Educator Highlights: Angela Malabet, Executive Director, Shell’s Early Learning Center in Milton, DE
According to her mom, Angela Malabet knew exactly what she wanted to be when she was just four years old: a daycare worker — just like mom. A couple of years earlier, Lichell Isaac had been working in an office, but Angela had a different idea of what her mom should be doing. She wanted her mom home with her every day. So, in 1998, Lichell took a leap. She opened a daycare out of their home, driven by her daughter’s wish and her own lifelong love of children.
Fast forward to today, and that little dream has grown big. Angela and Lichell now run four thriving daycares and preschools across Delaware, including after-school programs for children up to age 12. They consider themselves incredibly lucky — not just to work side by side but also to do work that lights them up every day. Together, they’ve created joyful, play-filled spaces where children learn and grow, surrounded by a team of devoted educators who care deeply for their students.
We are so grateful to Angela and Lichell for using Preschool With a Purpose and Kindness Connections!
Angela Malabet (left) with her mother, Lichell Isaac (right)
What makes you most excited to go to work every day?
Angela: The children being so excited to see me when I walk through the door each day.
What is something your teachers are enjoying most about Kindness Connections?
Angela: They appreciate that the kit’s lessons and activities visually show the students different techniques to cope with their emotions and how to express them to their peers.
What is something your students are enjoying most about Kindness Connections?
Angela: The biggest part they are enjoying is learning how to have conversations with their friends about their feelings. This is particularly helpful when students have a conflict. They are learning how to express to their friends why they are upset, and their friends are able to accept it and recognize what they may not have done so nicely. Classrooms where students learn to communicate and resolve conflicts positively are happier and more productive environments.
What is something you, as director of your school, appreciate about Kindness Connections?
Angela: I really appreciate that my students are learning new techniques to better express themselves to friends.
Are your teachers using Kindness Connections as is, putting their own spin on it, or something in between, and why?
Angela: My teachers are doing something in between because we do understand that not ALL students will be able to utilize the same method to learn something. It is key to be able to teach the same material to all students but in ways that work for the individual student.
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