Adeline Montessori

Bringing knowledge to life

Meet the Faculty

Emily Rodriguez

Head of School

Emily Rodriguez has been involved in Montessori since the age of 2.5. Her grandmother; Adeline, opened one of the first Montessori schools in Wisconsin back in the 1960s, and her father was head of school for over 23 years at a Montessori school. Emily received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UW-Milwaukee, Montessori credentials in Elementary I and II from an American Montessori Society approved training program and Orton-Gillingham training for reading intervention. She is a certified Applied Behavior Analysis, trained in transgender education, responsive trauma, school safety protocols, and by Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Diabetes management as an effort to aid and serve students with Diabetes. She is currently working to complete her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership through UW-Milwaukee. Emily has been an age 6-9 teacher for 5 years and enjoys helping her students unlock their full potential.

Due to Emily’s passion, love of her family, and desire to honor her grandmother’s legacy, she decided it was time to open a school of her own. She believes that high-quality education should be accessible to all children and families regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Though Emily knows there is a long road ahead to bring social justice into education, she is dedicated to her mission and excited to take this first step by opening Adeline Montessori.     

Angela Taylor

Infant / Toddler

Angela Taylor has joyfully worked alongside children for the past 12 years, the last 4 being in a Montessori environment. She received her Associates in Early Childhood Education from Waukesha County Technical College and she has completed her Paraprofessional Montessori training. Angela is enthusiastically continuing her education to earn her Montessori Infant/Toddler certificate.

In addition to serving in the classroom, she is a nanny of 3 wonderful kids and can’t get enough of her dog and two cats. When Angela is not working she enjoys all the outdoors has to offer. She appreciates hunting and foraging, camping, running, kayaking, and visiting with friends. When not outside you can find her baking, getting crafty, or enjoying a good show curled up with her fur babies.

Tina Visvardis

Infant / Toddler

Tina is one of the few Montessori Infant/Toddler Certified guides in the state. While attending WCTC for an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education, Tina became introduced to the Montessori philosophy. She started a part-time job working in an after school program that had toddlers, she fell in love with the age and never looked back. Now with a decade of experience working with this age group, Tina is excited to start a new chapter at Adeline Montessori. Tina has attended multiple professional development workshops, webinars, and conferences across the country to better herself and her students. She is trained in Transgender Education, School Safety Protocols, Responsive Trauma, just to name a few. Tina works hard to provide a beautiful, safe, and loving environment for all her students and families.

When Tina is not with students she enjoys working with animals, animal rescues, and spending time with her dogs, cat, and classroom bunny Maria. She enjoys being by the water in warm climates and soaking up the sun.

Ashley Steurer

Primary

Ashley Steurer is a graduate of Xavier University, where she found the Montessori Method for the first time. When Ashley stumbled upon the Montessori Method, she fell in love with the idea of educating the whole child, not just teaching to read and write but to prepare them to make a difference as adults and to learn to live in peace with all people. While at Xavier, she received her Bachelor of Science in Montessori Education and obtained her American Montessori Society Primary (Preschool/ Kindergarten) certification, as well as her State of Ohio teaching license (P – 3, Reading P – 3). She received her AMS Elementary I (Grades 1-3) and AMS Elementary II (Grades 4-6) Montessori Certification from Mid-America Montessori Teacher Training Institute in Nebraska. Ashley also has her Orton-Gillingham Licensure to aid children with dyslexia in learning to read and is a teacher trainer at the Global Montessori Educators Institute.

Ashley recently relocated to Wisconsin and is excited to join the Adeline Montessori staff and families.

Lauren Gordon

Elementary I

Lauren Gordon joins AMS with a lifetime of education. She has an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts, a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Masters in Writing, an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education, and is currently completing a second Masters in Elementary Montessori Education with the University of Wisconsin River Falls. She brings over ten years of teaching experience, eight years of parenting experience, a mountain of debt, and an uncanny ability to stay positive. She/Her are her preferred pronouns.

Lauren believes in educating the whole child, which means meeting individuals where they are and as who they are. She is an advocate of meaningful, equitable education and human rights and has found Montessori’s philosophy to align very closely with those fundamental beliefs. Dr. Montessori wrote that “establishing lasting peace is the work of education” and it resonated so soundly with Lauren that it became her cosmic calling to educate children using that pedagogy.

Lauren lives with her partner, Joel, and their eight-year-old daughter, Natalie, in Waukesha. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys cooking, music, reading, video games, board games, gardening, and any excuse to have a good laugh.

Kristin Polk

Elementary I

Kristin Polk is a summa cum laude graduate of UW-Milwaukee, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary and Middle-Level Education with a Minor in Language Arts.  She brings 16 years of experience teaching multi-age, third grade, and fourth grade in the fully inclusive and 1:1 technology-device New Berlin Public School District.  She has been a proud parent and community member of a Montessori environment for eight years and has taught as an assistant in a Lower Elementary Montessori classroom for one year.  She has completed her Paraprofessional Montessori Training and is currently enrolled in a teaching program to earn her certification as a Lower Elementary Montessori guide. Kristin believes every child is a unique individual with unique learning abilities and needs.  She fosters a calm, respectful, and safe learning environment by building supportive alliances with students and their families.

While not in the classroom, Kristin enjoys spending quality time with her family.  Her favorite pastimes include taking road trips, reading, singing along to Disney or Broadway musicals, and doing projects around the house. Kristin and her husband are excited to have their two children join the Adeline Montessori learning community! 

Mindi Eineichner

Elementary II

Life is good, every day, for Mindi Eineichner, who is in her fourth year teaching Upper Elementary after realizing her long-time dream of being a Montessori teacher.  Mindi Eineichner was born and grew up in northern Wisconsin. She attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to gain both a B.S. and an M.S in Biomedical Engineering, respectively. Before finding her passion in a Montessori classroom, Mindi worked for 17 years at a medical device company helping educate physicians, nurses, and co-workers on implantable device technology, including pacemakers and defibrillators.

Mindi lives in Waukesha with her wife, daughter, two dogs, and three cats. Mindi’s hobbies are cooking/baking, gardening, walking her dogs, being surrounded by trees, bonfires, puzzles, and traveling.   

Lauren Huyke

Elementary II

Lauren Huyke holds a lifetime teaching license for the state of Wisconsin in grades 1-9 and is currently enrolled in Secondary I & II training through the Global Montessori Educators Institute.  She grew up in Waukesha and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Carroll College in 2004.  Shortly after graduation, Lauren was introduced to the Montessori philosophy and went on to spend the last 15 years working in academic administration and teaching at a Montessori school.  

She is committed to teaching children where they are academically, socially, and emotionally to help them become who they want to be and feels the child-centered approach to Montessori education has the potential to be successful for all learners.  

Outside of the classroom, Lauren loves watching movies and playing video games with her husband and their three children.   She also enjoys spending time with her dog and the family rabbit, Eddie, will join her in Elementary II.

Mike Richter

Specialist

A student of life, with a passion for learning and teaching every single day, Mike Richter has spent 12 joyful years as an educator in a Montessori environment. During the years of his teaching experience, Mike has been a physical education specialist & afterschool coordinator (12 years), director of enrichment (3 years), summer program coordinator (3 years), and art teacher (2 years).  Mike earned an Associate of Arts degree and Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The University of Wisconsin – Whitewater.  Mike also holds a paraprofessional training certificate, is trained in Transgender Education, responsive trauma, and by Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Diabetes management. Mike’s philosophy in the classroom is a three-pronged approach – help the child realize their potential, help the child stay safe, and most importantly – have fun!

Mike is an avid aquarist and maintains many fish tanks at his home.  A jack of all trades, he enjoys woodworking, crafting, painting, making and playing music, jigsaw puzzles, fishing, playing competitive slow-pitch softball, golfing, laughing with friends, and watching every Wisconsin based sports team.  Mike is excited for his next chapter of teaching, and working with the team at Adeline Montessori School.   

%d bloggers like this: