Montessori Coach's Welcome
Hello Current and Prospective Parkside Montessori Families,
My name is Julie Mamis and I have been Parkside's Montessori Coach since 2020. I grew up in the UK but have also lived on the US east coast and in Malaysia. In 1989, I received my California teaching credential and began my teaching career. I discovered Montessori in 1994 while looking for appropriate preschools for my children. From there I worked in Primary Montessori classrooms as both an assistant and a lead teacher, and then began formal Montessori training. Eventually, I moved to North Shoreview Montessori within the San Mateo Foster City School District (SMFCSD), and I served as a Lower and Upper Elementary guide and implemented their adolescent program. During my upper elementary training, I discovered a love for mathematics and took this love with me to the adolescent program. Then I worked as a SMFCSD math coach for 4 years, but I missed the Montessori program and working closely with children, so I am grateful to have the opportunity to be at Parkside.
The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector stated that after a high-quality classroom teacher, the Montessori Coach is the most important role on campus when it comes to the outcomes for all students. My role as a Montessori Coach is multifaceted and involves interacting with all levels of staff across the Parkside campus.
My work with teachers and staff includes the following:
● Collaborating with staff to support them in learning about and implementing the Montessori model
● Providing weekly observations and coaching to all teachers
● Helping plan professional development and other support so that our teams
○ Implement standards-based instruction
○ Develop three-year plans across curriculum areas
○ Emphasize classroom practices that support all students in achieving the highest educational standards within the Montessori model
With this role, veteran Montessori trained teachers benefit from having a colleague with whom they can dig deeper into the nuances of Montessori implementation especially as they seek to continuously improve their practices. Montessori teachers that are in training benefit from having a mentor that can help them implement the Montessori model while they are completing their 2-year Montessori accredited training program.
My work with the school administration includes the following:
● Planning for growth of the program such as ensuring a successful launch of our 7th/8th grade Adolescent Program
● Supporting consistent implementation of our program across all planes of development with special attention paid to the differences expected within Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary and Adolescent classrooms
● Ensuring that core Montessori practices are applied consistently throughout our school as well as examining more traditional school approaches to determine if they work within our Montessori model
When I am not at Parkside, I enjoy hiking or camping in a spot in nature with a book in my backpack. I also enjoy spending time with my grown children, volunteering with a High School Girl Scout Troop, and working with the Ragazzi Boys Chorus.
I looked forward to getting to know all prospective and current Parkside Montessori Families!
Julie Mamis
