Welcome to Montessori Morning.  Thank you for considering this program for your child.  

I began as a Montessori teacher at a wonderful school in 1993, the fall after graduating from Brandeis University with a BA in Anthropology with honors.  I attended a seminar on the Montessori philosophy and approach to education and it immediately “clicked” with me.  After years of babysitting and spending time with children here was an approach that made sense to me!  In 1996 I received my training and AMS certification as an Infant/Toddler Montessori teacher and have worked in various Montessori settings as a teacher since then.  Additionally, I earned an M.A. in Child Development from Tufts University in 2000.

I have also worked as an administrator, beginning in a Montessori school in Austin, Texas where I was Assistant Director and then as a Site Director at The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center upon moving to the DC area in 2001.  

In 2005 I began teaching an introductory Adult/Child Montessori class at the Takoma Park Recreation Center, allowing me to meet many families and to be a resource for those with an interest in Montessori education for their children.  In 2007, I decided it was time to focus all of my energies into my passion for Montessori.  After remodeling a room in our house to be dedicated as a classroom, I began offering the Montessori Morning program.   Entering my fifth year, I can say for certain that this is the right place for me.  I have thoroughly enjoyed watching each group of children develop and grow into a unique community, as well as developing relationships with their families.  I am excited to see what this next year with new and returning families will bring.

This past year I began working as a consultant for the Infant/Toddler Training Program at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies.  I have spent my career working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and remain fascinated by the changes that occur throughout this developmental phase.  I truly treasure having the opportunity  to be a part of this process with families and consider it a privilege to be a witness to what unfolds.

In my program, I focus my energies on providing a child-focused quality Montessori experience for young children and maintaining the communication that is so necessary with parents.  To that end, I distribute newsletters, share notes on a regular basis with parents, provide weekly email class updates, and hold parent conferences.  I am excited to maintain journals that travel back and forth between home and school  in an effort to further bridge the classroom and the home in a meaningful way.  I strive to make myself available as a resource, an educator of young children, and a fellow parent throughout the coming year.

 Alicia