In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I had my first child while beginning to teach second grade virtually.  I had no idea how to navigate writing sub plans, as I was just figuring out how to teach my class virtually, so I chose not to take maternity leave. We juggled recovery, teaching, and keeping our child at home that year. 

By the end of the school year, I decided that I was ready to step away from the public school system. Personally, my body and mind needed a slower and simpler pace.  I had put everything into teaching public school for 10 years, and the flaws of the system were becoming overwhelmingly frustrating to me.  Additionally, when we tried to make choices for our child's future, we realized our community did not have the childcare and educational environment we wanted for them.  So, the combination of wanting something different for our child and my personal desire to be part of a more child-centered educational environment is what pushed me to develop The Little Folk School.

Beginning in 2021, for the first few years, TLFS was an in-home childcare setting that provided a mixed-age group of children with a home-like environment. We prioritized time outdoors, experiential learning opportunities, and play-responsive teaching within our intimate little community. As children became developmentally ready, we began incorporating structured learning activities based on their interests.

The plan was always to grow the program as my children grew in age, eventually shifting to be a full academic microschool for families looking for a private education in a small setting. In 2025, we launched Community Nomads, our Pre-K/Transitional Kinder cohort that focuses on community-based experiences through project-based learning investigations. Our Community Nomads will expand year after year to include additional ages.