Live and Learn Early Learning Center

Our Teachers

Director and Owner:

Johanna Booth-Miner, mother of three, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and a teaching certificate as an early childhood educator through the state of New Hampshire. Prior to founding Live & Learn, Johanna spent 3 years at Newmarket Daycare; a semester teaching at Project Child; an integrated kindergarten in Dover, NH, and has past experience as a Girl Scout troop leader and a Sunday school teacher. Johanna constantly strives to gain knowledge in the field. Currently, she is working towards her Masters degree in Early Childhood and Special Education through courses at Keene State College and The College of Lifelong Learning. She holds current certification in First Aid, CPR, and water safety instruction.

Johanna works hard to enhance the professionalism of early childhood educators. She chaired ABC’s annual Spring conference for seven years and in 1998 was the co-chair for the New England Association for the Education of Young Children conference. Jo is also a member of The National Association of Child Care Professionals and The New Hampshire Children’s Lobby. In 2004, Johanna became the President of the New Hampshire Association for the Education of Young Children (NHAEYC.) In 2003, she was selected as Administrator of the Year. Johanna has also joined the Board of Directors for the Swift Water Girl Scout Council and is adjunct faculty for New Hampshire Technical College in Stratham.

Co-Director:

Sarah E. Miner, mother of two, attended Live & Learn as a child and returned to work in the classroom in June of 1995. In the Winter of 2001, Sarah accepted the position of Assistant Director, and became Co-Director in 2004. Sarah received her Master’s in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from the University of New Hampshire in 2005. She is Credentialed in the State of New Hampshire as Lead Teacher Level IV, Director Level IV, and Trainer, Mentor Faculty Level III and holds current CPR and first aid certification. Sarah is a member of NAEYC and NACCP. In 2005, she was selected in the top 10 for the Tylenol Award and received the Henry Morgan Award, and was selected as a fellow for NAEYC’s Strengthening Families program by the Doris Duke Foundation in 2006.

Infant and Toddler Team Teachers:

Stacey joined the Infant team in 2011. She has a passion for working with children of all ages and began her career as an assistant teacher in a parent resource program. After completing her BS in Communication Sciences and Disorders, Stacy became the lead toddler teacher for an area center. In addition to teaching, Stacey enjoys being a mother and therapeutic foster parent. She enjoys working at Live & Learn due to their emphasis on the outdoors and hopes to continue her education with a Masters in Early Childhood Special Education.

Melissa joined the Live & Learn staff in January 2004. She took a two year break to gain valuable experience with another group of toddlers and returned to Live & Learn in August 2009, along with her infant son! Her passion is toddlers as they are ever changing and growing so fast! Missy has a BS from UNH with a concentration in child studies. Missy is credentialed with the State of NH as a Lead Teacher level IV , Director Level I, and holds current first aid and CPR certifications.

Darci joined the teaching staff at Live & Learn in September 2008 as a lead teacher in the toddler room. She has a BS in Child and Family Studies from the University of New Hampshire and has a Masters of Education in Elementary Education. She has been a nanny for over five years. She has completed an internship at the CSDC at UNH in the toddler room. Darci has also interned at Barrington Elementary in a first grade classroom and is certified in first aid and CPR.

Katie joined Live & Learn as an intern in August 2009 and became part of our teaching staff in October 2009. She is certified in CPR and First Aid, as well as water safety. She is a graduate of NHTI with an AS in Early Childhood Education. Katie will be going back to NHTI to get her associates in teaching children with special needs in the fall and plans to go on to get her Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education. Katie is happily engaged to be married in July 2011.

Courtney started at Live and Learn as an intern in the Fall of 2010 and joined the Toddler teaching staff in January 2011. She is interning in the preschool classroom while she finishes earning her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Great Bay Community College. Courtney has done a lot of babysitting in the past and looks forward to earning her Bachelor's degree and working with the toddlers!

Lauren graduated from Great Bay Community College in May of 2011 with an Associate's degree in ECE and certificate in Special Ed. She is currently taking courses at Granite State College and working towards earning a dual BS. Lauren has been teaching for over five years and has experience with many different ages. Lauren loves teaching, loves and had many animals, and loves to live life to the fullest!

Preschool Teachers:

Linda joined the teaching staff in February of 2000. She is the mother of four, and prior to coming to Live & Learn she worked with toddlers and young preschoolers. Linda received her Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education from Hesser College. She is a member of NAEYC and ABC. Linda has presented workshops at ABC, NAEYC and BAEYC since 2002. Linda holds a Lead Teacher Level III and a Director Level I credential from the state of NH and is also CPR & First Aid certified.

Michelle has worked at Live & Learn since September of 2002. She started out as an intern and was hired in January of 2003 as a part-time teacher working in all classrooms before becoming a Lead Teacher in the Toddler room. She took a year off to do some traveling around the country and since returning has been working as the transition teacher between toddlers and preschool. Michelle has experience working with infants up through kindergarten. She graduated from UNH in 2003 with a BA in Psychology. She is also credentialed as a Lead Teacher Level II in the sate of NH and holds current First Aid and CPR certifications.

Danielle joined Live & Learn in May 2009. She has lived in Dover all her life and is finishing up her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education from NHTI. Danielle is also going to school for photography.

Nathan started as a preschool teacher in April of 2005. Nathan holds an AS in Computer Graphics and Design from McIntosh College and is currently taking Early Childhood courses. Nathan grew up at Live & Learn and is current in CPR and First Aid. He has presented at NHAEYC and is a New Hampshire credentialed Lead Teacher Level I.

Jade joined Live & Learn as an intern in August 2009 and became part of the teaching staff later that fall. She graduated from NHTI with an AS in Early Childhood Education in May 2010 and plans to go back in the fall to get her AS in teaching children with special needs. Jade plans to go on to get her BS in Early Childhood Education at Granite State College. She is certified in CPR and First Aid and will be getting married in June 2012.

Geraldine joined the Live & Learn staff in 1983 and became the Special Needs Coordinator in the 1986-1987 school year. Gerry started helping out with infants and toddlers as well as working with Afterschool and summer camp for many years. She is now a preschool teacher and has years of experience with in-home childcare. Gerry is a mother of one and a grandmother of three. She continuously attends conferences along with helping give presentations at workshops. She has taken college courses through Stratham and the College of Life Long Learning to further her education and enhance Live & Learns’ inclusive preschool program. Gerry has also been involved with Special Olympics over the years and has more than 2,700 hours of professional training in addition to the 24 hours required by Live & Learn annually. She is a member of NHAEYC and NAEYC. In 2005, Gerry was chosen state wide to receive the Outstanding Teacher award given by Providian Bank and Early Learning NH. She is credentialed by the State of NH as a Lead Teacher Level I and holds current First Aid and CPR certification.

Debbie comes to us with many years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education. She holds an Associate’s Degree from Plymouth State University in ECE and a Bachelor’s Degree from Granite State College in Childhood Studies and Integrated Arts. She is credentialed by the State of NH as level 4 Lead Teacher and level 2 Trainer, Mentor, and Faculty. Debbie’s passion is music and in 2004 she attended a 3-day seminar by the Center of Music and Young Children and became a registered Music Together Teacher. Debbie is also certified in child/infant CPR and First Aid.

Kindergarten Teachers:

Danielle joined the Live & Learn team in the summer of 2010. She brings on board prior experience as a lead Kindergarten teacher in both public and private settings and is certified in CPR, First Aid, and Water Safety. Danielle is extremely passionate about the world of education and is excited to further her experience and learning here at Live & Learn. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys exploring the great outdoors and spending time with family, friends and her two Siberian Huskies.

Liz joined the teaching staff at Live & Learn in January 2001. She left for a semester to travel around the US on a road trip, and returned in January 2004. Liz has a Bachelors degree in Anthropology from UNH and her Master’s degree in Counseling. Liz is the director for the afterschool program and works in the kindergarten classroom in the mornings. She is currently working towards becoming a play therapist.

Joe joined Live & Learn in May 2011. He has several years of experience working with school-age children in residential and environmental/adventure education settings. He made the transition from working for a statewide afterschool organization to becoming more locally focused at Live & Learn in the Kindergarten classroom. Joe earned his BS in Outdoor Education from UNH, is certified in First Aid and CPR, and is a Catch Kids Club trainer. He has two children and loves fishing, hiking, cooking and spending time with his family.

Meggie joined the Live & Learn teaching team in June of 2002. She has a BA degree from the University of New Hampshire as an English major and Women’s studies minor. She also has a Masters in Elementary Education with a focus in Special Education. Meggie came to Live & Learn with a strong background in early childhood education. Previously, she worked as a summer camp counselor, an outdoor education facilitator, a Kindergarten teacher, and the assistant director of two afterschool programs. She enjoys traveling and designing jewelry in her spare time. Meggie is a member of NAEYC , NHAEYC, and ABC and has chaired for the NHAEYC Public Policy Committee.

Brie joined the Live & Learn staff in August 2010. She graduated from the University of Connecticut in May of 2010 with her BS in Human Development and Family Studies. During her time at UConn, Brie was a four year member of the women's soccer team. Along with teaching at Live & Learn, she also helps coach the girl's soccer team at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. Brie has spent many years coaching soccer and working at soccer camps for children ranging from preschool age to high school. Although soccer is her number one passion, Brie enjoys the beach, good music, and spending time with family and friends. Brie plans to go back to school and get her Master's Degree in Counseling.

Before/Afterschool Teachers:

Peter started working at Live & Learn in September 2000. Peter took a two year leave of work as the administrator of the Rye Recreational Afterschool Programs and returned to Live & Learn in July 2010. Peter graduated with a BS in Outdoor Education from UNH which built upon his Associates in Outdoor Education from Colorado Mountain College. Peter is EMT, First Aid, and CPR certified. He is a member at large of NHAEYC and has spent summers traveling to Spain, England, and Alaska!

Other Staff:

Bekki joined the Live & Learn team in March of 2008. She is earning her Bachelor’s degree in Social Psychology. She is the administrative assistant at Live & Learn and can be seen helping out in the classroom as needed.

Dave built the entire new addition building with Nathan and then stayed on as the Garden and Outdoor Educator. He has years in construction and building design and is now in charge of facilities and maintenance. Dave is also a certified playground inspector and water operator.

Bridget joined the Live & Learn team in the spring of 2007. She earned her BS in Outdoor Education from UNH and has worked in the education field for several years as a facilitator and camp director. She has two children and is the administrative assistant at Live & Learn.