Julia Patterson

I have a BFA in Acting from the Conservancy of Performing Arts at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. I have taught for and led the Early Childhood Theatre Education Program at Imagination Stage for five years in Bethesda, Maryland, before returning to my home town of Louisville, Kentucky, in 2016.  I am also a two-time children’s book author and playwright. Before teaching, I also worked as a Professional Teaching Artist at two local youth theatre programs here in Louisville as well as a Professional Storyteller with the Blue Apple Players.  In tandem with teaching at Virginia Chance School, I have created theatre for the Very Young works for Squallis Puppeteers and Actors Theatre of Louisville.

This year will be my fifth year teaching in early childhood education and my fifth year teaching for Virginia Chance School.  My time working in children’s theatre lead me down a path to early childhood education, and I was so pleased to find a school that values creativity and play in learning. I believe that play is ‘the work’ of early childhood and find the Chance philosophy to be perfectly aligned with my views on education. I believe that through play, our students can strengthen their skills in collaboration and communication as well as problem-solving and listening. I see these skills in my son, who has attended Virginia Chance School for four years, and I am grateful he has the opportunity to begin his education here.

I value teaching to the whole child and find progressive education to be an ideal style of learning for children. Our outdoor campus and unique outdoor curriculum planning help provide young children with a broader scope of the world around them and how they fit within it. Outdoor learning brings us closer to the creatures and growth right outside our door, and we find many connections between our classroom and outdoor spaces. Our expansive school-wide thematic learning empowers children to find connections to a bigger world, and I value the importance of making those connections and encouraging our children to be life long learners of the world around them. 

I bring with me to Virginia Chance School over ten years of experience educating, empowering, and working creatively with young children. I love bringing stories to life with small children by having them participate in the storytelling, and I’m excited to share that gift every day at Virginia Chance School.