Me, Myself and I

Somebody pinch me! I am in pursuit of my doctorate in Montessori Education. For someone who rarely enjoyed anything but the social aspect of traditional school, I found passion and purpose in Montessori education. After undergrad, I trained at The Center for Contemporary Montessori Programs with Michael Dorer and Chulie Fernando at the College of St. Catherine. Through the grace of God, I was successful in teaching and continued my learning by earning my Masters in Montessori Education at St. Catherine's University. In 2018 I was awarded the AMS Ursula Peace grant to implement intergeneration Montessori work with our local aging adult community. Also, in 2018, I was honored to be a part of the American Montessori Emerging Leaders Fellowship program. This opened the doors to becoming a biology instructor at the Montessori Education Center of the Rockies.

For the past 21 years, I have served as a Montessori teacher, administrator, and parent. I have had the privilege of working in various Montessori schools that were private for-profit, private non-profit, a public charter, and a Montessori Early Head Start/Head Start program. Currently, I oversee high fidelity Montessori in the infant through elementary programs as Education Director and serve as the Head Elementary Teacher at Adventure Montessori. I lead a 6-12 lower and upper elementary classroom, and, as Education Director, I am responsible for the guidance of teachers and the education of parents. I know that my strengths in community building and event planning have paved my interest in furthering my knowledge in Educational Leadership.

I hope to use my years of classroom experience, administration, and Montessori parenting to continue connecting with teachers and parents to invigorate the wonders of Montessori education. I am furthering my education; my goal is to teach at the university level. Montessori has provided a true passion for both my personal education and the education of others. It fuels me to introduce Montessori to those who do not yet know of Dr. Montessori and her method. I believe I could significantly impact the adult learner new to education.

Montessori is very personal to me as I believe it has guided my path. I am very much grateful to my family for being a big part of my Montessori journey. It was quite an experience and privilege to be my children's elementary teacher. Mackenzie (23) is currently pursuing her MS in Nursing at Mass General in Boston, and my youngers, Kaylin (13) and Luke (10), still call me "Ms. Stephanie." As many Montessorians know, your partner or spouse can very quickly become engulfed in the various tasks of being a Montessorian. My husband, Todd, has made endless materials, programs, and logos, taken photographs, and shoveled cubic yards of woodchips and loads of snow. I would not be here without them.

Some of my lenses:

• Christian, middle-aged, middle-class, Caucasian woman

• A family legacy of military service members

• Married to an extroverted, creative genius

• Mother of 2 daughters and 1 son

• Purpose-driven life by unplanned pregnancy in adolescence