Mrs. Erica Jawnyj joined the Prairie Crossing team in 2026 as the ¾ multi-age teacher. She was drawn to Prairie Crossing for her love of nature and hands-on teaching opportunities. Mrs. Jawnyj has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, and has been in the field of education since 2002. She has experience as an early childhood administrator, and has taught Kindergarten, Pre-K, and 3rd grade. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, reading and snuggling with Stella-her rescue pittie mix! Her favorite book is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendack. She read it to her own wild things every night before bed! Mrs. Jawnyj knows the importance of play, love and laughter in a classroom setting-yes even for the “big kids”! Her favorite quote is from the late Fred Rogers, “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.”