Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Durnal.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dani. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
About 7 years ago while I was dropping off my daughter at daycare, her provider said, “all of my daycare kids love you, and you’re so good with them! I really want to open a preschool, and you should work for me!” At the time, I didn’t take it very seriously. Sure enough, a few months later, she was opening a school. She wanted me to run a classroom, and I didn’t hesitate. I took the job.
Shortly after opening, I was promoted to director. I loved every aspect of my job. I was interacting with kids of all ages, I was helping them learn, I was auditing files to remain compliant within licensing regulations. I was developing relationships with parents. The best part was being able to spend time with my own children while I was at work. I couldn’t stop thinking about becoming licensed and owning my own home daycare.
I kept thinking about being able to do all of the things I loved doing, but from my home. It just felt like the timing was right. I felt motivated and inspired. Leaving the school was a difficult decision to make, but I was ready to become a new Miss Dani. It took me about a year to get fully licensed, and when I finally did, it felt so good. I have been licensed for 5 years now, and my passion for teaching and providing a nurturing environment grows every day.
Has it been a smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges with this job is saying goodbye. It’s never easy when a child “graduates” to preschool, or moves to another state. When a child enrolls, they are part of our family. I get very attached to the children, as do my daughters and husband. Some of the kids I’ve had started with me as infants, I am emotionally invested in all of them, so goodbyes are hard.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
As a daycare provider, my goal is to always inspire a love of learning. I believe in an emergent “curriculum.” That is, children learn best when the curriculum is designed around their interests. This gives them the ability to freely explore and gain hands-on experience at their own pace. It also allows them to continue to develop their sense of curiosity about the world, which is a beautiful thing. I am inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach which values inquiry-based learning.
There’s a strong focus on social collaboration. Children are communicators. I encourage the children to use language to investigate and explore and reflect on their experiences. We use our environment for it’s potential to inspire the children. The environment encourages collaboration, communication, and exploration. I am most proud of the nurturing environment I provide. With that, there’s a deep trust the children develop being enrolled here. It allows for a lot of exploration, which in turn helps me to understand and appreciate each child as a unique human being with ENORMOUS learning potential.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think San Diego is a great place to own a daycare, I would definitely recommend starting out here.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 6196475166
- Email: danijoy99@gmail.com
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