Educators

Yolène taught English for several years in various institutions before moving to the United States in 2008 with her husband and their 2-year-old daughter. Settling in New York, she discovered the American early childhood education environment, characterized by gentle teaching styles that combined comfort and well-being, play and academic content, all within warm and egalitarian teacher-student relationships. She became interested in active learning methods, especially the Reggio Emilia approach she observed and was fascinated by at her daughters’ school.

Combining her passion for teaching languages and visual arts to young children, she played a key role in opening L’Ecole des Petits in 2009. The preschool’s mission was to provide a warm, stimulating French immersion environment for children aged 2 to 5. As pedagogical director, she successfully fostered a genuine community around the school throughout the years.

Returning to France in 2017, Yolène wanted to offer the approach she had so valued in the United States, which seemed less common in France. After discovering Les Petits Plus during a “Creating an Educational Space” training course, she joined the team in September 2018. She trained in the Montessori method, became the director and educator of Les Petits Plus school, and created a program combining Montessori pedagogy and the Reggio Emilia approach, inspired by the best of her teaching experiences in France and the United States.

She immersed herself in the world of the Nido (0-3 years) with Eve Hermann and trained with Laurence Randoux. She also trained in non-violent communication, sign language and Brain Gym. She decided to use all these techniques in the corporate world, particularly through courses on supportive management practices. However, wanting to contribute more actively to positive global change, she decided to dedicate herself fully to children. Élodie then began her professional retraining, completing the Montessori Assistant course at ISMM and subsequently the 3-6 year old educator training with Marie-Hélène Barbier. After several experiences in different schools, she joined Les Petits Plus in 2019.

There, Léonore completed her high school education and university studies, including a bachelor’s degree in child and developmental psychology.

Leveraging the other focus of her university studies, Léonore spent several years working as a client relations manager in the tourism industry.

When Léonore chose to return to France, she returned to her core passions: child development and education. Her enduring interest in the Montessori approach led her to train as a 3-6 year old educator at ISMM in Lyon. After an initial experience in a Parisian Montessori school, she enthusiastically joined Les Petits Plus in January 2023!