Our Teachers
Holly Higgins
is very excited to begin year 6 as the Director/Head Preschool Teacher at Michael Lane Preschool. She is an alumni parent of the school, where her youngest attended for 3 delightful years. Holly comes to Michael Lane Preschool with 15 years of classroom experience, teaching kindergarten through 4th grade, and was awarded the Herbst Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence in 2011. She earned her Master's Degree in Education at the University of Oregon, and has taught in Oregon, New York City and California. A native Californian, Holly loves being outdoors with her family, reading in the hammock, going to the ballet, and trying new things!
Trina Audley
has had the special experience of teaching at Michael Lane from 2004-2011, and now has returned to us since 2023! After graduating from UCSB with a major in French Literature, Trina worked in education, administration and the law while raising her two children (who are now in their 20’s). Apart from her passion for early childhood education, Trina enjoys time with family, walks on the trail, traveling and a good craft project. Trina will teach on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Reshma Faiq
is delighted to be back for year 4 at Michael Lane Preschool where she taught from 2006 until 2015 before she moved to Boston, Massachusetts. After returning in 2021, she decided to be a part of the MLP family again. Reshma moved from India to the United States in 1990 and has lived in Boston and the Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Reshma has a graduate degree in Economics from India and later finished her training in Early Childhood Education to become a teacher for children ages 3-5 years old. She has been a teacher for the last 20 years. Aside from teaching, Reshma loves spending time with her family, gardening in her ever-growing yard, and being outdoors. Reshma will be teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Jemma Kalberg
Jemma is excited to begin year 3 on the teaching staff at Michael Lane preschool! She comes to us with a range of applicable experiences in the field of education. Some of her experiences include co-op teaching at Lafayette Nursery School, training teachers and schools in developing school wide screening and support programs, working as a head teacher in a residential facility in New Hampshire, and working as a high school teacher serving kids with emotional disturbances. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in education at Vanderbilt University, focusing on child development and special education. Jemma lives in Burton Valley with her husband and 3 children. In their free time, Jemma’s family enjoys dog-friendly beaches, lakes, and hikes with their beloved golden retrievers, Steve and Darrell. Jemma will be teaching on Wednesdays.
Katie Stein
is thrilled to be returning for her 3rd year of teaching at Michael Lane Preschool. Katie’s background in teaching includes a Masters in Education, 10 years of Elementary School classroom teaching (2nd - 4th grade), 3 years as a Kindergarten LPIE art teacher for the Lafayette School District, and 3 years of teaching in various preschools while raising her own children. Katie lives in Lafayette with her husband, 3 kids, and big red dog, Oaks. Her passion for early childhood Education continues to grow with each magical day spent at Michael Lane! One of her greatest joys is helping and guiding young children through their earliest days of schooling. Katie will be teaching on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Tegan Schwab-Alavi
Tegan has been a part of the Michael Lane community for several years as an enthusiastic parent and is so excited to be joining the teaching team this year. After graduating from New World School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance she spent 20 years dancing and performing professionally in Miami and San Francisco. Since becoming a mother in 2019, she has continued to dance and perform part-time, while raising her two boys and developing a new passion for working with children in these important early years. Tegan adores spending time with her family, camping, hiking and playing. She will be teaching part-time in the afternoons.
We are licensed for 17 children in the classroom at one time and our teacher/child ratio is 1:6.
