“The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, The children are now working as if I did not exist." Maria Montessori

Ms. Nicole is a passionate early childhood educator, who was first introduced to the Montessori philosophy in college and began working with children in 2016. She became fascinated with how much young children are capable of and loves watching them thrive and flourish in the toddler community. Nicole earned her BA degree in Child Development from Cal State, San Bernardino and her AMS Montessori Diploma 0-3, from UC Irvine. When not at school, Nicole loves to sing, spend time with her family, decorate her home and go to the beach.

"The greatest gifts we can give our children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” Maria Montessori

Ms. Kimia received her early childhood education from Irvine Valley and Saddleback College and she first learned about Montessori when she was required to write a paper about Maria Montessori in one of her classes. Kimia was drawn to the philosophy because of the respectful way it responds to each child individually. She says she loves the innocence and curiosity of young children and is amazed by how they see the world. When not at school she loves singing, dancing, spending time with friends, family and her chihuahua Ricky.

“Our aim is not merely to make the child understand, and still less to force him to memorize, but so to touch his imagination as to enthuse him to his innermost core”. Maria Montessori

Ms. Gabriela's love of young children and her desire to help them grow, lead her to Montessori in 2019. She finds their ability to observe and absorb everything in their environments fascinating and she feels a great sense of responsibility shaping and guiding their little minds. Gabby is pursuing her early childhood education at Orange Coast College. She enjoys collecting crystals, outdoor hiking and going to the beach. She loves to explore different foods and restaurants she finds on Yelp!

"Education begins at birth." Maria Montessori

Tina's love of young children brought her to Mission Montessori shortly after we opened in 2009. After many years of providing childcare in her home she began her Montessori journey as an assistant teacher while pursuing her child development education. Later she obtained training in RIE, Resources for infant educaring which goes hand in hand w/ the Montessori philosophy and became a lead teacher. Tina is passionate about providing a beautiful learning environment. She has the gift of creativity and loves to make new materials and unique learning opportunities for her young students. In her free time she enjoys shopping, dining out and spending time with family especially her young granddaughter who lives close by.

"The hand is the instrument of intelligence. The child needs to manipulate objects and gain experience by touching and handling." Maria Montessori

Ms. Jeanette worked with preschool and kindergarten aged children for six years before joining the infant and young toddler team at MM in 2019. She says that she enjoys learning about every stage of development in young children. Jeanette studied child development at Irvine Valley College and she says that she was drawn to Montessori because it encourages children to explore independently in their environment and to make choices at an early age. In her down time Jeanette enjoys spending time with her pomeranians and family watching movies with her son and enjoying the sunset with her husband from their backyard. She also loves traveling, swimming, hiking, yoga, pilates and painting.

“Growth is not merely an increase in size, but a transformation” -Dr. Maria Montessori

Ms. Maria considers herself a lifelong learner and says that she has always known that being an educator was her calling. She attributes that to the many impactful teachers she had throughout her life. Maria received her early childhood education from Fullerton College and she says being around children and observing the way that they view the world is rejuvenating. She is reminded as an adult to never stop exploring and growing. Maria loves spending time with loved ones, taking her Husky to the dog beach, reading, hiking and she is looking forward to the birth of her first baby due in July 2021.