People
Liz
I'm Liz, mum to 2 boys aged 13 and 9. I have lived in Ipswich for 14 years but am originally from London although I'm also half Colombian and bilingual (in Spanish and English). I am a trained languages teacher and Montessori adolescent guide. I have experience of teaching in a mainstream high school setting but my real passion lies in progressive education and since 2020 have been guiding and teaching 11-16 year olds in a Montessori school setting whilst also home educating my 2 children. I am committed to education for social change and also run school holiday workshops focused on sustainability and seasonal growing and cooking for my CIC Grow Cook Eat based at the Oak Tree Community Farm on the outskirts of Ipswich. I am inspired by Montessori and Steiner pedagogy and believe that education should be child centred, holistic in its approach, experiential in its delivery and guided by theories of child development. I want to give children and young people the opportunity to be part of a community that they can build and learn from, and that fosters the development of skills for life such as collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking and responsibility.
Rose
I’m Rose, mum to three children aged 9, 11 and 13. I am a trained science teacher and have been teaching in a Montessori school for the last 4 years. Before coming to teaching I was a researcher at UCL studying educational technologies. I have a PhD in Computer Science and a Masters in Theoretical Physics. I love science because it uncovers the beauty and intricacy of the world around us. I want to share this with children because it inspires me and I want to share that feeling of awe and connection with the natural world. I also love to play music and sing. I play in a band and write songs in my spare time. It is a wonderful way to bring people together as well as an avenue for self-expression. Whilst working as a teacher I wrote the script and music for a panto which we put on. Through working at the hub I would like to facilitate children to learn and perform music and drama together and encourage them to explore composition as well. My favourite part of teaching is seeing children do something that they feel truly proud of and which they feel belongs to them. In my role at the hub I want to share the things that inspire me but also help children to share and pursue the projects that inspire them and give them the confidence and skills to take their learning where they want to go.