Meet Pam Morris | Early Childhood Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Pam Morris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pam, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
At the Early Learning Center at the East Valley Jewish Community Center our mission is all about education. From 6 weeks on up, our goal is to learn about each individual, meet them where they are and begin the education from that point to get them to the next level. When you start with the goal of teaching, helping others learn what they don’t know, you impact so much more than who is in front of you. That is the legacy of what we do. From the youngest infants who need the support and love and care, our teachers partner with the parents to create a daily schedule that is individualized to each little ones needs. They listen, observe and develop bonds that ensure each infant feels safe enough to grow, explore, & discover. This foundational relationship is just the beginning. While each baby, child, adult is different, the work that we do at the Early Learning Center at the East Valley JCC uses this model in all that we do.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began my career in education a little over 30 years ago. After earning my BS in psychology and a master’s degree in early childhood education, I took my first teaching job in East Harlem, NY teaching computers in an early childhood public school. From there I moved to Las Vegas, NV, teaching kindergarten and then pre-k in a Title 1 school. Without a connection to the military, I moved around a bit going back and forth between Title I public schools to private Jewish schools. Each of my teaching opportunities allowed me to hone my craft, forming the way I work with people now: I am an educator through and through. You aren’t wrong, you just don’t know something yet. That is how I strive to work with everyone.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am beyond proud to call Chandler, AZ my home and our corner of the East Valley has a lot to offer, but we do enjoy our surrounding cities. Let’s start our tour with breakfast. Head on down to downtown Chandler, and stop in at Downtown Chandler Cafe and Bakery. A locally owned coffee shop with a homey back enclosed patio to sip your latte and enjoy a veggie omelette. From there, I would take my friend on a hike through Veteran’s Oasis Park. It is a relaxing walk, enjoying local wildlife and the southern Arizona desert. Lunch would take us to the Green Corner for a delicious Greek Salad and fries! Our afternoon would be spent at the downtown Chandler public library, perusing the books/magazines, choosing a couple and relaxing in one of the gazebos outside. Dinner would take us up to Scottsdale to Kitchen 18 for a delicious, kosher, meat dinner. The sky’s the limit! I am not much for fancy night life, but Scootin Boots in Mesa is a fabulous place to get in a little Country line dancing, swing and two-stepping!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Education as a career path and life goal began for me in 1992 with my graduation with a BS in Psychology from Binghamton University. That fall, I entered my master’s program in Early Childhood Education at the same university, different school and I never looked back! With many relevant degrees, over 3 decades of hands-on experience, Early Childhood Education is my passion, my raison d’etre, my tachlit, my reason for being.
The East Valley JCC has been my home since 2001. It is the history, the experience, the community that provides such a safe and secure place for anyone involved to soar and shine.

Website: https://chandlerjbeginnings.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elcevjcc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pam-morris-rappaport-2546a39/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/elcevjcc

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elcevjcc

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/east-valley-jcc-chandler-2?osq=East+Valley+Jcc

Youtube: @eclcevjcc5080

Other: https://www.evjcc.org

Image Credits
Pamela Morris