Karen Bennetts
Karen began her involvement with Montessori education as a parent in 1993. She is a qualified primary and secondary teacher, with Montessori Diplomas at 3-6 and 6-12 levels. Karen has taught in both State and Montessori schools and assists with the training of new Montessori teachers through MWEI. She is currently the founding Principal and Head 6-12 teacher at Cockatoo Montessori School in Victoria.
Carol Brands
Carol has spent most of her life as an educator of one sort or another! Determined to be a teacher from the age of three, she trained in WA, graduating as a primary teacher in 1970. She taught in a variety of schools and continued to study gaining her BA in English and History and later her Honours in Film and Television.
In 1978 she left schools to work as a Producer /Director of Educational Radio and TV with the ABC and later moved to Curtin University where she was Head of Film and Television for a number of years. During this time she commenced her Masters in Art and Design but abandoned it in 1998 to return to her first love, teaching children. She worked as a teaching Principal at Treetops Montessori School for ten years during which time she took Treetops from a small primary school to a primary and secondary school with 160 students. She also led the school in it‘s successful application to become only the second Montessori school in Australia to be registered for the International Baccalaureate for Year 11 and 12 students.
In April 2008 Carol began her own business as a writer, education consultant and speaker. She has been active in the Montessori community in Perth for many years and she remains committed to spreading the word about the benefits of Montessori Education.
Trevor Eissler
Trevor Eissler, father of three Montessori students, is a business jet pilot and flight instructor. Over the last fifteen years, he has taught hundreds of pilots, from beginners to professional pilots. He is an author, a juggler, a unicyclist, a Toastmaster, a pianist, a triathlete, and a husband. He wants to be a Montessori student when he grows up. Trevor is the author of Montessori Madness, a book written especially for parents arguing for Montessori from his unique view.
Anna Fiocco
Anna Fiocco is a Homeopath and Educator with a broad range of expertise and many years of experience working with adults and children. Anna has a Bachelor of Education with study in psychology, philosophy, counselling and experience in teacher, parent and Early Childhood education. She has completed post graduate study in Biological Medicine, Biomesotherapy, Nutrition and Advanced Homoeopathy.
Anna has worked as a Stress Management and Lifestyle Adviser for 16 years, providing assistance with loss, relationships, parenting, learning and health issues. She has conducted Relationship and Sexuality courses at UWA and conducts workshops in Stress Management, Homeopathy, and Natural Health.
Her paper on Religious Faith in Australia was published by Murdoch University in 1986 and her illustrated Handbook on Homeopathy has recently been accepted for international publication. Anna runs a successful Homeopathic practice, Family Natural Health, providing a range of services and seminars for adults, teenagers and children.
Meghan Hicks (assisted by Sheryl Manning)
Meghan is a Montessori teacher, trained in 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12 levels. She is also a musician and music teacher for violin, piano and class music. Over the past six years she has been implementing an experimental Montessori music program in Montessori environments.
Meghan will be assisted by Sheryl Manning. Sheryl is an accredited Suzuki Early Childhood Music Educator, and runs an early childhood programme in the Busselton area for children aged 6 and under, in addition to offering Suzuki Piano lessons.
Elaine Lewis
Elaine Lewis is currently undertaking doctoral studies at Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia. She is investigating the impact of education for sustainability at a Montessori school, with a particular focus on outcomes after involvement in the Sustainable Schools Initiative. She has worked as a teacher at the school for ten years and in 2008 was awarded the de Laeter Medal for an outstanding contribution to science teaching.
Ms Lewis is involved in numerous school and community-based education for sustainability projects that have been funded by state and federal government grants, as well as grants awarded by non government organisations.
Ms Lewis has experience as a Sessional Lecturer in Education at Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia. She is presently employed at Murdoch University in educational research and with the Department of Environment and Conservation preparing a climate change education package.
Marie Martin
Dr Marie Martin is a teacher by birth, archetype, training and experience. Marie has taught is a wide variety of settings and currently works with teachers and schools to focus on learning - whether that learning is by students, teachers, families or communities. Marie is a Director of Learning Conversations.
Eva Nislev
During her lengthy teaching career, Eva has worked with many different age groups, from children as young as 2½ to adults in their 70’s in a variety of capacities ranging from Montessori centre director, early childhood consultant, workshop presenter, tutor and lecturer. She has presented at Montessori conferences both in Australia and overseas.
Eva holds a Masters Degree in Education with a concentration in early childhood education, a certificate in special education, Infants/primary teaching credentials and is Montessori certified for ages Infant through Primary 6-9 years. Eva has worked in a wide variety of environments, including state schools, special education schools, tertiary institutions, Montessori early childhood programmes, and various government departments.
Eva currently serves as the Chair of the Montessori Australia Council and also runs her own educational consulting business, Montessori Links.
Penelope Vos (Penny)
Penelope Vos (BSc Dip Ed) is a teacher and author. She is a graduate of Murdoch University and the Montessori World Education Institute, and has twenty years of teaching experience in Science, Art and Languages, as well as general Montessori teaching at Treetops Montessori, in Darlington, WA.
Her most recent books are "Australian LOTE: Achieving Broad and Deep Competence in Languages at School" (2007) and "Talking to the Whole Wide World" (2009), a stand-alone resource to equip primary school generalists to teach a second language to fluency, in a context of global intercultural awareness, without prior training.
The International Montessori Conference, 2010 will see the launch of the long-in-development “Talking to the Whole Wide World” Montessori Materials.
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