Peace, Love and Montessori

How do you go from acroyaoga to teaching 3, 4, and 5 year olds?  Hayde Mitchell, originally from Mexico, studied contemporary dance in Monterrey, Mexico but due to an injury had to change directions to her second love, children.  She studied ECE just before coming to the U.S. four years ago.  Her first taste of Montessori was in Boulder where she became an assistant in a Montessori school.  She only spoke Spanish at the time, but very quickly learned English as she began to study the Montessori Method here in Denver.  Hayde became a lead teacher this last October and her passion for her kids shows in her photography of the children.  You can find her photos in recent Stapleton Front Porch ads for Monarch Montessori and on the walls of her students’ homes.

Hayde is an amazing teacher at Monarch and also is the Spanish speaking voice on interviews with KBNO radio.  She is helping spread the word about our elementary charter plans for fall of 2012 to all the Spanish speaking families.

Nancy Radkiewicz, Principal of Monarch Montessori said, ”Hayde is the epitome of a creative soul. She brings a peaceful energy to her room everyday.”

Living a very natural, peace loving lifestyle, Hayde Mitchell is a true example of the kind of person Maria Montessori would love to be around.  Along with photography, Hayde has many creative pursuits in painting, drawing, acroyoga (blending of yoga and acrobatics), yoga, and of course her first love…dancing!

Traditional Teacher Chooses Montessori

Melissa Cantu, one of Monarch Montessori of Denver’s finest teachers came to us for a tour, wanting to learn more about Montessori for her infant son and to get him enrolled.  Who knew that only a month later she would be working in a toddler classroom?  Melissa began her teaching career as an assistant while finishing up her Master’s degree in German at Georgetown University.  She then moved to Austria to teach English for two years and when she returned to the US, she got her second Master’s degree in Special Education.  Before coming to Monarch Montessori, she taught for six years in the Clark County School District in Las Vegas Nevada.  Her husband, Lupe got a job in Denver, just after the birth of their first son, Brennan, and they are surviving their first winter here.  As a parent, having a strong background in education, Melissa originally was looking for the very best opportunity for her son and in return has fallen in love with the Montessori method and has decided to get her certification in Montessori.  She has gained knowledge and appreciation of the Montessori Method from her co-teacher Colleen Toohey in toddler room 7.  Although this is her first experience with toddlers, she is learning very quickly and will be ready for baby Brennan when he is ready for potty training and other toddler triumphs.  On her lunch breaks you will find Melissa spending quality feeding time with her son in the rocking chair just outside of his classroom in the Infant (Nido) wing.