Teacher Spotlight: Tami Levandowski, Primary
March 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 June 2, 2025
At MSLF, overnight trips become an important part of Montessori learning beginning in Lower Elementary. Each trip is carefully planned to meet the developmental needs of students in the second and third plane of development , with each overnight trip getting progressively longer to ease children into these independent journeys away from their families. These aren't just trips - they're carefully crafted opportunities for students to discover who they are, what they're capable of, and how they can contribute to their community and the wider world. Beginning in their first year of Lower Elementary, students take their first MSLF overnight trip to Nature’s Classroom in Wisconsin. For many Lower Elementary students, this trip represents their first nights away from home. During their trip they explore the outdoors, work together in groups, use their practical life skills during community meals, and grow! It’s this first overnight trip for MSLF students where parents and staff remark how students come back almost transformed after being able to develop their independence in a supportive environment. Our Upper Elementary classroom has embarked on overnight trips to both Camp Timber-lee in Wisconsin and The Country Experience at Amstutz Family Farm in Elizabeth, IL. Both locations provide students with increasing opportunities to apply their practical life skills, like checking the weather to ensure they have weather-appropriate gear for their trip. Every task empowers them to develop self-reliance and problem-solving skills. These trips are also opportunities for the students to get to know one another and build strong relationships with their peers and with the adults in their classroom. Adolescent Program students at MSLF have opportunities to visit both Springfield, IL and Washington, DC . These overnight trips tie directly into their studies – connecting curriculum learned in the classroom to experiences in the wider community. They often take their learning on the road, for example by watching a legislative session in action in Springfield to see which bills are passed during their trip or presenting their research papers at monuments in Washington, DC. And for these students, the skills they built on their trips in Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary are put to work, as they pack their own bags, learn more about public transportation, and plan their daily itineraries to make the most out of their visit. Experiences like these at MSLF support the child’s independence, laying the groundwork for transitions in later life: the start of high school, going away to college, a first job, and beyond. As they conquer challenges outside their comfort zone, their confidence soars, laying the foundation for the autonomy and independence they will continue to utilize throughout their Montessori experience and beyond. It’s good for parents, too, to see how truly capable our children are!
By Teresa Pavelich March 7, 2025
Forbes Article highlights mental health benefits of Montessori education