The Co-op School - Fireflies

Firefly Teachers (3/4s)

Eliza Cutler
Eliza has been a Firefly since Spring 2010 and loved every moment of it. She was born and raised atop a cliff on a small island near Seattle, WA. She moved to Brooklyn in 2001 to work towards a BFA in Photography from Pratt Institute. After graduation, she spent four years working a variety of interesting jobs from assisting in the fabrication of giant toothbrushes to artistic director for an independent record label. Eliza has always loved to work with young children and was inspired to move towards a career in education while working on a yet-to-be finished photography project in which she received makeovers from children. She is currently enrolled in the Early Childhood Education Masters Program at Brooklyn College and has been working on completing her first children's book.

Jennifer Rodriguez
Jennifer was raised in Williamsburg Brooklyn, but has currently found a home in Queens. From an early age she performed skits and puppet shows for children in different communities, which sparked her desire to pursue a career in teaching. Before joining the Co-op school family in 2008, Jennifer worked as an after school teacher at PS 106 in Brooklyn. She is now working towards her degree in Early Childhood Education at Queensborough Community College and plans to continue furthering her education.

Rachel Hutchinson
Rachel got her undergraduate degree in theater performance at George Mason University before working as a literary manager in Washington, D.C. She then moved to New York City to further her acting studies with The Atlantic Theatre's Conservatory for two years. While pursuing her acting career she also did wardrobe management for off-Broadway shows and took care of many, many kids. When she realized that kids were the best people to spend the day with, she decided to switch careers and began studying pediatric speech pathology. She continued to be a nanny while taking classes and when a position opened up at the Co-Op School, she jumped at the chance. She hopes to finish her master's degree in the next two years and then utilize her theater background to design speech activities for children. In the meantime, she loves entertaining The Co-Op kids and helping them explore their own creativity.