Annalisa Ritchie

Annalisa (she/they) was born and raised in sunny San Diego, and came out to Boston University in 2012 to pursue their Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, with a double minor in Education, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. While at BU, they worked as an Assistant Teacher at the original Children’s Center from 2012-2015. These undergraduate experiences were foundational to Annalisa’s personal pedagogy as an educator: from their understanding of socioemotional and cognitive development, their research on gender development and other anti-bias related concepts, to their experiences with learning through child-directed adult-supported play. 

After graduating in December of 2015, Annalisa was fortunate enough to return to San Diego and began teaching in a Reggio Emilia inspired school. Here they were able to gain an in-depth understanding of emergent curriculum and constructivist education in the preschool classroom, and particularly enjoyed the emphasis on the fine arts. In the fall of 2018, Annalisa returned to Boston to complete their Master’s of Early Childhood Education as part of the first class to matriculate from the new BU Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. Throughout this program, Annalisa was able to hone their relationship-building skills, intentional language use, understanding of holistic development, and, most importantly, self-reflective development as a perpetual learner and researcher alongside the children. Upon graduation, Annalisa returned to the original Center as a Lead Teacher, and has been on the team through both the pandemic and the transition to our new location. At BUCC, they have been able to further their understanding and implementation of the Anti-Bias Curriculum, which has become the foundation of all their classroom practices. 

Outside of the classroom, Annalisa enjoys drawing, painting, and exploring other media, as well as taking advantage of the many museums around Boston. They also love to read and are passionate about appropriate children’s literature. Though Annalisa is always ready to explore our luscious garden, they are continuing to develop their green thumb while learning alongside the children!