Cori Schoeffel has a lot going on. At home, she and her husband care for four young boys, a pig and some chickens at their “mini farm,” as she calls it, in Pikesville.
At work, Schoeffel is the assistant director of the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center at Chizuk Amuno Congregation. Trained as a special educator, her role is varied, and she finds herself wearing many, many hats.
Although her title may indicate she does more administration than teaching, that’s not the case.
“[This job] puts me back into that inclusion specialist role. A lot of times, teachers will say, ‘Hey, can you come observe this child?’ or ‘Can you give me some strategies or ideas of how to help this child be more successful?’ and things like that,” she said. “I definitely still get the opportunity to go in and to help integrate that inclusive practice for all kids to be successful.”
As a student at James Madison University in Virginia, Schoeffel chose to study special education after a lifetime of wanting to be a teacher. It’s in her blood — Schoeffel’s cousin, aunt and mother are all involved in special education or teaching in general.
“Education has always been something, ever since I was younger, that I’ve wanted to do. I started substituting in Baltimore County,” she said. “I just fell in love with special education. I taught in Virginia for a while, and I worked with self-contained, severe and profound [disabled] kids. I hope that down the road, that’s where I lead back to because that’s my passion.”
Schoeffel’s story of how she ended up at the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, she was supposed to start work at the JCC of Greater Baltimore, but was furloughed. Schoeffel reached out to the synagogue “desperate for a job,” as she put it, and was told that she could co-teach a class of 4-year-olds.
Unfortunately, that class was underenrolled, so she was stuck yet again with uncertainty.
So, the head of the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center asked Schoeffel if she would be willing to come in and do odd jobs — things like cleaning toys.
“I agreed,” Schoeffel said. “Shortly after that, I was able to show my skills being an inclusion specialist, and when our numbers came back up, [the school] needed an assistant director, so I was fortunate to get that [job].”
While Schoeffel loves getting up every morning for work and being around her coworkers in and out of the school, the kids that keep Schoeffel the most busy are her own. As a mother of four boys, there is rarely — if ever — a dull moment.
“We are always outside, we are always with family, and we stay busy with sports. We are always out and about. People see us and say, ‘How can you be out with four boys?’” Schoeffel said, joking that “We really like chaos.”
In addition to the fearsome foursome, there are some animals to care for. Schoeffel said that having farm animals at their home helps the boys grow as individuals and as a team.
“It really teaches them responsibility. They wake up every morning and check for eggs. They feed the pig every morning. It’s a nice learning experience,” she said. “We hope to move to a bigger farm down the road. But I definitely think it’s taught them to take on more responsibilities and care for other things than just themselves.”
Although Schoeffel doesn’t currently belong to a synagogue, the family celebrates Jewish holidays together, especially Passover with Schoeffel’s parents.
“My children eat matzah year-round, and it’s just another excuse to buy more. I just love that [Passover] is the start of spring, and it just makes it feel fresh again with that holiday,” Schoeffel said.
Schoeffel returned to her hometown after living in Virginia so that she and her family could be closer to her parents, and that move has brought her great joy. Coming back to Baltimore has been everything she could have asked for.
“I love that you walk out the door and you see everybody you know. I love building those relationships. My kids have made such lifelong friendships here, and so have I,” she said. “I have a mom group, and we go on a girls’ trip every year. We talk every day. I think the ability to build these relationships that are lifelong [is what I love about Baltimore].”
For Schoeffel, Baltimore is home. Whether it’s at the Goldsmith Early Childhood Education Center, the mini-farm in Pikesville, or somewhere else, this is where she is meant to be.
“I just love this place, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said.
