Rachel Lyness

Lead Preschool ESL Teacher

Rachel Lyness is currently our Preschool teacher at Open Door Learning Center - Arlington Hills. Rachel joined Literacy Minnesota in 2010, coming to us after working in the Stillwater School District as a teacher’s assistant and as a preschool tutor when she served with Minnesota Reading Corps. Rachel has her B.A. in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and her M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Concordia - St. Paul. Rachel’s passion from education and literacy began at an early age, with Mr. Rogers. While in college, she read a quote that has greatly affected her beliefs and shaped her career: “We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say, ‘It’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’ Then there are those who see the need and respond. I consider those people my heroes.” Outside of work, Rachel loves to do crafty things without a lot of pinterest-fails, spend time with her family, travel and work on her never ending “to be read” pile of books.

Rachel Lyness photo