My twin brother and I are the youngest of eight, born to parents who delighted in the absorbent minds of children–so much so that they had started a Montessori school in their basement before we were even born!
You see, I’m a Montessori brat.
The school my parents started quickly grew and moved out of our basement. When we were 2½, we joined our older sisters at this Montessori school, attending until lunchtime and still napping at home with Mom. We stayed through the end of third grade and loved that it didn’t feel like school–we thought we were just having fun! This experience has imbued me with a love of learning and a fascination with children ever since.
There was never any question in my mind that when I had children I would give them a Montessori education. In my first few years of motherhood I learned many lessons, including that Montessori schools can be very expensive! Scraping tuition together from the grocery budget and a surprise teaching award given to my husband, we were finally able to send our oldest for a half-day Montessori program when he was 4. He loved it and brought his enthusiasm home to his younger siblings!
By the time we had four small children, I knew we needed a different solution. Enter Mrs. Sloane. She was a certified Montessori directress we met through friends of friends. She worked with homeschooling groups who would pay her $2.50 per child each morning to come to a house and teach. She brought her own materials and asked that parents be involved in the classroom. We were able to have her come to our house regularly and teach not only some of our children, but also some children of friends. It was wonderful!
But when we had to move out of state we were back at square one. I held a “Montessori-ish” program in our home where I tried to emulate the things that Mrs. Sloane did, but I had no training and very little in the way of materials. Also, I didn’t charge anything. This worked out well and I really enjoyed being with the children, but I needed more.
Frustrated and eager, I decided I would just have to take the plunge and become a Montessori teacher myself! I enrolled in a Montessori certification program and somehow got through, while keeping my own children clean and fed, my marriage intact and maintaining my sanity. I was required to complete an internship, so I set up a fully-equipped Primary Classroom in my home and filled a class with students (one of whom was our youngest at the time).
Since then I have taught or tutored in many roles: I have taught a class of 3-year-olds at a private Catholic school where children attended all day; I have tutored a special needs student at a local Montessori school and given him extra lessons in my home; I have run a small mixed-age classroom for homeschoolers. I have also been trained in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, a way of leading children to God using the Montessori principles.
Whether in a school setting or in my own home, I am passionate about helping parents learn how to relate to their children naturally, integrating learning into their play. A little bit of education in how to use Montessori methods helps parents, grandparents, and older siblings make time spent together more meaningful and fun. It can ignite a curiosity in caregivers to understand new ways to approach children and their quickly developing minds.
Now that my children are almost all grown and gone, I am eager to mentor families as they learn to observe, guide, form, and raise their children. I hope to share my wisdom, perspective, and experience with you!
— Sarah Scherrer
Montessori Doula 
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