I am a Montessori child.

When I was three years old my mother started a Montessori school and every summer she would leave to spend time at the St. Nicholas Training Centre in England to continue her Montessori training, eventually becoming a Montessori trainer herself. When I was a bit older, I would often serve as the child for my mother's trainees, patiently receiving lessons (even though sometimes I knew the presentation was lacking!). 

I never intended to follow in my mother's footsteps. As a young adult, I saw environmental education and nature writing as my potential path. However, after the birth of my first daughter, I began working to bring authentic Montessori into the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts.

My husband and I started The Montessori School of the Berkshires in 2006. Although creating a new program with 24 non-Montessori children (one of whom was my own three-year-old) was an incredible challenge, it was also immensely rewarding. By the end of that first year of the school, my primary class had grown to 34 students. We soon expanded to include an elementary program and not long thereafter I was guiding the six- to 12-year-old community. A few years later we expanded and built a new campus on 40 acres so as to be able to accommodate multiple classrooms for toddlers through adolescents.

Although I love being in the classroom, my focus has now shifted to fully supporting families and teaching staff as the Director of Education. This role is somewhat like guiding a classroom, although my learning community is made up of adults working in service to the child. A day's work can range from having a coaching session with a guide or assistant, to observing in a classroom, to creating child case studies, to facilitating a meeting between parents and guides, to creating family engagement opportunities, to coordinating special services, to providing social-emotional-behavioral support for children who need a break from the classroom. Each day is unique.

My oldest daughter who graduated from our Montessori adolescent program is now in college and well on her way to adulthood. My middle daughter is in high school. My youngest child is in our Montessori elementary program. I have been so fortunate to be witness to how they move through the developmental planes on their way toward maturity, and how the Montessori environment can support their individual development within community

With a full understanding of Montessori practice and pedagogy from birth through adolescence, as well as work with guiding adult communities, I can offer authentic support and connection that is grounded in the experience of being a parent, a Montessori teacher, and a school administrator.