Starting a Montessori school isn’t child’s play.

You know that.

It can be tough and it can challenge and change you in more ways than one.

Rachel learnt that first hand when she made the transition from nannying and odd jobs to becoming the owner of a Montessori school.

With a K-12 certification to teach in the public system and having taught right out of college, Rachel saw the public school path as potentially unfulfilling.  She chose to explore other options before committing to a career in public schools.

She made the life-changing ‘mistake’ of reading The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss and took odd jobs, knowing that she’d land something she was passionate about.

Continue reading Rachel’s Story: From Nanny to Montessori School Owner →

A full-time job as a statistician.

A thriving business creating and selling organic and natural creations such as soaps, massage bars, bath salts and children’s aprons.

And… starting a Montessori school, too.

Yes, Lindsay Rymerson blew us away with her focus, dedication and passion for the Montessori methodology and her story about how to start a Montessori school, even with a full and busy life.

Lindsay’s school, Great Oak Montessori, opened its doors in April of 2015.

Continue reading Lindsay’s Story of How She Started Her Montessori School →

It was the year 1979 and Pamela Green was in college with a major in elementary education.  Her Educational Theory course professor took the class to a small Montessori school to learn about and observe this philosophy of education.

From the moment Pamela walked into that space, she was transformed.  In her words,

“This was a place sacred to the child.  It took me some time to find the adults; they were on the floor amongst the children.  Never had I seen such focused joy of learning.  And it was busy, yet not chaotic.  The adults were quiet, watching, and offering help when needed.  I loved the beauty of the space, the respectful atmosphere, and especially the happiness I saw in the children exploring.”

So transformational was the experience, that after that visit, Pamela met with her advisor and changed her major. She knew that if she were to be a teacher it had to be in this philosophy of Maria Montessori, which she did not yet understand, but felt such connection to.

She went on to work as an assistant teacher in a Montessori school in South Carolina from 1984-86 and then, in a fun twist of fate, came back to The Children’s House of Erie, the very school where her Montessori journey had begun.

Continue reading Pamela’s Story: Growing a Montessori School →

Serving the Under-Served with Quality and Single Minded Passion

Meet Beth Holley, the founder of Renaissance Montessori School.

As a young 20-something, she was invited to visit a Montessori school.  Instinctively, she recognized the missing elements from her own education.

She was quick to notice the beauty in the environment, the freedom of movement and of choice, the quiet enthusiasm of the teacher, the attractive and seemingly advanced learning materials, and the calmness of the children.

Iintrigued, she set out to learn more about the method.

That was the beginning of Beth’s love affair with the Montessori method and that love affair culminated in her starting her own Montessori school in the year 1992.

Continue reading Beth Holley’s Story of Starting a Montessori School →

Summer Picha and Katie Wagoner were inspired to start a year-round Montessori school after attending a conference in Chicago.

They opened their doors in September 2010 with one student. Their school, Peaceful Valley Montessori Academy, is located in the Golden Valley area of the Twin Cities (Minnesota, USA).  It is a year round school serving infants through kindergarten-aged students.  They are growing by leaps and bounds and have just opened a new facility to accommodate their new enrollments.

I asked Summer to share the story of their startup days with us. I have come back to read this story over and over again and continue to be amazed at Summer’s spirit and tenacity.  I think you will find her background and success very inspiring!

Continue reading Summer’s Story →

Simone is an AMI qualified teacher with over ten years of experience. She opened her own Montessori program in 2008.

Jacaranda Tree Montessori is Simone’s playgroup in Amsterdam (Netherlands). They have classes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers along with their parents.

Simone is also the genius behind The Montessori Notebook, an online resource for parents who want to incorporate Montessori into their lives and homes.  You may have seen her fabulous video with tips for setting up your home environment for children:

Continue reading How Simone Started her School in Amsterdam →