Meet The Montessori Faculty

Deepa Shreekumar grew up having a diplomat father enabling her to experience varied countries and cultures. Just when she thought life was settling down, her husband, Rajesh’s job began to take them to many different countries and they moved to Milwaukee about 2 decades ago. Deepa has a Masters Degree in Mass Communication and Journalism from India and has worked in radio, made documentary films and taught film making before arriving at teaching. Her interest in Montessori began with her mother’s teaching  experience as well as running a school for differently abled children in India. It resurfaced when her older son, Advik, now working on his Doctrate, attended a Montessori school. When her younger son, Arjun, now in college, started at a Children’s House, her fascination with the Montessori philosophy peaked. She completed her Early Childhood training from Seton Montessori Institute, in 2006 and began working at Nature’s Classroom Institute Montessori the same year. In order to better serve children who learn differently within a Montessori environment, she has since completed her primary certification in Montessori Applied to Children At Risk (MACAR) from The Shelton School in Dallas. Deepa has also completed her Certification in Montessori Leadership and School Administration from Seton Montessori Institute. Since 2018, Deepa has taken on the role of Head of School while still being a Directress in the Children’s House classroom. She has been a regular presenter at local, regional, national and international Montessori and Early Childhood conferences, focusing on Montessori practice, restorative justice, building community and fostering empathy in the classroom, and connecting the indoors to the outdoors.  Deepa enjoys meeting people, cooking, reading and listening to music. She greatly appreciates a sense of humor and friendship especially when made in lands far away from her own.

Carrie Benzinger joined Nature’s Classroom Institute Montessori as our Office Manager in 2018. Previously she worked with client data providing service to both employer and customer in the Customs trade compliance and transportation payment industries. Carrie grew up in the Milwaukee area, is married, has 3 sons, and currently lives in the Town of Vernon, east of Mukwonago. She enjoys cooking, baking, spending time with her family dog (Chili) and is a dedicated library patron and fan of the many resources it has available to all. Carrie is interested in what Nature’s Classroom Institute and Montessori school offers students and is eager to learn much more about it.

Joey Snyder was born in Illinois and spent her early years in Ontario, Canada where she discovered her love for nature exploring the woodlands, meadows, rivers, streams, and the shores of Lake Ontario. Throughout her college years, she studied commercial arts at College of DuPage and then Southern Illinois University. She has traveled across the United States hiking, backpacking, camping and cross country cycling with a fascination for geographical and cultural history.

As a mother of five children, she began looking for a better environment and experience for learning than traditional education could provide. She discovered and fell in love with Montessori. Joey knew her children would be treated with dignity and respect and given the opportunity to learn and grow while following interests at their own pace; and most of all, develop a love for learning.

While her children began school at Montessori Academy Illinois, she completed her Montessori paraprofessional training in 1995 and worked as an Assistant Teacher. In 2008, she received her Early Childhood Certification through Seton Montessori Institute and became Lead Teacher.

A family move to Wisconsin provided an opportunity to join Nature's Classroom. She is looking forward to developing students' independence, creativity, and love and enthusiasm for learning; all within a nature-based environment and off the path learning experience. Joey enjoys cooking, loves road trips, books, and stargazing.

Marie grew up in rural France and trained as a Pharmacy Assistant there. She worked as a Pharmacy Technician for almost a decade before moving to Colorado, in 2020, as her husband’s work took them there. This was when she looked to shift careers to achieve her first dream of working with young children. She began helping with the Summer Program at the Montessori School at Lone Tree. She did not know a lot about Montessori when she started, but she fell in love with the Montessori pedagogy! She then worked as an Assistant Teacher at the same school.

Marie and her husband moved to Wisconsin in the spring of 2023, for his job. Marie immediately fell in love with Nature’s Classroom, and its outdoor spaces and is delighted to join the NCM community. During her free time, she enjoys reading, going on walks and cooking. She spends a lot of time outdoors and especially enjoys gardening. She is also fascinated by the history of the United States and its landscapes. Marie and her husband love going on road trips and exploring new places.

Lindsay Wurtzel grew up in South Texas. Lindsay spent a lot of time with family traveling, dancing, learning how to cook, and performing with theater groups. She received her Bachelors from The University of Texas Rio Grande with a minor in history and English. She spent time teaching in a deaf education classroom before moving to Boston to attend Hebrew College. Lindsay graduated with a Masters in Jewish Education and a certification in Jewish Special Education in 2004. Lindsay started in a Montessori primary classroom in 2005 and then moved into the Upper Elementary classroom. She completed her Lower and Upper Elementary certification through The Houston Montessori Center. Lindsay  was state certified in Texas in EC-4 and EC-12 special education. She has lived in Vermont, Hawaii, Texas, Florida, and Massachusetts. Lindsay loves to learn, travel, bake, sew, create, and explore the outdoors. Lindsay  She moves here with her small dog Minnie and a passion for  life and new adventures.

Clarissa, who prefers to be called Claire, began her Montessori journey at Montessori Learning Path as a student at 18 months old and then moved over to the Montessori Magnet public school in Rockford IL from pre-k through 6th grade. After Montessori, she went to Burlington PBL (project based learning) for two years (7th and 8th grade) and then continued on to a traditional high school education. After high school, she dabbled in several different career opportunities. When she started her family, she began to research schools and came across Nature’s Classroom and knew it was the school she wanted her son, Oliver, to eventually go to.

Claire has always enjoyed the Montessori classroom environment as it had a sense of community – something she has experienced additionally as her mother has been a Montessori teacher Claire’s entire life. She has assisted in her mother’s Montessori classroom in Racine and so gained a solid understanding of how a Montessori classroom should run and be individualized for each child. In her free time, Claire enjoys hanging out with her son and puppy. She enjoys traveling, swimming, juggling, watching movies, baking, and cooking. Claire is looking forward to furthering her educational experience in Nature’s Classroom.

Katelyn Bratz graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in History, as well as certificates in Classical History and European History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Katelyn began her career working with students through environmental education. She came to Nature’s Classroom Institute and Montessori in 2008. Since then she has taken on various roles: environmental educator, environmental Education Director, history teacher, elementary assistant and for many years now our Adolescent Directress. It is during her work in our environmental program that Katelyn came to appreciate and understand the Montessori Method. Katelyn completed the AMI/NAMTA Montessori Orientation to Adolescent Studies in 2012. She has also acquired her Secondary I-II Credential from CMSTEP and a Master’s in Montessori Education from Xavier University. Since 2008, Katelyn has worked to progress and expand our Adolescent programming. She can be found regularly hiking and working at Nature’s Classroom property with her dogs, Audi and Sitka, gardening, or tending to the farm. All of which continue to be hobbies for Katelyn and a strong connection to her environmental background.