Meet Our Instructors & Staff

Deborah Hargrove, LCWS

Program Director

Deborah received her Masters in Social Work from the University of MO-St.Louis in 2009. She has had her clinical license in social work since 2012. She spent most of her years before kids as a therapist in various St. Louis agencies. In this role, she facilitated many child, adolescent, and family groups while also meeting with clients individually to work on social emotional skills. She joined SLT in 2019 as the kindergarten instructor. In 2021 & 2022 she taught the K-2nd grade class. Deborah supports SLT families, students, and staff by running the administrative aspects of the progam. She has 3 girls, Lucy (11), Daisy (8), and Audrey (6). She has been homeschooling them since her oldest began preschool and all girls will attend SLT.

Linda Whittinghill

PreK/Kinder Co-Instructor

Linda received an AA degree in Early Childhood while also working at the college's child development center in the early 90's. Since that time, Linda has continued working with children in a variety of settings, including a children's home as a live-in childcare worker for a year, and SSD as a Paraprofessional for ten years. In 2008, Linda became a licensed foster and adopt parent and soon adopted two boys. They began their homeschooling journey in 2014. Linda and her husband Mark have 5 children all together. Linda became the Kindergarten Instructor at SLT in 2021. She works hard to provide fun, engaging, and age-appropriate learning opportunities within an easy-to-follow daily schedule. Linda loves incorporating living books, hands-on activities, guest speakers, and art projects.

Mandy Thompson

1st Grade Instructor

Mandy and her children have been with SLT nearly from its beginning, 2017. While juggling homeschooling her own 2 kids, Mandy has demonstrated sincere dedication to all things SLT–this, as well as her extraordinary administrative skills, make her the perfect person to enhance SLT’s impact in our community of homeschoolers here in St. Louis, Missouri.

2nd Grade Instructor

Coming Soon!

Check back soon for more about this instructor.

Amy Freeman

3rd Grade Instructor

Check back soon for more about Amy.

Jennifer Ilardi

4th Grade Instructor

My name is Jennifer Ilardi and I’m excited to be a Shared Learning Time Instructor. I have over 11 years of experience sharing information through stories and developing hands-on, interactive and educational programming for young people. I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Maryville University and my master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University. I also have a postgraduate certificate in Youth Experience from the University of Maryland. One of my favorite things to do is own and operate a non-profit organization called Simple Positive Play where I help bring playful experiences to the community. I also love playing games and creating things with my family, reading fantasy books and biographies, and being outdoors, especially if there is a body of water nearby. I’m looking forward to helping students learn.

Ellen Wandzel

5th Math, Middle School ELA & Spanish Instructor

Prior to joining SLT, I taught high school Spanish in the public school system. My educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in International Business and Spanish, a Master’s degree in in Secondary Education and a Teaching Certification in Spanish, (K-12). Beyond my formal education, my study abroad and volunteer experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer provide me with a unique perspective that I bring to the classroom. I am also the proud mother of three children, all of whom attend SLT. I love teaching because despite occasional “turkey” moments, the students are lovable and bring such joy and energy to the classroom. They remind me daily of the importance of patience, laughter and understanding. Outside of teaching, I enjoy spending time outdoors, bike riding, baking, reading, and playing both softball and pickleball.

Andrea Dalton

6th Math, Middle School History Instructor

Hi there! I’m Andrea Dalton. Although I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, I gained more than 10 years of teaching experience in Texas as a special education teacher. I’m passionate about working with students and especially love seeing their faces light up when they finally understand something that once felt impossible. My two children and I made SLT our new home after moving back from Texas and taking the leap into homeschooling. SLT made the transition into homeschooling feel seamless, and we’ve loved building friendships, finding community, and creating lasting connections along the way.

Jennifer Farra

Middle School Science Instructor

Check back soon for more about Ms. Farra.

Sue Lammert

7th-8th Math Instructor

I worked at McDonnell Douglas/ Boeing as computer specialist for 41 years and started teaching math at SLT 3 years ago. It is a pleasure to watch kids learn

Michele Kerans

Art Instructor

Michele Kerans is the proud mother of three daughters, Gigi to her grandson and has been married to her husband, Bradley, for over 30 years. When she’s not teaching art at SLT, she can be found at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, where she teaches weekly classes, guides visitors, and serves as director of an 8-week summer camp.
After more than 20 years of homeschooling her daughters through graduation and actively participating in local co-ops, Michele brings a deep understanding of the homeschool community to SLT, along with her passion for fostering creativity through art.

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