Teachers
“The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination” .- Maria Montessori
Our staff reflects professionalism at all levels. Everyone most hold undergraduate or advanced degrees in education, or Montessori specialization. All are life-long learners. Our students also benefit from parent and community collaborators and specialty teachers in the areas of Art, Spanish, and Movement.
Our Toddler and Primary Classes have a student teacher ratio 8:1.
Our Lower and Middle Elementary classes (6-7, 8-9 year olds) have a student teacher ratio varying from 9:1 to 8:1.
Our Upper Elementary (10-12 year old class) has a student teacher ratio varying from 10:1 to 8:1.
Our Lead Teachers:
Daisy Guranich
Daisy is a Montessori trained and certified Directress with fifteen years experience at Montessori facilities. She received her training and certification with Joan Ellard in White Rock, N.M. Daisy also has over ten years experience supervising Camps, including being the Director of the YMCA Summer Camp in Los Alamos, N.M. Daisy is currently training and mentoring junior staff at DMS in the use of Montessori Materials.
Autumn Wise
Autumn is our lead teacher in our 2-4 year old class. Autumn, originally from Baltimore, Maryland, has been a resident of Santa Fe since 2005, and a dedicated teacher at DMS since 2006. Her love for Montessori began when she chose a Montessori pre-school for her own child. Inspired by the Montessori approach, and the way her daughter flourished, Autumn decided to pursue Montessori teacher training.
Autumn acquired her Primary (Ages 3-6) Montessori certification through North American Montessori Center in 2007, and taught in our Pre-K/ Kindergarten classroom for five years. During that time, Autumn completed trainings in MACAR (Montessori Applied to Children at Risk for Learning Differences) and SEE (Sequential English Education). She served on the DMS Board of Directors for two years, the second of which, as Teacher Representative. Autumn’s daughter, Ella has attended DMS since first grade and is currently a fifth grader.
Autumn is now teaching our youngest community of children. She considers herself an assistant to the children, following each child’s development. Children are free to explore according to their needs and interests with Autumn providing a stimulating, yet peaceful and structured environment. This dynamic allows children to learn through their experiences and develop independence and confidence.
Carmen Rodriquez
Carmen is excited to join Desert Montessori School as the new lead Kindergarten teacher in the 4-6 year old classroom. She received her training and certification in Montessori Early Childhood Education under the direction of Verva Zoe Klingman Judge in Amarillo, TX. Carmen has extensive Montessori experience. Her experiences includes teaching at Children’s Montessori House in Canyon, TX., substituting at various Montessori Schools in Amarillo, and working with special needs children using the Montessori method. Aside from working in the Montessori environment, Carmen has also substituted for Canyon Independent School District and was the lead teacher in the 2-4 year old classroom at the New Children’s Center in Canyon.
Carmen has served on the board for Children’s Miracle Network in Amarillo, and continues to be an advocate for this wonderful organization. She is also a vocalist and has been blessed to sing and tour with an award winning Country artist. Carmen, along with her husband David Lee, had a leading role in the outdoor musical drama “Texas”. They have one beautiful child who, this year, will be attending Desert Montessori School for his first time. We are excited to welcome Carmen to our Desert Montessori family.
Lisa Grogan
Lisa Grogan is thrilled to join the dedicated teaching staff at Desert Montessori School! She recently earned her New Mexico level-three instructional elementary license, has been working as a substitute teacher with the Santa Fe Public Schools, and as a volunteer at The Gentle Nudge Preschool.
Before moving to Santa Fe, Ms.Grogan enjoyed eight years as a lead teacher in first and third grade at John Muir Elementary School in Antioch, CA. As an enthusiastic and energetic teacher, she designed creative hands-on lessons while developing a nurturing learning environment for all children.
In 1997 Ms.Grogan earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA where, in 1994, she received a BA in geography and environmental studies. She also received her California professional clear multiple subject teaching credential, and CLAD (cross cultural language and development) certificate.
As a student, Ms. Grogan spent a semester at the University of Hawaii studying geology and geography (at times getting extremely close to the active Kilauea Volcano). In addition, she completed an internship at The Conservancy in Naples, FL where she worked in environmental land management, conservation and education, and sea turtle protection. In her free time, Ms. Grogan enjoys ballet, singing, traveling, and spending valuable time with her two little girls, Lily and Gigi.
Susan Murray
Susan holds a Level Two Professional Licensure in New Mexico for K-8th grades and a Texas teaching certificate for 1st-6th grades with a Special Education endorsement in Language and Learning Disabilities. She has taught for 21 years total in Texas and New Mexico. Most of her work has been with the first and second grades, although she taught for 5 years in Special Education and one summer at Dineh Community College on the Navajo Reservation.
Susan was trained in California Literacy in 2002. She had her own school for 3 years in the El Dorado area, teaching children whose parents had applied to home-school them. Her students made two year gains in reading their first year with her. She has taught creative writing workshops in the summer and taught the Carden Reading Method in Texas.
Susan believes in using theme units in science and social studies to enrich other curriculum areas such as reading and art. She provides a loving and safe atmosphere in which children can begin to explore ideas and ways of being. She has a strong academic classroom with an emphasis on respect for oneself and respect for others.
Valera Sovcik
Valera Sovcik has thirty-one years of teaching experience and holds a New Mexico Level Two Professional K-8 Elementary Teaching License. In addition to teaching Kindergarten through Sixth Grade, Valera has also been a reading and writing tutor, an educational consultant, a mentor teacher for Santa Fe Public Schools, and a Performing Arts teacher.
Valera’s dedication to her students’ well-being and academic excellence has been publicly recognized with several awards and accommodations. She was nominated for the Golden Apple Foundation of New Mexico Award and has received the Great Teacher Award from Century Bank, the Muchas Gracias Award from the City of Santa Fe, Teacher of the Month Award from KNYN Radio, the Teacher Who Inspires Award from Partners in Education, and in 2004 Acequia Madre Elementary School named their theater “The Sovcik Theater” in honor of Valera’s dedication to the performing arts.
Valera is a dedicated and resourceful educator who establishes a learning atmosphere that is nurturing, calm, and inviting, as well as an educational environment that emphasizes a strong academic curriculum where the students are engaged and active participants. Valera also values the importance of the arts in a child’s education.
Julianne Wagner
Julianne Wagner has taught for thirty-one years and continues to do so with the enthusiasm of a new teacher. She began teaching in inner-city Los Angeles and moved to a math and science magnet school. Mary Laycock mentored her in teaching mathematics.
Julianne taught mathematics, computer science, social studies, science, and language arts for 17 years in the International Baccalaureate Program at Washington International School, in Washington, DC.
After moving to Santa Fe, Julianne missed teaching and was delighted to join DMS four years ago. Julianne continues to teach upper elementary students as they are her favorite age group.
In addition to teaching children, Julianne teaches adults through school district programs for in-service teachers, at George Mason University preparing aspiring teachers to receive their teaching credentials, and for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program. Julianne has also given presentations at professional conferences including the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), and the National Council Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). She has been a mentor teacher and a student teacher supervisor.
Julianne is a Fulbright Memorial Fund-Japan Scholarship Awardee. She also has received a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching, and the Outstanding Mathematics Classroom Teacher Award from the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Julianne holds a K-12 Clear Teaching Credential from the State of California and a State of New Mexico K-8 Level Three-A Professional Teaching License.
Based on her many years of classroom experience, Julianne believes that all students can meet and exceed their own expectations in a supportive environment.
Our Assistant Teachers:
Derek Rugsaken
Derek is currently teaching with Daisy Guranich in our 3-5 year old class. Derek brings over 5 years teaching experience, ranging from preschool to college-age students. He worked for three years in Camphill Communities (Rudolf Steiner-based therapeutic communities) as a full-time volunteer, teaching art, music and life skills to young adults with special needs. He has also taught abroad both in Japan and Thailand as an English teacher. Derek received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Earlham College, with a focus on counseling. He has also committed to continuing education, including a year-long study in early-childhood development and therapeutic approaches. His approach to teaching incorporates his therapeutic training, addressing not only the intellectual but the emotional lives of the children, creating the trusting bond between teacher and student in which learning can unfold. Derek joined Desert Montessori School in 2010.
Megan Shaffer
Megan Shaffer has been with Desert for five years. In that time she has worked at all levels of Preschool. Most recently she has been working as a co-teacher in our Kindergarten (PS3). Her years here have brought a commitment to Montessori education. Megan completed her North American Montessori Center training in 2006. She also attended Sequential English Education training and Montessori Applied to Children at Risk for Learning Differences training to bring a higher level of skills to her ability to teach reading and writing. Megan sees the value in all children. Her early experience working with a child with Cerebral Palsy, brought about her understanding that children need compassion and structure, love and boundaries, and mostly to be challenged beyond what they think they can do.
Michael McCalla
Michael is currently teaching with Lisa Grogan in our 8-9 year old class. Michael joined Desert Montessori in 2010.
Page Meneely
Page is currently teaching with Autumn Wise in our 2-3 year old class. Page joined Desert Montessori in 2011.
Our Specialty Teachers:
Colleen McCalla
Colleen has taught at Dessert Montessori for four years. She has enjoyed watching her students grow over the years and feels lucky to have them for more than one year as a specialty teacher. She has a level one New Mexico teaching license and 8 years of teaching experience.
Mrs. McCalla has a degree from Whitman College in Fine Art and completed the Santa Fe community college teachers academy. In Chicago she completed the Urban Life Center’s “City Arts” program with internships and Lil Street Gallery and Little Black Pearl Workshop. She studied drawing and painting in Florence Italy as part of the SACI study-abroad program. She was an Americorp volunteer in Las Cruces, NM and lead arts integration projects at Even Start (bi-lingual pre-school), Dona Ana Elementary School, Hatch Elementary and High schools, and Pioneer Alternative High School. During her time in Las Cruces she also created large murals for the Dona Ana Volunteer Fire Department and the Club Fusion Teen Center. Mrs. McCalla was promoted to Lead Artist of the “Aqui se Puede” arts-based violence prevention program for high school students on long-term suspension.
Mrs. McCalla enjoyed learning Spanish as a child from her mom who grew up in Peru. In addition to college course work in Spanish, she worked with the cross-border “Amigos de Las Mujeres de Juarez”, attending a human rights conference in Chihuahua, Mexico. She continued her education attending a intensive Spanish language program “El Proyecto Linguistico Quetzalteco” in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Mrs. McCalla lived and worked at “Pimpollo Ciudad de Los Ninos” in Juchitan, Mexico. She volunteered at the Mexican orphanage as a mentor and art teacher. She fell in love with the kids of Pimpollo and Mexico and almost became an ex-patriot. Her Spanish classes emphasize useful vocabulary and conversational Spanish.
316 Camino Delora
Santa Fe, NM 87501