Lauren Mallari

Support Teacher, Floating

Lauren has lived in Hawaii, the Philippines, California, and now North Carolina! She is the oldest of four siblings and has spent a large portion of her life surrounded by young children. Her earliest memory of wanting to be a teacher was in second grade. She memorized every detail of her teacher reading to the class—turning the pages with care, enunciating the words with enthusiasm—and then imitated her at home. 

Lauren finds it fulfilling to nurture children’s innate curiosity and empower them to create a safe space for their own learning.  Her experience in early childhood has taught her that true learning is not linear; it is more fruitful to follow the children’s ever-changing interests.  She has also realized that what worked today may not work tomorrow!  Lauren is committed to her own continued education; she is currently enrolled at Durham Technical Community College, working toward a degree in Early Childhood Education. 

In her free time, Lauren enjoys cooking with her family, watching ballet, and listening to jazz ensembles. 

Fun Facts about Lauren:

• Her childhood dream was to become a mermaid.
• She played the alto saxophone in high school (marching, symphonic, and jazz band).
• She can also speak Tagalog!