Greetings from North Carolina

Hi!  My name is Michelle Irinyi and I’m distance learning mentor and social media content provider for the North American Montessori Center (NAMC) in Vancouver, BC.  Having grown up in Spokane, Washington, I now call central North Carolina my home – at least until I am able to relocate my family  back to the west coast. 

I hold K-12 teaching certificates in several states and as well as Montessori teaching certificates for ages 3-12.  In addition, I also hold a master’s degree in educational administration with an emphasis in curriculum design and instruction.  

Over the course of my career, I have taught every grade between pre-k through 12^th grade, both in the public and private sectors!  I now work with Montessori teacher candidates around the world, touching the lives of countless unseen children and their families.  While I miss my own classroom, I know I am able to touch the lives of more children in my current capacity as teacher trainer.  I am also currently an educational consultant for the Mojave Unified School District in California.  

I enrolled in this class because I have the exciting task of helping move NAMC’s hybrid distance learning course into a more online and interactive platform.  Currently, 90% of the teacher trainer’s interaction with students is via email.  Students complete an extensive written assignment using the NAMC manuals and submit them to their mentor.  I am looking forward to helping bring more interaction and dialog between Montessori mentors, teacher candidates and alumni while also showing the Montessori community that there is room for technology in this hands-on, sensorial, and liberating approach to education.