Mrs. Diane Grassmann
Montessori
The 20th century Catholic educational trailblazer, Maria Montessori, coined a famous truism "Within the child lies the fate of the future." Her innovative and insightful method that has revolutionized children's education across the world is based in our Lord's profound command, "Truly, I say to you, unless you convert and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 18:3). Our new lead guide for the 2K classroom has embodied these words her whole life, reaping the benefits of The Montessori Method as a child herself and then as a mother and teacher. As she relates, "My journey in Montessori began when I was 3 years old. My mother learned about this new philosophy and quickly took training and enrolled us children in Chiaravalle Montessori, a very early Montessori school in the Chicago area. I attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help grade school and Regina Dominican High School. On our days off from school, my siblings and I would go to school with my mother, a Montessori teacher for over 40 years, so we were immersed in Montessori theory and practice throughout our childhoods."
Montessori education has shaped her outlook on the best approaches to the formation of young children. "I attended University of Wisconsin-Madison and have a degree in Elementary Education" she explains, "During student teaching in college I became dissatisfied with traditional education and decided to receive training as a Montessori teacher. I attended Montessori Institute of Milwaukee and am an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) certified Montessori teacher." While the majority of her professional experience (aside from a long stent homeschooling her four children) has been in public Montessori schools, she is thrilled to be back in a Catholic school. She has extensive training and experience in a Montessori expression of Catholic catechesis called Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. She says, "Our children attended Catechesis of the Good Shepherd during their childhoods and I worked as a catechist assistant in Levels I, II and III for 17 years." All students at SJL Academy will have CGS.
Mrs. Grassman is especially excited to be in a Catholic school where she can authentically live her faith. She explains, "My favorite bible verse is from Paul. It describes my goal in education and what I try to create in my classroom and within each student every day.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8)."
She is enthusiastic to work with our youngest age group to create a dynamic program that will form a strong foundation for these children's first experiences in the classroom setting.
