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April 30, 2019

Meet Clayton Schmidt – Doodle Bugs! Employee of the Year

A month ago, hundreds of Doodle teachers, center managers and administrators gathered together at DoodleCon – our annual Doodle Bugs! conference. In addition to the professional development opportunities, we use the event as a way to show appreciation for the tremendous efforts our team has made all year long. A part of  our appreciation is recognizing exemplary employees with awards. One of the most impressive honors is Employee of the Year.

Each year, the selection process for Employee of the Year begins at the center level. Team members are encouraged to nominate extraordinary members of their center. Center managers review the nominations and send along those that they agree should be considered. These finalist are reviewed by several administrators and evaluated with the help of several types of supporting documentation.

This year, the vote was unanimous – Mr. Clayton Schmidt, a Preschool Teacher at our West Amherst location, undoubtedly deserves this award.

After the announcement, we had some questions so we sat down with Mr. Clayton. Here’s what he had to say:

 

Tell me your Doodle Story? What drew you to Doodle Bugs! and early childhood education?

I have wanted to be a teacher since I was little. So, when I went to school, the decision was easy. I’ve earned both my Bachelors and Masters Degrees is in Education. I also have 13 nieces and nephews and love being with little kids. So, this kind of job felt natural!

What is it that you think helped you to stand out amongst hundreds of teachers?

I love to be involved with everything Doodle Bugs! offers: Bug Squad (community events team, including being “Doodle Bug”), MSA Planning Team, and Buffalo Bills Game Day Care Provider. I also have 6 years of higher education and in-school placements. So I think my education and involvement demonstrate my passion for early childhood and Doodle Bugs! I also think it’s important for the children to have a male role model at school –  and, in a female dominated workforce, I’m proud to be that male role model for children.

What does this recognition mean to you?

This recognition means the world to me! I love my job, my kids, and the company! Being chosen out of all the teachers at different locations (not just for one month or from my center alone, but for a whole year and company-wide), is an amazing feeling!

 

How has your center or fellow co-workers reacted to your new title?

My center has been awesome! We celebrated with a special lunch and my co-workers have gone out of their way to congratulate me – even Doodle Bugs! teachers from other states have shown me so much love! They are all such wonderful people.

What 3 words would you use to describe your Doodle workday?

Worth. Every. Second!

What do you hope to accomplish over the next 5 years?

In the next five years, I would love to grow with the company and see where it goes!  I look forward to many more Doodle years!

 

People would be surprised to know that….

People would be surprised to know that my degrees are actually all in Secondary Education. Before working here, the youngest age I’ve ever worked with, professionally, was 1st grade (during my Masters’ Program).