The Outstanding Guide Award
Formerly our Bretta Weiss Award, the Outstanding Guide Award, elevates the profession, expands what a Montessori teacher looks like, and celebrates the unique and diverse people who advocate for Montessori education in New Mexico.
Now accepting nominations for the 2023/2024 Outstanding Guide Awards.
Meet our 2022 and 2023 recipients:
Monica Chavez: Lifetime Achievement
Escuela del Sol
“Monica has been dedicated to working with children in a Montessori learning environment for many years. She is thoughtful and caring and has a keen understanding of creating dynamic environments. Monica is quite skilled at creating space for support staff to learn how to "be" in the environment, which, in turn, creates space for the children to thrive.”
Emily Schuyler: guiding star
escuela del sol
“She is always willing to go above and beyond for any of her students. She learned sign language for a child in her class so that she was able to communicate and help the child in any way she could. Now that Emily teaches Spanish, the kids just light up when she comes in. Emily truly is one of the best Montessorians.”
Melissa Marquez: Pink Tower Award
Los Ninos Montessori
“Melissa is such an amazing guide for our toddlers. She always ready to support the toddler families, as well as the school. Melissa is an essential part of Los Ninos for students, staff and families.”
Pam Ketner: Model Montessorian
Montessori One
“Pam consistently provides excellent care for the children in her class. She is warm, inviting, and has established a great rapport with her students and their parents. She is also a team player and works collaboratively with the other teachers and staff.”
Rolinda Chavez: Promising Practitioner
Keres Children’s Learning Center
“She constantly refers to her albums to make sure she's giving the lessons the way her trainer presented them to her. She is an excellent observer of children, and uses her continuous observations to inform her work with her students. And she does all this in the Keres language.”
Our 2020 and 2021 Recipients:
Trish Nickerson: Lifetime Achievement
Trish Nickerson is the founder, head of school and executive director of Cottonwood Montessori. Established in 1995, Cottonwood School has been a polestar of Montessori excellence in the southwest. Trish was also the primary organizer and a founding member of the New Mexico Montessori Network, representing her school and serving as its Board President for four years.
The New Mexico Montessori Network and the Montessori community are indebted to and grateful for her tireless dedication to the promotion of Montessori in our state and beyond.
Taylor Black: Promising Practioner
This man is such an observant and loving advocate for children, and an ambassador of our organization, education and all things Montessori. He is thorough and genuine in his dealings and teaching practice, doing everything with fidelity. As a Montessori student (age 2-12) and later a teacher and now a parent of his own Montessori children, Taylor Black is the real deal and brings us all full circle as we truly see the lifelong benefits of a Montessori education play out in our lifetime. Taylor is an effective communicator, a warm and welcoming teacher, colleague and employee, a generous collaborator, and a voice of reason in all practice. If he is any measure of the students we are nurturing then then the future is secure.He is simply a stunning human.
Joslynn Aragon deHerrera: Model Montessorian
Joslynn is a positive force in the Montessori world, She is always engaging in self reflection, as well as striving to support each child through the lens of Montessori Pedagogy. During this rather strange and stressful time, she has been so confident that it is through the comfort and normalcy of being in a physical class with peers that the children she is working with will find their footing in this new normal. But, she was also so positive and creative when called upon to create remote activities for the children in her care. I wish to nominate her for the award of Model Montessorian.
Betty Garza: Triple A— Across All Areas
Betty has been with Montessori One for several years. She knows the daily routine for all the classrooms in the school. She is able to step into any room to help out and knows what to do and what needs to be done. She knows all the children and they all greet her and happy to see her. Steps up to do whatever is needed to be done or support anything and everyone in the school community.
OUR 2019 RECIPIENTS:
trailblazer: Tina Patel at Montessori One
community advocate: Amy appel at cottonwood school
Model Montessorian: Ian Dodge at Montessori of the Rio Grande charter school
OUR 2018 RECIPIENTS:
Budding practioner: Joanna Santangelo at Montessori of the Rio Grande Charter School
Trailblazer: Tanesia Hale-Jones at Escuela del sol
Model Montessorian: Joy Marantz
Lifetime Achievement: Debbie Pyott
Paving the Way for Montessori Education: Escuela del sol
THE MONTESSORI NETWORK OF NEW MEXICO IS LOOKING TO SURPRISE SOME EXTRAORDINARY PRACTITIONERS FOR THE 2021 ACADEMIC YEAR IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES:
Promising Practitioner
Model Montessorian
Body of Work
Inspiring/Awesome Assistant
Trail Blazer
Lifetime Achievement
Budding Montessorian
Leader
Community Advocate
Diversity Advocate