2017 Trike-a-Thon
Lindsay Porter, founder and curriculum manager for Caterpillars to Butterflies Optional Preschool, has found a niche in teaching.
Porter was a kindergarten and 1st grade teacher at Sea Isle Elementary School for nearly 11 years, but she wanted to start a school of her own. “I had been researching how to start my own daycare, and I found out that you can start one in a home,” she says. “So, when I saw a house go on sale across the street from the school, I bought it and established Caterpillars to Butterflies.”
Porter’s inspiration to work with kids initially came from her grandmother, who taught preschool-aged children and who applied the knowledge and skill set she acquired from teaching to help raise Porter and her cousin. “She was very loving and nurturing, and she pushed us and instilled in us that we could be the best and try our best,” says Porter. “And those are the things that have been ingrained into me that I have instilled into all the children I’ve taught since I began teaching in 2007.”
Porter combines this knowledge passed down from her grandmother with curriculum strategies she has learned while pursuing her doctorate degree at University of Memphis, where she is currently majoring in instruction, curriculum, and leadership.
Porter’s specialized curriculum revolves around motivating her students to become well-rounded individuals and incorporates weekly Spanish classes, introduction to science and mathematics, and table manner and etiquette lessons.
“I start with the end goal in mind,” she says. “My goal is for them to not only be prepared for kindergarten but to be over-prepared. I start with the basics, like colors, numbers, and letters; but I also like to expose them to different things.”
Porter encourages her students to figure out what they would like to be when they grow up and then brings their aspirations to life within the classroom. “I want them to be great because they are our future doctors, lawyers, astronauts, and presidents. So it’s important for me to do my part,” she says.
One lesson Porter really enjoyed was when she turned the hallway of her school into outer space by putting black construction paper and planet models on the walls and bringing an astronaut suit for her students to put on. “They really enjoyed it, and one of my kids even begged his parents to take him to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville that summer,” she says. “That was a moment I realized that I really love teaching.”
Porter also incorporates service learning into her lessons. “I believe in teaching them about giving and not just receiving,” she says. Past service learning projects have included putting together care packages for military personnel and their families and for the homeless. “But our biggest service learning project happens every April when we participate in the St. Jude Trike-A-Thon,” she adds. “In the last three years, we’ve raised almost $30,000.”
Porter has learned a lot through teaching. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that every day is a new day,” she says. “Each day is a day when you can start fresh and keep going. Even if you make mistakes, you get back up, and you try again.”
Porter says she eventually plans to move her preschool into a bigger building, where she can teach children from birth to 5 years old. “But for right now, I enjoy being able to teach my kids one-on-one,” she says. “I can meet them where they are and take them where they need to be.”
We want to shine a light on your child’s teacher, or even a teacher who made a difference in your life. Submit your nomination today by emailing teacher@memphisparent.com.