Dutilh Preschool’s New Pre-K Teacher, Amanda Heilman, Has a Passion for Her Profession

- Published in 2019 -

“I always, always, always wanted to be a teacher,” Amanda Heilman explains. Luckily for Dutilh Preschool’s Pre-K students and families, Miss Amanda has chosen to live out her vocation as a teacher here at Dutilh.

Born and raised in southeastern Missouri, Heilman studied at William Jewell College in Missouri. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Oxbridge English Language and Literature (the college’s honors program) through a unique program of study that enabled her to travel the world and take courses in a variety of disciplines.

The program is modeled after Oxford and Cambridge Universities and features tutorial-style instruction; Heilman met one-on-one weekly with her professors while engaging in research. As an undergraduate, she studied abroad for four summers in Reggio Emilia and Rome, Italy; Germany; and Ireland. She spent her junior year studying in Oxford, England.

“I pursued every fellowship available to me—I got to study theater for young children in Germany, which was an arts-based, child-centered program for educators,” Heilman explained. “When I discovered Montessori, I studied at and was able to earn early childhood education certification through the London Montessori Institute (now part of the London School of Economics). I got do to all these things to help me become a great teacher, but it wasn’t necessarily a common path.”

Heilman has taught classrooms of various ages—threes, fours, and fives (pre-K)—in Christian preschool programs in Kansas City, MO, and Erie, PA.  She also taught writing and rhetoric classes at Gannon University. While she has enjoyed teaching everything, her first love is for her youngest learners.

“People talk about preschoolers having so much potential,” Heilman said, “but a young child is fully human, has dignity, and can do so much already. I want to be part of developing them now.”

Heilman and her husband Sean, an accountant, have three daughters: Gracen (15), Sylvia (12), and Saoirse (10). Since moving to Zelienople in 2016, Heilman took a year off to help her family adjust to the new area. Heilman and her family worship at St. Peter’s Reformed Church in Zelienople, and she volunteered as director of her church’s preschool department in VBS for two summers. She felt a pull to return more fully to the classroom, though, and applied immediately when she saw the job posting for Dutilh Preschool.

It was a great fit from the outset.

“I interviewed with Diana [Barnett] and Larry [Heckathorn] and I loved talking to them and listening to them talk about the kids and the preschool. You can tell that they love kids,” Heilman said. “I prayed and prayed and prayed about it and when I got the call offering me the position, I knew it was the right thing. I couldn’t be happier.”

In four short months, Heilman has already created meaningful moments with her students. Her love for children and passion for education come through most clearly when she talks about her experiences in the classroom.

“You get little glimpses of how they think about the world. One student drew a picture of a ballerina in her writing journal, and her perspective was as if she was right up close to the stage and could only see legs and tutu,” Heilman said, marveling at the student’s unique view of the world.

Her favorite part of teaching, Heilman said, is “seeing their hearts open. One child who is the kindest, most loving kid, recognized his classmates’ written names during a game we were playing with their name cards. I complimented him for remembering everyone, and he said, ‘Of course I do, Miss Amanda! They’re the ones I love!’ He is always helping others.”

“It’s a privilege to help these kids to create their own world for the first time outside their own homes and families,” Heilman said. “They have created their own community in our classroom and I like witnessing and facilitating the community they create. It’s interesting and different every day. Seeing them, their hearts, and their humanity—it makes me want to be a better person. They are impulsive and their example makes me realize, when you have the thought to do something kind for someone, to just do it!”

Preschool Director Diana Barnett said, “I am so happy to have Amanda on staff at Dutilh Preschool. You can tell she loves teaching. I enjoy seeing the fun and interesting ways she engages her class.”

“Not only is Amanda an experienced and passionate preschool teacher, she is also a devoted follower of Jesus Christ,” said Pastor Tom Parkinson. “That makes her a perfect fit for Dutilh Preschool, as we seek to prepare students for kindergarten while also teaching them to love God, love others, and love to serve. Already, God is using Amanda’s considerable gifts to impact the lives of students at Dutilh Preschool.”

Outside the classroom, Heilman spends time with her family and said people might be surprised to know that she enjoys playing clarinet in the Harmony-Zelienople Community Band with her daughter Sylvia. Heilman plays alto sax, while Sylvia plays clarinet. The family also loves animals. They volunteer at the Butler County Humane Society and have a cat named Bellatrix Leheilcat, in honor of the Harry Potter character Bellatrix Lestrange.

To find out more about Dutilh Preschool, check out https://dutilhchurch.org/dutilh-preschool-1.