Julie Buckholt, Montessori Coach

I am a retired Milwaukee Public School teacher, I taught for almost 34 years;  13 of those years I taught science in a traditional middle school ( 6-8, science).  I left the traditional setting, trained to be a Montessori teacher and started teaching in a Montessori school. I taught mainly Adolescent students.  

This year, I am working with new Montessori teachers in the Upper Elementary and Adolescent level. I enjoy assisting and mentoring new teachers. I work closely with each teacher that I mentor, assessing their strength’s and giving advice to encourage and strengthen their area of need. I help with classroom management, goal setting, preparing for lessons and record keeping.  I am also doing observations and with those observations we set goals for the classroom. My main goal is to help support the teacher and create a relationship of trust and to pass on my love for teaching.

Katie Grabowski, Montessori Coach

Katie has a combined 12 years of experience working in both adolescent and primary Montessori environments. Since leaving the classroom to have her own children she has remained active in the Montessori community working formally and informally with new teachers in a variety of ways. She enjoys helping teachers prepare their classroom environment, support positive behaviors, establish classroom procedures, and work habits, develop systems for planning and recording lessons, and build relationships between the teacher and classroom assistant as well as staff in the wider school setting. Through observation, facilitated discussion, and open brainstorming Katie works with teachers to prepare for daily activities in the classroom, report cards, parent teacher conferences, and IEP meetings, as well as address questions and concerns that arise in the first years of teaching.

Jane Peppey, Montessori Coach

Ms. Peppey is a Montessori coach with experience teaching and mentoring in both private and public Montessori schools. I work with teachers in lower and upper elementary classrooms. I have taken Mentor Training through the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS). I work closely with new teachers to set up and maintain an authentic Montessori environment, develop curriculum plans, and implement classroom management techniques. While working directly with teachers, I observe lessons and the overall classroom to provide meaningful feedback to the teacher and develop appropriate and attainable goals with the lead teacher. Over the course of the year, I work to create a trusting relationship with the teacher to provide meaningful support during the teacher’s formative years in the classroom!

Clare Boyle, Montessori Coach

Ms. Boyle obtained her AMI elementary certification in 1998. Her master’s degree was completed the following year in elementary Montessori education.  For 20 years, she taught lower elementary students five of the years and upper elementary the remainder of the time. During those 20 years, many involved AMI observers and student teachers. NCMPS mentor training occurred in the fall of 2022 with district student teacher mentor training occurring prior to 1998.

Phil Dosmann, Montessori Coach Coordinator

Mr. Dosmann is the WMA Board Treasurer and coordinates the WMA coaching program. This program was conceived when he took the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) coaching course. Realizing that many new Montessori teachers receive very little support from an experienced Montessori trained coach after training he first launched the program at Lloyd Barbee Montessori School in MPS. Over the last few years, he has worked with many retired or former Montessori teachers to refine and perfect the WMA coaching program. As the program has evolved there are currently eight coaches working with Montessori teachers in Milwaukee Public Schools who all take the NCMPS coaches training. WMA is poised to support other Montessori schools in the state with our experienced coaches either on site or virtually. Please contact Mr. Dosmann at phildosmann@wisconsinmontessori.org if interested in contracting with the WMA coaching program.

Chris Wilkinson, Montessori Coach

As elementary Montessori mentor, I have worked with new Montessori teachers in their first year of running a classroom. In this capacity I have observed, discussed, and helped problem solve with these new teachers. We have focused on: preparing of their environment, establishing classroom procedures and work habits, planning sequentially for a wide variety of lessons to meet the needs of their students, and sharing of record keeping models. I observe teachers and we meet regularly during the course of the year, addressing questions and concerns as they develop. I have also helped most of these teachers in their process to meet their requirements for DPI certification

Daiana Kern, Montessori Coach

It is a pleasure to support teachers in their first year in Montessori or teachers seeking some additional help and that would like a coach or mentor at some point in their teaching journey. I am Daiana Kern, an elementary level coach for WMA. I hold a Master’s Degree in Education and my AMI Elementary Montessori Certification for lower elementary 1st-3rd and upper elementary 4th-6th.  I started my Montessori journey more than 13 years ago when I was looking for a school for my daughter who at the time was 3 and fell in love with the philosophy and rich environment. In addition to my work with WMA, I’m also a Montessori instructor and field supervisor at Global Montessori Educators Institute. I’m also a bilingual career development coach at Wisconsin Early Childhood Association. I’m involved with scholarship and grant projects in the state of Wisconsin and enjoy helping adults who love working with children create a plan to get started in their careers. In the past, I’ve been involved with teacher leadership, curriculum writing and was one of the founders for the lower elementary program at the first public Montessori school in Racine. I’m excited to work with teachers and help them through the beginning of their teaching journey!

Tierra DiCarlo, Montessori Coach

Montessori education is very near and dear to my heart and has been part of my life since I was a 2 1/2-year-old Montessori student at Highland Community School in Milwaukee, WI.

I completed AMI Primary training in Cleveland, OH, at OMTI, and received my Master’s in Montessori Education through Loyola College in Baltimore, MD.

I have helped open and establish multiple Montessori programs in Milwaukee and Wauwatosa public schools.

After raising my own Montessori children, I am currently finding joy in mentoring public Montessori teachers at various schools. I enjoy supporting teachers in organizing their prepared environments, planning, and implementing high quality Montessori lessons, and developing positive and peaceful classroom communities.