Dynamic Duo

Tiffany Pearsall is part of a dynamic duo. She and Nikki Hjelm work together in the Corbett Preschool at the Corbett Grade School. Together, these two women bring a beautiful blend to the classroom for teaching and learning in a fun and creative atmosphere. Tiffany was born in CA., but soon after moved to Bend, OR. where she was raised as an only child. She was extremely close to her grandmother, who lived next door. Tiffany's parents are in the computer industry and so she spent hours after school and her summers with her grandmother. She would read constantly, and would often use workbooks to go over different subjects and then grade herself! Her grandmother was a research librarian, so she learned a great deal about reading and organization from her. Graduating from Bend High School, she then went on to Reed College for four years, averaging about "four hours of sleep a night" between school and working at the nuclear reactor on campus. She also helped children in a science outreach program. While at Reed, Tiffany began dating Kurt Pearsall, also from Bend. Graduating with a degree in Biology, she then began her Master's degree program just two weeks after finishing at Reed! Receiving her MAT (Master's of Teaching) from Lewis and Clark, she then went on to teach at a small preschool in West Linn. The following year she taught at a SE Portland preschool. Looking for a new job online, she came across an opening at Corbett. Not even exactly sure where Corbett was located, she clicked on the application and filled it out. Soon after she was offered an interview and was hired in 2012! During this time, her boyfriend of seven years proposed and they married a year later in Bend. Currently living in SE Portland with their dog Tomato, and their cats Ace and M, they both enjoy outdoor activities. Tiffany also admits to being quite crafty, spending lots of time on Pinterest to get ideas for the classroom as well as herself. She says she loves preschool because it was "meant to be fun." Tiffany is a strong believer in play-based education, giving the children the tools needed to explore and learn.