Christine Goodale
Lead Teacher, School Director
Lead Teacher Christine Goodale owns and manages Little House Nature School. She holds a Masters Degree in Education and has been teaching young children for over 20 years. She is a certified Early Childhood Teacher, an experienced Outdoor Educator, and the mother of two daughters. She is passionate about creating loving, nurturing natural learning environments for young people.
Sara Murphy
Preschool and Kindergarten Teacher
Sara is a passionate outdoor educator who grew up exploring the forests of the Columbia River Gorge. She holds a degree in anthropology and is a licensed EMT. Sara spearheaded the garden education program at Grout Elementary School and was an elementary educator with Growing Gardens. She has worked with preschool and school aged children in many settings, both in the classroom and outdoors. Her teaching has included music, movement and martial arts. Sara draws from her diverse background to create meaningful learning experiences that foster curiosity and a sense of wonder for this beautiful world we live in. When not in the classroom, she can be found tending to her garden, hiking with her two rambunctious dogs, or simply curled up with a good book.
Ayme Ueda
Preschool Teacher
Ayme has a passion for connecting with and guiding children. She has over 7 years of experience in creative, art-based education as a founder and counselor of a social-justice summer camp for Portland youth. She decided to shift her work-focus to younger children, while extending herself into Early Childhood Education and Environmental Science. She was raised in Hawaii, with a deep love of nature she brought to the PNW nearly 15 years ago. She enjoys cooking & baking, seasonal foraging/wildcrafting, and relaxing with her two cats.
Laura Pitzel
Preschool Teacher
Laura has spent much of her adult life working with children of varying ages, from implementing behavior intervention strategies in the public school system to social skills group facilitator and art teacher within the neurodivergent community. In more recent years, she has worked at a local play-based Portland Preschool, finding immense joy in gently guiding young learners in their natural curiosity while fostering independence along the way. In her free time, Laura enjoys an intuitive approach to abstract painting, learning about native plants and species, and, most of all, family time with her spouse, teenage daughter, and their big, goofy pup, Wagmore.
Lauren Toll
Preschool & Kindergarten Teacher
Lauren has a Masters degree from Portland State in Early Childhood Inclusive Education with an emphasis on constructivism. She has over 8 years of experience in childcare and has spent the last 2 years as an outdoor educator. She is thrilled to bring her passion of early childhood learning to Little House Nature School and is delighted to be facilitating wonder and innovation in the classroom this year. Lauren is the mother of a wonderfully curious 6 year old named Clementine and loves hiking and exploring the beautiful PNW with her little family.
Molly Molatore
Substitute Preschool Teacher
Molly is a fifth generation Oregonian and mother of four children. She has been formally trained in Waldorf Education and has taught preschool and kindergarten for over 20 years. Molly is passionate about helping to inspire a sense of magic and wonder in the classroom. For nearly a decade, Molly was a preschool teacher at New Day School where she guided children in yoga and meditation through rhymes, song and storytelling. Molly has worked with children in outdoor classrooms and forests at Mother Earth School and at Whidbey Island Waldorf School. Molly loves to sing, especially ancient Estonian songs, and has traveled and performed many times in Estonia. In her free time, Molly enjoys being with her wonderful family, visiting nearby waterways, drawing, painting, weaving and taking it easy.