The Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood (DIEEC) is proud to recognize Tara Chetty, a dedicated educator at St. David’s Episcopal Day School in Wilmington, as the runner-up for the 2025 Excellence in Early Childhood Awards in the center-based educator category. With 21 years of experience in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field, Tara brings a wealth of knowledge and a deep-seated passion to her classroom of two-year-olds.

Tara’s journey into early childhood education was driven by an innate calling to teach. “Since the time I was four years old,” she says, “there was never a doubt in my mind.” This lifelong passion is evident in her daily work; she finds fulfillment in witnessing the significant growth of her young students each year, particularly their increasing independence and social development. Her commitment to learning is lifelong as well; as a member of both the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children (deaeyc), she actively seeks diverse training topics, consistently looking for ways to enhance her understanding and adjust her practices to meet the evolving needs of children.

What truly sets Tara apart is her thoughtful and adaptable approach to meeting the diverse needs of each child. She emphasizes building intimate connections, patiently guiding children to try new things, and then celebrating their accomplishments. Her class includes children with a wide range of developmental stages. To meet her students’ unique needs, Tara employs practical strategies like using visuals, providing ample time to process instructions, and creating a calming zone with sensory objects. Her ability to establish and maintain consistent routines is a cornerstone of her classroom, as she understands that consistency helps children thrive and allows her to identify where individual support is needed.

Tara also places a high value on strong home-school connections. She establishes open lines of communication with parents from the start, emphasizing that they are a “team” in the child’s growth. She proactively shares classroom activities for parents to model at home and fosters relationships that make it comfortable for both sides to raise concerns. 

When Tara explains that she teaches two-year-olds, she proudly articulates her role in “setting the stage for many years of school to follow.” She believes her work is about ensuring children enter a nurturing, engaging, safe, and loving environment where they learn to communicate, develop essential social skills, and build character traits like patience and kindness. To Tara, “it’s not my job, it’s who I am,” a sentiment that truly reflects her exceptional dedication to providing every child with a great beginning.