Our team

My name is Veronika Šmídlová and I am the headmistress of the school Montessori Children´s House. I was born in Montreal, Canada, but the most of my life I have spent in the Czech Republic, so I am fluent in both Czech and English language.

In my life, I have always followed what life was offering to me. That´s why my journey might be different from others. During my studies at High School in Prague I was studying abroad one semester in Nova Scotia, Canada at Horton High School. I noticed that their way of teaching is much more suitable for me. After I finished high school, I studied one year at the University of Economics and two years at the Charles University of Pedagogics majoring in Education and mathematics, both in Prague. This experience showed me that this is not the way I want to be taught. During this challenging time, I did leadership training, and I became a certified coach. I was working for a half year in the Outdoor Montessori kindergarten Cestička, where I got excited about the Montessori method. Thanks to these experiences I found out what I want, which is an alternative way of studying and teaching. Therefore, I completed the certified Montessori training for working with children between 3 and 6 years old.

I am always open to learn new things. I am interested in psychology, motivation and children´s development and that´s why I attended seminars of the therapeutic method The Journey.

Montessori Children´s House means a lot to me. I fell in love with this place so quickly and I just knew that I am in the right place at the right time. Every day I am learning so much from all the children. They are showing me that this is what I want to do, this is my destiny and thanks to them I have found my passion and meaning in life.

My name is Susanna and I am from Birmingham, Alabama, USA, where I grew up surrounded by nature and with a passion for creativity. I remember vividly the feeling of wonder I had throughout my entire childhood, exploring my own backyard in one of the most biodiverse states in the U.S. I was also fortunate to have been raised in an environment that supported my interests in many pursuits, including art, ballet, piano, reading, writing, and more. That is why there is nothing more magical to me than to watch a child discover and follow their own interests and help them to nurture that love of discovering and learning new things.

I have a B.A. in English with Honors and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama, as well as a TEFL certification from The Language House Prague. My love for working with children began after university, when I moved to New York City and became a full-time nanny. I found that I really loved working with children and realized that I needed a big change in order to pursue a new career path, which is why I decided to move to Prague to become an English teacher.

My first job in Prague was as an ESL and childcare teacher in another Montessori preschool, where I quickly became very interested in the Montessori approach. I started looking for more opportunities for growth in a Montessori environment, and I am very grateful and excited to now be entering my third year at Montessori Children’s House. Now, after five years of observing and learning Montessori pedagogy from colleagues, an intensive course about Montessori philosophy and theory, and my own ongoing research, I am looking forward to taking on a new challenge as the lead teacher at MCH this year.

I am Iris, an enthusiastic teacher from Gran Canaria, Spain. Growing up in such a wonderful environment, surrounded by the sea and marine life, has infused me with a passion for the natural world, something I wish to share with my students.

During my time at university, where I studied primary education, I explored the Montessori method and gained experience at a bilingual primary school. Later, I moved to Germany. My love for discovering new cultures and languages was reaffirmed. This experience has motivated me to teach my native language (Spanish) in a useful and accessible way.

For me, education is about inspiring students to develop their curiosity, think critically, and learn to love the process of discovery. I see education as a powerful tool that can transform lives, and I would like to be a reliable and motivating guide in the journey of teaching the youngest.

I am looking forward to being part of the Montessori Children’s House team, and to keep growing as a teacher.