At the heart of Manzanita Montessori School are AMI Montessori trained guides. Dr. Montessori believed that the role of the adult is to provide for each child the fullest opportunity possible in order to enable the development of their unique potential.
Juniper has dedicated over 25 years of her life to working with children and continues to meet them each with excitement, kindness, playfulness and an infectious love of learning that they can’t help but return. She completed her AMI Montessori Primary Directress training in Denver, Co. in 2003 and has been in the classroom ever since. Before teaching in the classroom, Juniper ran a successful art and garden program for Montessori students ranging in age from 18 months to 14 years old.
Juniper has a gentle and engaging way that she meets each child where they are. Her classroom is full of focus, empathy, enthusiasm to work toward mastery, independence, creativity, curiosity, and the desire to be helpful. She enriches the classroom with music, arts and crafts, and is especially gifted at opening the doors to literacy both in language and mathematics. Her appreciation of the natural world permeates all aspects of her classroom environment.
Imelda was born and raised in Zacatecas, Mexico for most of her life, where she worked as a kindergarten teacher for twelve years and as a school director for two years. She has been an early childhood educator for thrity-one years. Imelda taught at Ojai Meadows Montessori, Ojai Unified School District, Ojai Community Nursery School, and Noah’s Arc Preschool.
Imelda has a bachelor’s degree in Educative Psychology with a minor in Neurolinguistic Programming. She also holds an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Development. In 2005, Imelda completed the Montessori Teacher Training Program in math and language. She currently holds a California teacher’s credential and is enrolled in the Education Through Music Program at the Richard’s Institute of Education and Research. Imelda loves working with children and believes that the first years of their lives are the most important in their development.