ABOUT US

NORMI G. SON

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, INSTRUCTOR, FIELD SUPERVISOR

Normi Son directs the on-site Montessori teacher training programs. She received her MIA 0-3, 3-6 and 6-9 teaching certificates between 2002 and 2004 and her MIA teacher trainer’s certificate in 2005. She holds a B.A. in Business from Philippine College of Commerce in 1986, a teaching certificate from Philippine Normal University in 1988 and an M.A. in Education from the University of the Philippines-Diliman in 1994. She is also a regular faculty member of MIA-approved teacher education programs in Vietnam, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing, has trained nearly 1,000 adult learners from 9 countries, and mentored over 400 candidates during their practicum for the last 14 years. She has been on and off the board of Montessori Institute of America since 2005 up to the present. Her work in Botswana and the Philippines as a non-government organization volunteer led her to co-found a shelter for abandoned children of Korean-Filipino parents, and a Montessori school from level 3-6, 6-9, and 9-12 for an impoverished community in Quezon City, Philippines.

MICHELLE ULGASAN

3-6 INSTRUCTOR, FIELD SUPERVISOR

Michelle Rose Ulgasan received her MIA Montessori Teaching Certificate in 2012. Ms Ulgasan has completed her BA in Psychology, has taken units in Masters in Montessori Education and Special Education, and earned her Certificate for Continuous Profession in Education. She is the co-founder and owner of Menti Assorbenti Montessori School (toddler class through preschool) in Quezon City, where she has been teaching as head directress for children ages 2 ½ to 6 for 5 years and serving as Supervising Teacher for interns since 2013. She has trained and consulted with 4 preschools in the Philippines and 1 in Pakistan between 2008 and 2011. She also taught children ages 18 months to 8 years using the Individualized Instruction, Thematic, and Project Approach from 2000 to 2008 at La Mia Scuola and Cambridge Child Development Center where she also served as Operations Head and Corporate Trainer. As Corporate Trainer, she conducted trainings in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

MARY FLEWELLING-PINCHEN

3-6 LECTURER

Mary is a long-time Canadian A.M.I. primary directress, consultant and the author of “At Home in the Montessori Children’s House” – volumes 1 & 2.  In 1984, she earned her A.M.I. primary diploma at the Toronto Montessori Institute under the direction of Renilde Montessori, Audrey Sillick and Judy Buckman.  Since that time, Mary has been a head directress in various primary classrooms throughout south-western Ontario.

In addition to her classroom work with students, Mary presents workshops to teachers and parents regularly and offers consulting services to Canadian Montessori schools.  Between 2006-2013, she acted as the program director for the Canadian Association of Montessori Teachers. In this role, Mary worked to provide excellent professional development opportunities for Canadian Montessori educators.  Highlights in Mary’s long career include attendance at the A.M.I. international congresses in Portland (2013) and Prague (2017) and time spent establishing a new Montessori primary class in Chengdu, China. Mary is excited to be undertaking new responsibilities as a teacher trainer in the Philippines.   

Mary is a passionate advocate for Montessori education and is committed to supporting Montessori educators, parents and organizations all around the world in their transformative work with children and families.

JANET DUFFY 

3-6 LECTURER

Janet Duffy is a MIA qualified Montessori teacher. As an English and Psychology major, her studies have provided unique insights into the strengths of the Montessori language methods. She has kept abreast of developments in the field of human potential obtaining Honours degrees in Population Studies and Psychology. Janet has Montessori experience in a number of countries, including USA, South Korea, Vietnam & South Africa. Janet Specializes in teaching English in second language countries. She has worked with Normi Son, Program Director of TEP of Phils to bring about some important changes in the Montessori Language curriculum. Currently living in South Africa, Janet is working on establishing a Montessori school in one of the more underprivileged areas. She consults on the benefits of the Montessori method, encouraging the use of the Montessori materials, philosophy and methods in these underprivileged areas. Janet is excited to help Montessori second language speaking teachers feel more comfortable using the Montessori language materials and methods.

CHRISTINE MUNN

BIRTH TO THREE COURSE DIRECTOR, INSTRUCTOR, FIELD SUPERVISOR

Christine Munn holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible/Christian Education from Manhattan Christian College. She has over 20 hours of successful coursework in Elementary Education from Kansas State University. Her Montessori education includes a Birth to Three Credential from the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in North Carolina, an American Montessori Society approved center, and a 3-6 credential from Montessori Plus Teacher Preparation, a Montessori Institute of America approved center.  In 1994 she completed her level one RIE training with RIE’s founder, Magda Gerber in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Mrs. Munn has been working in Montessori education for 41 years in the classroom, as an administrator, and teacher education instructor.  She has founded four (4) different Montessori schools and has served as the administrator in two (2) others in four (4) different states. She currently serves as the Head of School for the Christian Montessori in Gainesville, GA.  She has served on the Board of the Montessori Institute of America more than 12 years and has served as President for three (3) terms. It is her passion to assist adult learners to fully embrace the unique needs of children under three (3) years of age and to create beautiful environments in which they can thrive.  She has served as in international teacher instructor for seven (7) years.

SKYE DODSON

BIRTH TO THREE INSTRUCTOR, FIELD SUPERVISOR

Skye Dodson holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Guilford College, and an M.Ed in Education from Ashford University. She is also trained in mediation/ conflict resolution. Skye is Montessori credentialed in Birth to 3 and has completed the RIE 1 training. She has worked with infants and toddlers for 15 years and is the mother of 3 daughters. She currently works with toddlers 18 months to over 3 years. Skye trains birth to 3 Montessori teachers at Center for Montessori Teacher Education in North Carolina.  She also owns a consulting business serving families and schools. She is passionate about Montessori education and enjoys working with both teachers and families. She is a faculty member of MIA training centers in Vietnam, China, and the Philippines.

ANA RIVAS

BIRTH TO THREE LECTURER

Ana Rivas is an education entrepreneur with experience in management and operations, curriculum development, talent acquisition, teacher coaching, and oversight of the overall quality of Montessori programs and family-centered projects. She has been serving as the Montessori Coordinator (2017-present) and has worked as Montessori Directress at LePort Montessori in California, New York, and Virginia from 2008 to 2017. As Montessori Coordinator, she designed and actualized standards for the Infant and Toddler programs, continually develops and executes numerous parent education and staff professional development events and presentations, coaches Head Teachers and supports Heads of School, and supports the process for opening new classrooms by assisting in recruitment, material and furniture purchases, adjusting the Montessori environment design, and marketing for future enrollment. She was a Parent and Child Program Instructor (2012-2016) and a Montessori Specialist (2013- 2016). She held the position of Montessori Coach for National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector in 2017. She has also served Babystep.tv project as Content Director where she produced 1,150 one-minute Montessori-inspired educational videos on parenting tips. Ana received her Diploma in Child Development from Fullerton College in 2006. She received her AMI Diploma in Assistant to Infancy from Montessori Institute of San Diego in 2012 and attended University of Hartford for her  Primary Level Montessori studies.  She is a faculty member of MIA training centers in China, Vietnam and the Philippines.