Teacher Spotlight: Monica Pearson, Primary
March 24, 2015

f4d914d9-dc63-4926-baf3-8dd8b43cb39c I grew up in Flossmoor, Illinois.  From being a little girl pretending to be a teacher, playing school in my bedroom, to attending college at Illinois State University, studying Child & Family Relations, I always knew I wanted to work with children in some way.

In 1996, I attended a Montessori information meeting to learn about the Montessori teacher training program in Hinsdale, Illinois.  I remember walking out of that meeting feeling confident that I knew what I wanted to do.  Hearing about Maria Montessori, her passion, her life work, was so inspiring.  At one of Montessori’s many lectures, she said, “establishing peace is the work of education.”  I knew I wanted to be a part of that philosophy, that way of life.  I felt an overwhelming sense of peace in that I had found my calling and felt that I could make a difference by becoming a Montessorian.  This is where my Montessori journey began.

In 1997, I had the fortunate opportunity to do my internship year working under the leadership of Diane Roberto at the Horizon Montessori School in Cleveland, Ohio.  This internship led to a position as the lead directress for the full day program at Horizon.  After teaching there for 2 years, I moved to Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania and began teaching a Primary full day class at the Western Pennsylvania Montessori School under the leadership of Carol Miskell.  I taught there for 2 years until my personal life led me back home to Illinois, to the charming town of Lake Bluff.  As soon as I walked into the Montessori School of Lake Forest and was greeted by so many smiling, friendly faces, I felt at home.  I have been a directress in the Primary 5 room for 13 years now.

When I was in my teacher training, I learned about The Prepared Environment, which has since become a passion of mine. Daily, I put my heart into creating a space that is beautiful, nurturing, and inviting for the children and adults.  It is such a privilege for me to prepare an environment for the children where they can develop independence and build confidence through trust and respect, and I am delighted to witness the sense of wonder, the love of learning, and the respect the children have for themselves, one another and their environment.  I recognize that these precious children are the future and do my best to prepare them to be good citizens.  Having a Peace Flower in my classroom with which children can learn to communicate with words and solve problems peacefully is just one example of my ultimate goal and passion to prepare children for life and give them tools to carry on Maria Montessori’s vision for peace.

— Monica Pearson, February 2015

MSLF Retirement Announcement

January 29, 2025
Dear MSLF Community, After over 20 years of teaching Lower Elementary students at MSLF, Kathryn Jasinski has shared her plans to retire from teaching at the end of the current school year. There is no doubt about the impact Miss Jasinski has had on our school community during her long tenure here. Kathryn has been well known for her dedication to her students, to developing the whole child, and for her passion for Montessori education, always staying true to the core tenets of Montessori philosophy. Her legacy at MSLF will certainly live on in each of the students who have been lucky enough to have been in her class and in the many words of wisdom she has shared with her fellow colleagues, past and present. No doubt each one of her current or former students who receives a note from her in the mail instantly recognizes her perfect cursive writing and the thoughtful note inside. Kathryn’s care of her students extends well beyond their time in her classroom as she has kept in touch with dozens of her former students and has even welcomed some back to work alongside her as assistants. She has been a mentor to many, imparting her years of expertise on all those who have had the privilege of working with her. While we are sad to see her go, we know that she will enjoy her well-earned retirement, and we look forward to celebrating Kathryn’s legacy more this year. MSLF is pleased to announce that Laura Earls will be the new Lower Elementary lead teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Laura has been co-teaching in our Upper Elementary classroom since the beginning of the current school year. Laura Earls joined the MSLF team from Higher Ground Education where she was Regional Program Lead, working to elevate program quality in all Guidepost Montessori schools across the Chicago area. It was during this work that she realized how much she missed working directly with children in the Montessori classroom and decided to return to teaching. Laura received her BA in art history from the University of Dallas and completed graduate work at the University of Notre Dame. Soon after, Laura shifted her career to education and earned her AMI Elementary Montessori Certification (6-12 years old) at the Montessori Institute of Milwaukee. She then taught in an Elementary classroom at Forest Bluff School, and her classroom was profiled in Paula Polk Lillard’s book, Montessori Today. After moving to Wisconsin to raise her three children, Laura received her AMI Primary Montessori Certification (3-6 years old) at the Midwest Montessori Institute. After that, she worked as a Primary Directress and Director of Admissions at a Montessori school in Wisconsin, as Head of School of Forest Bluff School, and as Senior Head of School at Guidepost Montessori. Laura has three grown children who all experienced Montessori education themselves and are thriving in college and beyond. Laura has lived and studied in both Paris and Rome and is an accomplished pianist. Laura is excited to make the transition to the Lower Elementary classroom and looks forward to working closely with current and new Lower Elementary families next year. She also looks forward to meeting families in the Lower Elementary classroom during the Open House on February 5. With Laura transitioning to the Lower Elementary classroom following the current school year, MSLF will be conducting a search for a new co-teacher to work alongside Debbie Lincoln in the Upper Elementary classroom for the 2025-26 school year. We are thankful to Laura for all the support she has offered the Upper Elementary community this year. Please join me in wishing Kathryn a peaceful and fulfilling retirement and in welcoming Laura to the Lower Elementary community. Sincerely, Hope Allegretti Head of School - Executive Director Montessori School of Lake Forest

Montessori Assessments at MSLF

By Teresa Pavelich • January 8, 2025
An overview of how Montessori schools assess student progress and development
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