Paul Murphy

Bio

Paul (he/him) is excited and looking forward to joining the Gan Keshet school and community and having the opportunity to be a part of a dynamic, engaging, and high-quality center for early childhood education with tremendous values, history, and an inspiring sense of community and connection to nature! Paul has been teaching preschool in Western Mass for over 20 years including the last 13 years at the Hampshire College Early Learning Center in Amherst. His work has focused on centering children's voice and empowerment and facilitating reciprocal collaboration between children and the larger community and emergent curriculum based on children's interests and research. He also has a deep love for children's literature and bringing books into the life of the classroom. Inclusivity and community building are also important to Paul in Early Childhood education settings and in the world. Many of his friends and family live in the Connecticut River Valley and he has lived here most of his life with some international travel adventures and experiences in between. Paul enjoys cooking, going to music concerts, reading, and experiencing the creative arts including music, dance, poetry, and the visual arts. Some highlights of the summer for him include attending the Green River music festival and the Springfield Jazz and Roots festival with friends.