MMS faculty

 Mrs. Muller holds a BA in Education, is Montessori trained through MEIPN as a 3-6 teacher and holds Montessori certification for both the lower and upper classroom levels. She  recently completed a MA degree in Mathematics (K-6) and has 20 years experience teaching in public and private Montessori schools.

Besides her passion for teaching and inspiring students, Mrs. Muller loves to be outside  with her family boating, hiking, camping and digging for dinosaur fossils! 

 Mrs. Hansen has spent the last 15 years teaching in a Montessori classroom. She received her AMS certification for the early childhood level in 2004 and has predominantly worked as a Lead Teacher. 

She lives in Lake Stevens and loves being a mom and spending time with family and friends. In her free time she enjoys sewing, quilting, knitting, playing the flute, or exploring the next art project on Pinterest with her young daughter.

Mrs. Hansen is excited to be a part of MMS, and to be a guide for the children in lower elementary on their path to becoming considerate, independent learners.  

 Mrs. Gleaves has been associated with Monroe Montessori since September of 1984, when her oldest son started pre-school.  She has actually been ‘teaching’ since about age 9, when she taught her two youngest sisters to read.  She has a strong affinity for language; words, rhymes, whimsical thoughts, as exemplified by the likes of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein.

She enjoys sharing the ‘magic’ of science while encouraging excitement and curiosity. She likes to plant the seeds of questioning, hypothesizing and “what do you think?” brainstorming, as well as demonstrating ways one can “find out”.  She strongly believes that young children can rise to high expectations and respond well to consistency and natural consequences.

Mrs. Gleaves spends untold hours of free time attempting to improve at the art of dressage. She continues to marvel at the parallels between the teachings of the classical dressage masters regarding the training of the horse, and Maria Montessori’s teachings regarding her methods of educating young humans. 

Ms . Lehan received her BA in Elementary Education from the University of Washington.

She has been passionate about the Montessori method since attending a Montessori school as a child, and has almost 30 years experience both teaching and mentoring fellow educators.

Her favorite classroom subjects are practical life, science, and teaching the monthly curriculum units.  

Ms. Lehan got involved in volunteer work at Monroe Montessori when her daughter was a student here, and was thrilled to join the teaching staff as a preshool lead teacher.  She has been a part of the Monroe community for over 20 years, and enjoys gardening, crafts, traveling, spending time with her family, and watching football. 

 Mrs. Moody has been part of the Montessori community since 1992. She graduated from Central Washington University in 1996 with an undergraduate degree in Psychology, Family Studies and Child Development. She received her Montessori Certification from Seattle University in 1997. Mrs. Moody's favorite thing to do as a teacher is teaching children how to read! The look in their eyes the first time they read a word is priceless. They are so proud and feel so accomplished. She loves the individualized learning that the Montessori method offers. It helps each child reach their potential through hands on exploration of materials. She also embraces different learning styles to help each child become a successful learner. Children's curiosity should always be encouraged and welcomed. Her son flourished through Montessori Elementary at our school and he took many of those life skills with him on to higher education.
In her spare time, Mrs. Moody enjoys gardening, camping, and spending time in her family cherry orchard in Wenatchee. She loves making homemade jams and pies, and carries this over into her classroom, providing many cooking opportunities for the children. Everything from homemade tortillas, homemade applesauce to holiday Yule logs, children love to be in the kitchen and so does Mrs. Moody.  

Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, Mrs. Parsons acquired a love and appreciation of nature. She attended the University of Washington where she earned a BS degree in biology. 

She recently completed her MEIPN Montessori teacher certification and is excited to be the lead teacher in our 4 day half day preschool program. ​Mrs. Parsons strives to create a peaceful classroom setting where all students feel accepted and successful.

​In her free time, she enjoys working in the garden, practicing yoga and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Thompson joined the MMS Staff in 2017 after obtaining her Montessori certification. She is currently in her third year as a lead teacher in the transitional preschool room.

Mrs. Thompson previously worked as a nanny for 4 years. She thoroughly enjoys watching children learn and grow through play, and is eager to help her students become confident, curious and kind lifelong learners.

In her free time, Mrs. Thompson loves to bake and try new recipes, spending time with her family and friends, and exploring new places around the world.

Mrs. Beltz hold a Bachelor's degree in Human Development from California State University San Marcos along with a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Pacific Oaks College. She has been in the field of Early Childhood for 13 years as a teacher, consultant, education coordinator, and administrator. Mrs. Beltz loves working in the field of education and is proud to be an advocate for children, teachers, and families.  Mrs. Beltz joined the MMS staff in 2020 and has two children who attend MMS. 

 Mrs. S received her BA in Elementary Education through Western Washington University and holds her MA in Curriculum and Instruction through WGU. She is currently completing her Montessori Certification through NAMC for ages 6-9 (Lower Elementary). Mrs. S has worked in many positions with all grades ranging from preschool to 12th grade while in a public school setting; this providing her with the necessary tools to teach children. In addition to her love of teaching, she enjoys many outdoor activities such as swimming, boating, and camping with her family.  

Ms. Mead is thrilled to join MMS and to have the opportunity to learn about the Montessori Method of teaching children. She is currently pursuing her Education degree at EvCC, and is hoping to transfer to Western Washington University. 

Ms. Mead has volunteered at ECEAP, and coached volleyball for 3rd and 4th graders. She feels that teaching children is such a wonderful and rewarding career that she can not imagine herself doing anything else. 

In her free time, she enjoys hiking, skiing, spending time with family, and relaxing.

 Mrs. Jennifer has worked with children most of her life; working at an in-home childcare setting for many years as well as raising her own two children at home for 9 years. She loves being a part of a young child's life while watching them grow and discover the world around them. Mrs. Jennifer currently works with our 18 month-2 year olds, where she offers the warmth and nurturing needed during this critical stage in development. When Mrs. Jennifer is not at school, she enjoys spending time with her family, camping, taking road trips, and being by the water. She also spends a lot of time watching her kids play sports!

Mrs. Watkins started teaching at Monroe Montessori School in September of 2015. Prior to her employment at MMS, she worked for 11 years in healthcare administration. She previously assisted at a parent led preschool co-op and valued the experience of helping children learn and discover.

​

Mrs. Watkins loves being part of the MMS teaching staff and helping children to reach their true potential through the Montessori Method. She is also passionate about her family, music, multimedia, crafting and jewelry making. 

 Mrs. Navarro was born in Ecuador, then moved to Mexico when she was 18 years old and lived there for 20 years. While in Mexico, she studied to be an engineer in production processes and worked in the oil industry for many years. Mrs. Navarro moved to Washington 4 years ago and began to work with young children. She has a husband and a 17 year old daughter, and in her free time she enjoys skiing and watching movies with her family. 

 Mrs. Dean’s interest in learning about the development of the child stated with the birth of her own two boys 41 years ago. When she decided to send my children to Monroe Montessori School it was the beginning of her love and appreciation for the Montessori Method; a lifelong journey of learning and growing.

After assisting in the Montessori preschool classroom for a number of years, Mrs. Dean decided to get her Montessori certification to become a lead Montessori teacher. She became a lead preschool Montessori teacher in 1996 and has been actively teaching at MMS ever since then.  

Mrs. Dean believes in the protection of things considered worth caring for-stewardship. She feels a deep sense of responsibility to be a steward to the children enrolled in our school. She holds this stewardship not as a responsibility, but an honor.

In her free time, Mrs. Dean dreams of one day writing a children’s book involving scarlet runner beans and the botany that goes with them, teepees and children dreaming of what they would like to be then they grow up. I wonder if this idea will ever become a reality.