Authors’ Page

Tim Duax, Ph.D.

Tim Duax, Bergamo 1976, was a Montessori teacher for fourteen years, and he has been the principal of a large urban Montessori school, traditional schools, and director of curriculum for a Midwest school district. He is a past national director of the Montessori Public School Consortium. He has a BS in Physics from Marquette University and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin in curriculum and instruction, focused on urban education. He has written several research articles on the outcomes of Montessori education, and has presented at Montessori conferences in Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Gary Goodwin

Gary holds AMI primary and elementary diplomas and has taught and served as head of school in public and private Montessori settings for more than 25 years. His Montessori training followed volunteer work in the Peace Corps. He received his training in India with A. M. Joosten, after which he served as a course assistant for several years. Gary holds a B.S. in psychology and math in addition to two M.Ed. degrees: one in curriculum and instruction from Cleveland State University and the other in educational administration from St. John Fisher College. Currently he is a consultant for AMI schools in the U.S.

Lynn Gulick

Lynn Gulick has led the Assistants to Infancy Program at Marin Montessori School since 1994, is an AMI 0-3 Consultant and an Assistants to Infancy Instructor at the Montessori Institute of San Diego.  A graduate of Sonoma State University, Lynn received her AMI training in Colorado. She also has significant experience with parent education and post-partum care, both of which inform her practice with children.

Merry Hadden

Merry Hadden holds her AMI Diplomas at the Primary (1977) and the Assistants to Infancy (1981) levels as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology . She has over 20 years experience working with children from birth to 3 and their parents. Additionally, Ms. Hadden is a 0-3 AMI Auxilary Trainer and Examiner.  She is a certified Infant Massage and Child Birth Instructor for Respiratory Autogenic Training. 

Annette Haines, Ed.D.

Dr Annette M. Haines was an internationally recognized Association Montessori Internationale lecturer, examiner, and trainer. She was involved in the field of Montessori education since 1972 and had extensive background in the Children's House classroom. She held both AMI Primary and Elementary diplomas, a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, an M. Ed. from Cleveland State, and an Ed. D. from S.I.U. Edwardsville. Since 1989, she served as Director of Training of the Montessori Training Center in St. Louis.  She was  Associate Director of NAMTA (North American Montessori Teachers Association), chairperson of the AMI Scientific Pedagogy Committee, and a member of the Executive Committee and Board of the AMI. Annette passed away on July 22, 2017  in Troy, Illinois.   

rene jantzi

Rene Jantzi recently retired from her long time work as a Montessori guide in an Infant Community at The Alcuin School in Dallas, Texas. 

Angeline S. Lillard, Ph.D.

Dr. Lillard is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, and has been studying and writing about Montessori education for more than two decades. She holds a B.A. in English literature from Smith College and received her Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University. In 2005 she authored the book Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius is now in 3rd edition (2017), which showed that current scientific research provides astounding support for Maria Montessori’s major insights. Other articles by Dr. Lillard have been published in Science, the Journal of School Psychology, and Psychological Bulletin and Pediatrics.

Janet McDonell

Janet McDonell served as the long time director of primary training at the Washington Montessori Institute. She also holds the AMI elementary and special education diplomas. Her educational background includes a B.A. in comparative literature and an M.Ed. in Montessori education. Janet has served as the chair of the AMI Training Group. She is currently an examiner for AMI and the pedagogical lead consultant for AMI/USA.

Dr. Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro

Dr. Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro received her degree in medicine and surgery, with a specialty in psychiatry, from the University of Rome. In 1955 she joined the staff of the Rome Montessori School for Assistants to Infancy, where she taught mental hygiene, child neuropsychiatry, nutrition, and obstetrics. For over fifty years, Dr. Montanaro led the global AMI Montessori community in its work during the earliest years of life with families and children.   She was responsible for bringing toddler training to five continents through her work as the Director of Training for AMI Assistants to Infancy teacher training programs worldwide. Dr. Montanaro passed away on March 30, 2018 in Rome, Italy.

Renilde Montessori

Renilde Montessori was Maria Montessori’s youngest grandchild. She lived and travelled with her grandmother as a child, attended Montessori schools in Barcelona, Spain and Laren, the Netherlands, and completed her secondary school studies at the Montessori Lyceum in Amsterdam. Renilde worked in various fields of endeavor before joining the Montessori movement as personal assistant to her father Mario Montessori in 1968. She went on to graduate from the Washington Montessori Institute in 1971 and from that time onward was actively involved in the work of the Association Montessori Internationale as lecturer, trainer, and examiner. She served as director of training at the Foundation for Montessori Education in Toronto from 1989 through 1995 when she took on the position of General Secretary of the AMI. She left this function in 2000 and served as President of AMI until 31 August 2004. She originally instigated the Educateurs sans Frontières project. Renilde passed away on September 14, 2012 in Mansilla, Spain.

Sarah Moudry

Sarah Moudry consults with families and speaks nationally with parent and educator audiences on supporting pregnancy, childbirth, early childhood,  and toileting. She enjoys creating beautiful home and school environments for children combining Montessori and design principles. She is the author of several books on early childhood and Montessori education and writes a blog.

Melinda Nielsen

Melinda, who has been teaching in a Montessori environment for over 30 years, is currently teaching a 6-12 elementary class. She is an AMI diploma holder at both the primary and elementary levels, and received her B.S in biology from Texas A&M University. Melinda is active in the Montessori community serving on several AMI/USA committees, as the on-site coordinator for AMI refresher courses, and visiting schools as an AMI consultant. In addition, she served on the AMI/USA board of directors for six years.

Judith A. Orion

Judi Orion is a 0-3 and 3-6 trainer and consultant currently serving as Head of Association Montessori Internationale's Pedagogical Division, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Judi has used her extensive global experience, conducting courses in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Australia, to support AMI's recent expansion of the Trainer of Trainers program. She began her training career as a 3-6 trainer, was a participant in the first AMI 0-3 course in Rome in 1980/81, has been a 0-3 trainer since 1985 and pioneered AMI’s Birth to Six courses. She has worked extensively with parents, implementing Parent/Infant Groups as an early extension of the 0-3 work. 

Heidi PhilipPart

Heidi Philippart has long served as Educational Director at Two Voices, a bilingual (Dutch and English) Montessori program with two campuses in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Heidi is a 0-3 AMI Trainer working globally.

Jennifer Shields

Jennifer Shields is an AMI primary teacher trainer at the Washington Montessori Institute. She has worked for over twenty years in AMI Montessori schools as a teacher, assistant, and administrator. Jennifer is an examiner for AMI and presents at workshops for teachers and assistants. She earned her B.A. in English from Georgetown University and her M.Ed. from Cleveland State University. Jennifer is currently serving on the Association Montessori Internationale Board. Jennifer is currently serving on the Association Montessori Internationale Board.

Noah Sobe, Ph.D.

Professor Sobe (Ph.D. Wisconsin-Madison) is Director of the Center for Comparative Education at Loyola University Chicago. He specializes in the history of education and in comparative and international education. In 2007 he spoke about his research into the Montessori model at the AMI Centenary Celebration in San Francisco.

Wendy Tye

Wendy Tye is a graduate of the Montessori Training Center of Minnesota; she also holds a master’s degree in Montessori education from Loyola College. She has served as the outreach coordinator for the AMI/EAA board. Wendy currently guides an elementary class in California.

Maria Teresa Vidales

Maria Teresa Vidales is an AMI Director of Training at the Assistants to Infancy Level. She has directed courses in Vancouver, Dallas, Texas, China, Mexico and Australia. She also co-directed the Assistants to Infancy in Japan and San Diego, and collaborated with the course in Denver. Maria Teresa serves as AMI examiner, consultant, lecturer, and workshop leader. Maria Teresa also holds the AMI Primary diploma. She has been working with children for over thirty years.