Ms. Tejani

Ms. Tejani has a deep love for children and a passion for Montessori. She holds an AMI Diploma for children aged 3-6 and 6-12 and is completing her Masters in Montessori Leadership from Vancouver Island University. A teacher with 6+ years experience both in the Casa and Elementary in Mumbai, India. Ms. Tejani has fallen in love with the West Coast having lived previously in Nanaimo, BC.

Ms. Jiang

After 3 years working in a daycare as an Early Childhood Educator Ms. Jiang sought a different system that recognized the potential and capability of the child. She was enamoured with the Montessori philosophy and completed her AMI Diploma for 3-6 in July 2024 from the Montessori Training Centre of BC. Ms. Jiang completed her practicum at Mia Montessori Academy and built a connection with the children, and faculty as well as a shared passion and adherence to Dr. Montessori’s pedagogy.

Mrs. Sharma

I was born and raised in England, though Canada has been our home for the last 17 years. Vancouver is the perfect city to live in and I feel fortunate to have been able to raise my 2 children, now both in High School, here.

Throughout their primary and elementary years I volunteered at their school and often in the classroom, helping with general activities, vocabulary and reading skills. I found that I very much enjoyed the delight and sense of accomplishment the children felt as they played, learned and mastered both life and educational skills. Working with children is a privilege and I am really looking forward to experiencing the wonder and joy of learning with all the children of the Primary class at Mia Montessori Academy.

Mrs. Agarwal

“With small beginnings, come great things”

I have always been attracted to children, to see how they learn and adapt. It was not until one of my friends (a Montessori teacher) introduced me to the Montessori program after seeing my passion around children that I researched the program and was overwhelmed with what met the eye. I was in awe with the practices and the way it helped in the development of the child. I went on to do my Diploma in Montessori education from the Indian Montessori Centre in 2010. The next 5 years I worked in different educational settings, before moving to Canada in 2016. In Regina, I had the opportunity to be a substitute teacher at the Regina Montessori School. 

I completed the AMI Primary course from the Montessori Training Centre of BC in July, 2020. I am looking forward to continuing my Montessori journey and contributing to the development of the child.

I started my career as a banker, after completing my MBA from India. But it was the affection I had for the children that attracted me towards the educational field. It has been a life changing experience from the corporate world to the education field. I can’t emphasise enough that it was the best decision I could have taken towards my career as I feel your passion is what drives positive outcomes.

Apart from teaching, I love to paint, knit and read. I am passionate about singing and travelling and experiencing life to the fullest. 

Ms. sung

After 3 years experience as lead teacher at an Early Learning Centre, Ms. Sung yearned for a school that recognized the potential and capability of the child. She sought an authentic Montessori school and obtained her AMI Certification for children aged 3-6. She is excited to be embarking on her Montessori journey at Mia. Ms. Sung is a certified Early Childhood Educator.

Ms. Dmytryshyna

Originally from the Ukraine, Ms. Dmytryshyna relocated to BC 2 years ago. She spent many years working in early childhood education in her home country and over the past year has worked in an Early Learning Centre in the Lower Mainland. Ms. Dmytryshyna yearned for a school and philosophy that recognized the potential and capability of the child. She sought an authentic Montessori school and obtained her AMI Certification for children aged 3-6. She is excited to be embarking on her Montessori journey at Mia.

Ms. D’Souza

"You must find the work that satisfies your spirit" these words by Dr. Montessori inspired me to work with children. I believe education should be a positive and fulfilling process. Through engaging experiences in the environment, do children begin to cultivate independence and the desire for a lifetime of learning. The Montessori Method has helped me hone my appreciation and respect for children. 

Born and raised in Mumbai, I hold a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and worked as a writer for several years before discovering the Montessori Pedagogy. I have worked with 3-6-year-old children as an AMI Primary guide for a year, which led me to pursue an AMI Elementary certificate. I have been working with elementary children for the past 4 years. In my spare time, I like to explore all that's new in science, art, music, and literature. 

Ms. Petrovič

Originally from Slovenia, Ms. Petrovič is AMI-trained to work with children aged 6-12. She has previously worked in Spain and Montreal and is passionate about working in an authentic AMI Montessori environment. She has hoped to live in BC with her husband for many years, and is excited to finally make the move and join Mia Montessori Academy!

Señora Ostos

I was born in Bogotá, Colombia. I am a passionate language teacher who loves seeing students progress during their learning process. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from the University La Gran Colombia. Afterwards,  I went to China for two years to study Comparative Education at the Zhejiang University and graduated with a Master’s degree in 2019. 

Last year, I got certified as an examiner for the Spanish as a Foreign Language Diploma (Spanish initials, DELE) by the Cervantes Institute. I have been teaching Spanish in Denmark, China, and Canada as well as English in Colombia. 

I moved to Vancouver in 2021 and have been taking advantage of the beautiful nature around BC. I love outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. 

Meenu Chaudhary

Welcome to Mia Montessori Academy!

My passion for Montessori started over 30 years ago when I saw the impact it was having on my own daughters - these little girls were coming home each day with an excitement and curiosity for learning such that I hadn’t experienced before. It was always “Why this?”, “What about that?” and “Let me do it!”. I realised quickly the love of learning and independence they were gaining from the school environment was something that wasn’t there before.

I already had a love for education, having received Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Education previously, however their experience motivated me to train as a Montessori teacher - and so I received my AMI Diploma to work with children aged 2.5 to 6 years old.

After teaching for a number of years, and watching the growth and development of my own girls, I decided to obtain my AMI Elementary Diploma, working with children aged 6 - 12 years old.

After 11 years teaching at a Montessori school in Vancouver, I decided to form my own school and so, in 2004, Pacific Rim Montessori Academy was established. Over the past 15 years, I’ve watched proudly the impact that the Montessori philosophy has had on the thousands of children that have been with us - many of whom are now starting their own careers as lawyers, doctors, entrepreneurs…the list goes on! My motivating factor over these past 20 years has been the impact Montessori Made on the children - to set them up for their future.

These days, in addition to my responsibilities as Head of School, I lead our elementary classroom - working with the students and watching them grow and achieve their potential is the driving force behind what I do.

Ratika Fernandes

Welcome to Mia Montessori Academy!

A Montessori student myself, I developed a lifelong love for learning and culture. My journey to Montessori later in life started with an initial career as a Chartered Accountant with a Big Four professional services firm. I provided management consulting services to large, publicly-listed companies in Canada and the United Kingdom, most recently running a leadership development program for CFOs of multinational organisations.

After nearly 15 years in the corporate world, I realized that to make an impact with individuals, we need to start at the beginning, rather than the end, of their journey. This motivated me to shift my focus from the development of executives to the development of children.

I am a certified AMI Administrator which guides my management of the whole school environment. I also hold an AMI Diploma for Montessori in the Home with children aged 0-3 and 3-6. This foundation enables me to support families in implementing Montessori principles in their home environment, ensuring the child is supported and receiving a consistent developmental philosophy.

Having seen both sides of the spectrum, I truly believe a Montessori education is one that best equips children to be the future leaders that our world needs. It instills in them a fascination and appreciation of the world and one another, as well as the drive towards continued learning and improvement. Most importantly, it gives them confidence - in themselves and their abilities - and that quality alone is the catalyst for action.