Most parents who’ve been lucky enough to have their children taught by Mrs. Carlson will agree that she’s magical.  The children fancy her the Tooth Fairy, and they’re not wrong.  Mrs. Carlson has pulled dozens if not hundreds of wiggly teeth over the years, and she appears in full Tooth Fairy costume each Halloween for the Ballard Halloween parade.  

From leprechaun traps, to runaway gingerbread men, to cities made of blocks and papier mâché animal wonderlands, Mrs. Carlson has done her very best to make kindergarten a magical time for hundreds of children over her nearly 40 years of teaching.

The children also learn responsibility, problem solving, and independence in their brief time with her, skills they will carry with them throughout their lives.  

As this year marks her very last at Ballard Elementary, I sat down with Linda Carlson inside the historic Little Red School house, where she has taught for the last 27 years, to reflect on her career and her deep love, respect, and endless fascination for our littlest scholars.  

Also included in this episode are a few surprise special guests.

Finally, the Giving Ink in Solvang is the first local business featured in Small Business Spotlight.