I was born on the beautiful island, Puerto Rico. I am the youngest of five. While growing, my mother tough me about the Montessori method and the woman who founded it, Maria Montessori. My mom was a great lover and believer in the Montessori method. Since there was no Montessori school near the area at the time, my mother enrolled me in a private school while using the Montessori method at home.
While growing, my niece and nephew attended to the Montessori school and I had the experience to see how beautiful the method worked. When I graduated from high school I decided to study education. I was accepted in one of the best Universities of Puerto Rico, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. During my years in college, while studying education, my Human Grow and Development's professor, Dr. Nelly Zambrana, invited us to observe traditional and non-traditional educational methods and suggested to observe the Montessori method. I observed a small and beautiful school called "La Escuelita Montessori" situated in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. I observed the classroom of 3-6 years old children. I was amazed to see how children worked alone and how they were willing to continue searching for materials and learning without having to force them to write or do other things in their environment.
After graduating and working in the traditional method I noticed that something was missing in my classroom. The students who really wanted to understand the subject were very few but the students wanting to pass the exam were many. I felt powerless in the classroom, I really wanted them to love math but how? That desire to learn was not to them, the flame was not there. I needed to follow a schedule so I could not stop to evaluate each student. My desire was that each of the students loved what I taught, math.
My experience in the traditional system of education reminded me of the Montessori Method. I realized one way to help children was using a different method from the traditional method of education. That's when I started looking for Montessori schools around me but they were too far from me. I volunteered my time and was a substitute teacher at South Walton Montessori School. The time working and volunteering there was my "Eureka!". That was what I was looking for! Seeing all the children and educators engage for one purpose, learn!
When my first child was born, in 2010, I took the 0-3 Montessori certification with North American Montessori Center(NAMC) as a starter in my learning process with the Montessori method so I could implement the Montessori method in my home. In 2019 I finished my 3-6 Montessori certification with an accredited institution by MACTE ( Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education).
Navarre Montessori Academy is a school who loves the Montessori method and follows it accurately. As a teacher, I like to study and learn to improve myself. I believe there is always room to improve so I always look to improve the preschool as well. I have a huge respect for Maria Montessori and her method of education. That is why Navarre Montessori Academy follows the Montessori educational method with heart, mind and soul. My goal is continuing creating an environment which helps each child develop an excellent foundation for creative learning. I want them to be confident, growing in a multicultural, multilingual environment who respect diversity in a caring, capable, enthusiastic community that is committed to a lifetime of learning. I am looking forward to keeping seeing more children and families become part of this beautiful small Montessorian family.
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