Who Am I professionally?

My name is Mary Ashley Latta and I will be one of your instructors this semester. I am looking forward to our semester together! I began working with young children in 1985 as a toddler teacher. Over the years I have worked with all age groups and lately I teach college at Cabrillo College after partially retiring from teaching at 5 community colleges over the past 15 years. I specialize in Administration, Infant and Toddler Care, Adolescence, working with Families, Curriculum, and Anti-Bias/Diversity Education. One of my favorite jobs was as a Master Teacher for a couple of years in the Cabrillo Lab School, both with toddlers and preschoolers. I enjoyed the dynamic of working with children, instructors, families and students. I first taught a practicum class in 1997 in Colorado at Red Rocks College. Later I directed the Mission College Lab School collaborating with the Practicum Instructors. I am passionate about the role of a lab school in teacher preparation.

My family

In my personal life I am married with 6 "children", from 20-29 years old: 2 by birth, 2 adopted and 2 step children. One of these young adults live with us currently. We "failed" as a foster family for the Humane Society, adopting 4 of the 13 at risk kittens we raised a few years ago. Two of our cats moved out recently with our youngest child. It is lively and energetic in our house, not in the least because of our 3 cats and 3 dogs. (Bruno is “helping” me in the picture above.)

My Educational Background

I began my education at UC Santa Cruz, studying Psychology. I later transferred to Cabrillo College for ECE classes. I completed my MA in Human Development at Pacific Oaks College in 2012. I believe in lifelong learning and I am always looking for the next thing to learn more about.

My "Other" Work

I work as a consultant for various centers and Santa Clara and Santa Cruz County providing training for early childhood teachers. I have presented workshops at National and State conferences for more than 30 years. I was a keynote speaker at the ECE Conference in Santa Cruz in October 2019. I enjoyed the experience of talking about the importance of "pausing" in our work to take care of ourselves and taking the child's perspective. The most interesting consulting job I have had was "Lunches with Mary" at a child care center in Mountain View. I went twice a month to meet with the Director and staff. I answered questions or did observations or found resources to support their learning and growth. .

I look forward to our semester together and getting to know all of you in out learning community! ~ Mary