Vivian Gussin Paley, American kindergarten teacher and writer,
is patron of MakeBelieve Arts.
Vivian received her B.A. from the University of Chicago in 1947 and her
MA from Hofstra University in 1962. After obtaining her MA, Vivian returned to the University of Chicago, where she spent the rest of her career.
In the 1980s she published a series of books that made her perhaps the best known kindergarten teacher in America and she still publishes today. At present Vivian has written and published 13 books.
Her book The Boy Who Would Be a Helicopter inspired Trisha Lee, MakeBelieve Arts' Artistic Director, to pioneer Vivian's work in the UK under the name The Helicopter Technique.
Vivian has been the recipient of many awards, including a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (Genius Award), and in 2004 was named Outstanding Educator by the National Council of Teachers of English.
She is now retired from teaching.
