Teacher Spotlight: Tami Levandowski, Primary
Mar 19, 2015

3c8732c5-0828-4997-8508-4343b1acdc81 When I was a young girl, my Dad decided he wanted us to live in what he described as “God’s Country.”  So we moved from Illinois to Wyoming when I was ten years old. Our house was in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and mountains.  The nearest town was 30 miles away and had a population of 600 people.  Our driveway was about 5 miles long.  In the winter, my two brothers and I would actually have to snowmobile to the bus stop!  It was very beautiful in Wyoming and I had some great experiences.  But I knew one day I would move back to Illinois.

I always wanted to be a teacher.  At the age of five, I would pretend to be in front of my imaginary classroom of students.  It was no surprise to anyone that when I went to college, I majored in elementary education.  During the summers, I worked as a nanny in Arlington VA, and Hampton, CT.  After I graduated with a BA from the University of Wyoming, I worked in public school, but felt like something was missing in this traditional way of teaching.  There was never enough time to work with every child that needed my help.  I felt most of the class was on task, but some children needed extra help and some children needed to be challenged more.  I didn’t know how I could reach every child’s needs.

In 1998, I finally did move back to Illinois and responded to an ad for an assistant at MSLF. I had never heard of Montessori before.  It was never mentioned in any of my college classes, and I had no idea what to expect.  When I first observed a classroom, I was blown away!  I saw these little children doing amazing things: three year olds sewing with real needles, four year olds learning to read, five year olds doing multiplication!  It wasn’t just the academics either.  It was the way these children showed respect for the environment.  They were cleaning up after themselves and helping each other without being asked.  The children showed confidence and independence I never knew young children could possess.  It was so different from anything I had ever seen, and it seemed just the right fit for me.

That first year, I worked as an assistant with Mia Stompanato.  I loved it so much I decided to become a Montessori teacher.  I went to the Montessori Midwest Teacher Training Center in Evanston, IL, where I received my Montessori degree.  When Mia went on maternity leave with Gianna, I took the position as lead directress and have had my own class ever since.

Every day, working here at MSLF is a new experience.  I LOVE teaching and learning from the children, and am inspired by their love of learning. Recently, I have become a mother, and I know my son, Griffin, will benefit from my experiences here. At the same time, I think being a mother will help me be an even stronger teacher.

— Tami Levandowski, February 2015

 

By Teresa Pavelich 22 Mar, 2024
A wonderful and successful student fundraiser!
By Teresa Pavelich 07 Mar, 2024
Age 6 and age 12 in Montessori are referred to as the capstone years. During these years children really dive into big work and develop their self-confidence.
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