 Anne
Desaulniers 6
- 9 years, Class 1
Anne Desaulniers has worked in the Boise School District since
1989 teaching first, second, third, fourth and fifth grades,
including three combination classes. In addition, she served
a three-year assignment as a technology integration specialist
for the Boise School District. She earned a BA in Elementary
Education in 1988 and an MS in Educational Technology in 2003,
both from Boise State University. Prior to working in the Boise
School District, Anne ran a childcare business for preschoolers
and school-age children. During this time, Anne learned of
Maria Montessori’s educational philosophy in a professional
development class. Anne embraced this philosophy immediately,
and began implementing Montessori’s ideas about child
development and education into her program. Anne found it fascinating
to observe children for clues to their learning patterns and
to use this information to guide student learning. After years
of teaching in traditional classroom settings, Anne began formal
study of Montessori. In September 2008, she earned certification
from the North American Montessori Center for lower elementary
students (ages 6-9). Anne volunteered in local private Montessori
classrooms where her grandchildren attended. The time spent
in these classrooms and the very positive experiences of her
grandchildren in the Montessori setting have strengthened her
belief in Montessori. Anne is excited to work with the Montessori
team at Liberty School to make Montessori accessible to public
school children.
Peggy Watson - Assistant to Class 1
Teaching assistant Peggy Watson, (Ms. Peggy), earned her
Bachelor’s Degree from the State University College
at Cortland, New York and her primary Montessori teaching
certification from Meca-Seton Hinsdale, IL in 1983. She has
been teaching Montessori ever since. Ms. Peggy taught Montessori
programs in Massachusetts, Illinois, and most recently at
the Park Center Montessori School here in Boise. Ms. Peggy
has three grown daughters who are all Montessori graduates!
She is committed to Montessori methodology and thrilled to
be part of our program.
Tenley Gagner-Lutz 6-9 years Class 2
Lead teacher Tenley Gagner-Lutz first discovered the Montessori
Philosophy in high school through a school to work program.
She spent a semester in a private Montessori preschool/kindergarten
program. Once she experienced a Montessori classroom she knew
she had found her life's work! She then moved to Boise to attend
Boise State University where she earned her degree in Elementary
Education. She maintained her interest in the Montessori Philosophy
during her college years and volunteered and observed in many
Montessori programs in the valley. One of her student teaching
experiences was at Rose Hill Montessori in the Lower Elementary
classroom. After graduation, Tenley went to Omaha, Nebraska
to train in the lower elementary curriculum at the Mid-America
Montessori Training Center. She spent her internship year in
Idaho Falls teaching at the Snake River Montessori School in
the Lower Elementary classroom. After receiving her American
Montessori Society (AMS) Teaching Certification she moved back
to Boise, Idaho where she was hired to be the lead teacher
of the new lower elementary Montessori classroom at the Eagle
Montessori Center. Tenley has spent the last six years developing
the Lower Elementary program and being a mentor teacher to
two interns. She is pleased to see the Montessori philosophy
become a part of public education system and is eager to contribute
to building another strong Montessori program.
Gwen Smith - Class 2 assistant
Gwen Smith
received a Bachelor’s
Degree in Education from Augustana College in Sioux Falls,
South Dakota. After teaching for a number of years she returned
to school for two years of graduate study in Montessori and
special education. She is certified by the American Montessori
Society and has 30 years of Montessori classroom experience
working with children from two to nine years of age. She helped
start a Montessori elementary program in the Millard Public
Schools outside Omaha, Nebraska in the early 1980s. Her husband
is also a Montessori director and a visual therapist. They
have two grown sons who participated in Montessori programs
as preschoolers. Ms Gwen considers herself a lifelong learner
and is excited to be part of the Montessori program at Liberty.
Amy Eiden - Lead Upper Elementary
Amy catered and worked in restaurants, holding a variety of
positions, for about 13 years before she found teaching.
She experienced the rewards of teaching as an “Art
Aunt” volunteer for her niece’s class. After
much research, she chose Montessori because she felt that
it allowed for all learning styles, personality types, and
skill levels. "I appreciate the brain research that
is honored in the Montessori Philosophy. It truly is a "Scientific
Pedagogy". The most important part of my job is to observe
and get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each of my
students” –Amy. After choosing Montessori, she
decided to move to Portland for a year to get her Primary
certification as well as the majority of her M.Ed. from Loyola
of Maryland in conjunction with MINW.
Amy was, alternately, an assistant Montessori teacher at Parkcenter
Montessori (in 2000-01 and 2002-03), and a Special Ed Substitute
for Boise School District (2001-02 and 2003-04). She was the
lead Primary teacher at Rose Hill Montessori (2005-2008). She
then decided to take on a new challenge, Elementary! She spent
the summer of 2008 in Boulder CO, at MECR for her Lower Elementary
training, and then interned at Liberty Elementary with Ms.
Tenley (2008-09). She spent the summer of 2009 in New Rochelle
NY training at CMTE/NY for Upper Elementary Montessori.
Teaching experience:
- Assistant Montessori teacher 2 years at Parkcenter Montessori
- Substitute for Boise School District: 2 years (mostly
K-12 Special Education/Life Skills)
- Montessori lead Primary teacher at Rose Hill Montessori,
2 years
- Interned with Ms. Tenley at Liberty Lower Elementary,
1 yr.
Education: B.A. History from BSU in 2003
- M.Ed (Montessori Early Childhood Education) from Loyola
of Maryland in 2006
- 3-6 Primary certification (AMI) from Montessori Institute
Northwest in Portland (MINW)
- 6-9 Montessori training from Montessori Education Center
of the Rockies (AMS) in 2008 (MECR)
- 9-12 Montessori training from Center for Montessori Teacher
Education(AMS) 2009+ (CMTE/NY)
Hobbies: Swimming, rafting, reading, joking around with friends
and family.
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