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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.
New teachers to the
Montessori program as of 2011/2012:
Dallas Inman
Johh-Michael Paine
Amy Silver
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Gagner-Lutz, or Amy Eiden
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