and is always excited to care for such incredible children!
Leslie Ress is originally from the east coast and obtained her Bachelors degree from Boston University. After spending time in Israel, Leslie moved to Chicago in 2016 and was involved in child welfare policy for several years. Although Leslie has been working with young children since her high school years, she fully transitioned into the early childhood education field over the last 7 years. Leslie brings lots of experience caring for young children which also includes tutoring and teaching children to play musical instruments! Leslie absolutely adores working with children and developed a special passion working with infants! Outside of the classroom, Leslie likes to spend tie with her 6 guinea pigs and watching movies.
Cenna Young is originally from Rochester, NY and recently moved to Chicago after graduating from Miami University with a Bachelors degree in Social Work. Cenna's background in social work allows her the opportunity to approach teaching in a holistic and culterally sensitive manner which allows the children to explore the world with curiosity and confidence! She is overjoyed to work at Tiny Tots Incorporated in the infant classroom! Cenna has always known that she wanted to work with young children and believes that all children deserve to grow and develop in an enriching environment.
Hadar Zusman was born and raised in Israel and is one of the Hebrew teachers at Tiny Tots Incorporated. After serving in the IDF, Hadar obtained a Bachelors degree in interdisciplinary education and majoring in dance and theater. Hadar taught dance and theater for preschool and elementary schools in Israel prior to moving to the United States. Hadar is also an actress and will be performing in an upcoming play written by Tony Kushner!
Mordechai Korff is another of our wonderful Hebrew teachers at Tiny Tots Incorporated. Mordechai's teaching style is through a thoughtful and engaging approach. Having spent part of his childhood in Israel and growing up in an orthodox household, Mordechai brings a unique perspective to his teaching. Modechai graduated from Suffolk University and is passionate about helping children explore Hebrew in a way that is both enjoyable and meaningful.
In the classroom, Mordechai fosters curiosity and encourages language exploration while engaging students with themes related to Jewish holidays and culturally significant traditions that align with the seasons. Through hands-on activities and discussions, Mordechai creates an enriching and celebratory environment for learning.
Let us help your child experience the love of learning the natural way.
