Hello and thank you for checking out my virtual classroom! My name is Steph Ermel, creator of ERMELS Consulting and I am an educator, mother, fitness fanatic, outdoor enthusiast, and third culture kid. My professional background is in Early Childhood Education (B.S. and M.Ed in Early Childhood Education and Special Education Endorsement) and I currently work from home while raising my four kids.
I was born on the island of Okinawa, Japan, to an Okinawan mother and American father. At the age of 6 months my father’s shipping business took us to Taiwan for 3 years, then Indonesia for 3 years, then the Philippines for 4 years, before my mother and I moved back to Okinawa, Japan – where I lived from 11-18 years old. Although I am an American citizen, my first time living in the US was for college at 18. My whole life has been dedicated to Early Childhood Education so now I am living my personal dream: I spend my days in nature with my kids and I feel very lucky as both a mom and a researcher, to have this time with them.
Ten years ago at the age of 25, I was finishing up my graduate degree, had just moved in with my now husband, and was teaching 35 kindergartners all day… it was a stressful time! I had some come-to-Jesus moments with myself and that’s when I began making self-care my number one priority. For the last ten years I have been a student of yoga, spirituality, therapy, and just about anything woo woo – I am fascinated by the body/mind connection. By the age of 30 I had achieved my childhood dream, only to have it fall apart and that difficult period forced me to put my years of self-study to practice. These professional detours eventually led me to Special Education and I began teaching 3-6 year olds who were medically fragile with multiple and severe disabilities. It was during this time that I delved deeper into non-verbal communication, energy, and some of the more difficult ideas about life and death. This was a pivotal time in my personal development, especially as a first time mother and it was in this chapter of my life that I established a foundation of gratitude.
As an early childhood teacher I LOVED spending most of my time teaching emotional intelligence because I believe there is so much power in establishing healthy habits as early as possible. Coping skills, stress management, boundary setting, connecting and communicating with others – I am a firm believer of the adage, “everything you need to know, you learned in Kindergarten.”
I’m currently exploring my ancestral lineage, as I’ve recently learned that my Okinawan great grandmother was a shaman. I am deeply connected to my studies, work, and play – I look forward to sharing this with you!
