About Jen

Jen Rothmeyer is the early childhood educator and owner of Two Wishes Child Care.

Influences

During my bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa*, I had a small focus in child development with courses such as Developmental Psychology, Social and Personality Development of Children,and Cognitive Development of Children. This has led me to use evidence-based child education and childrearing techniques that promote resiliency and emotional development. My honors thesis involved a psychological study on mother-child communication strategies under Dr. Jodie Plumert (who is an absolutely fantastic person.

What is resiliency? Resiliency, according to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, is the ability to overcome any serious hardship. This is an important skill to build for an entire lifetime. We all experience hardship and how we react to that determines our potential success.

While being certified through the College Reading & Learning Association as a level one ITTPC tutor in 2004, I learned more about different learning styles and had reinforced the importance of scaffolding learners at and just above their level to foster development. I enjoyed assisting college-aged students (from 17 to their 60s) to grasp material in a variety of subjects (math, history, science, literature, writing, and psychology were predominate) and watching their development. I am still available to tutor today.

➩ What is scaffolding? When scaffolding, an instructor provides temporary support at or just above the student’s level primarily to reduce the gap between what a student knows and what a student is expected to know. Over time, the instructor makes less and less accommodations until a student is at the expected understanding. This is a positive way to introduce and reinforce learning. One method of scaffolding is to explain a topic in multiple ways, reinforcing the different ways that a student can learn. Read about other methods at this article at the Glossary of Education Reform.

As a homeschooling parent, my child-raising beliefs and values have changed over time after being influenced by several educational philosophies.

Learn more about educational philosophies

  • Charlotte Mason
  • Montessori
  • Waldorf
  • Classical

Experiences and Education

Summary of Related Experience

Independent Contractor

Achieve-approved early childhood professional development trainer (July 2016-)


Two Wishes Child Care

Owner of state-licensed 4-star Parent Aware-rated child care program in Northfield, Minnesota (January 2016-)


Northfield Retirement Community

Resident aide at the Northfield Retirement Community (2014-2015)

  • Provided care to adults, assisting them with their activities of daily living and medical needs
  • Performed lead position for seven months

University of Iowa

Graduate teaching assistant at the University of Iowa (2012-2013)

  • Taught two sections of up to thirty students each per semester, proctored exams, graded homework and exams, and held office hours.

Horizons

Remedial skills-building worker (2010)

  • Acted as a remedial staff worker by providing skill-building services to children and adults with mental health and/or behavior problems. Interviewed clients on current and past emotional, mental, and behavioral issues that impact their daily living then worked with clients to create individualized plans of action to target these problems and behaviors.

Emerald Sunshine Child Care

Owner of a state-licensed in-home childcare facility in Iowa (2010)


Other

  • Licensed foster parent in Minnesota (2017-present)
  • Licensed foster parent for over three years in Iowa (2009-2013)
  • College Tutor (2004-2005, 2007)
  • Mother of four (2004-present!)
  • Helper in an in-home child care program (2001)

Applicable Trainings Completed

Develop Training Record as of November 15, 2017

Trainings Not on the Develop Record:

  • Infection Prevention & Control (2015)
  • Infection Control Techniques (2015)
  • Emergency Preparedness: Site Issues (2015)
  • Dining & Nutrition (2015)
  • Attitude of Care (2015)
  • Abuse Prevention (2015)
  • HIPAA (2010, 2014)
  • 10.5 hours of RN-administered training for assisted living caregivers (2014)
  • Caring for African American Hair and Skin (2010)
  • Sexual Abuse Prevention Training (2010)
  • Crisis Intervention (2010)
  • Safety and Emergency Procedures (2010)
  • Universal Precautions (2009)
  • Mandatory Child Abuse Reporter Training for Child Care Providers (2009)
  • Sanitation (2009)
  • Orientation to CACFP (2009)
  • Business Basics of Family Child Care (2009)
  • Partnering for Permanence and Safety: Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (30-hours of training on parenting, the foster care system, behavioral challenges, and building positive relationships between foster and birth parents and children) (2009)

Education

University of Wisconsin – River Falls (2017-present) Masters of Science in Education, Montessori Teaching Certificate (in progress)

University of Iowa (2012-2013) Journalism and Mass Communication MA (incomplete); 20 credits completed & moved to a different state midway through degree for husband’s job

University of Iowa (2006-2008) Psychology BA with Honors; Graduated: 12/2008 with a 3.7 GPA

Des Moines Area Community College (2004-2007) Criminal Justice AA & Liberal Arts AA; Graduated: 08/2007 and 08/2006 with a 3.9 GPA

Saydel High School Graduated: 5/2001


* Accessed in 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Iowa as #82 among national universities. In 2013, its psychology graduate school was ranked 30th in the nation (in a ranking that includes Ivy League schools). While I was an undergraduate, this does reflect on the education that I received. I graduated with a 3.7 GPA.

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