ABOUT US

OUR FAMILY & YOUR FAMILY

When Megan DeBrowner and her family relocated to Maryville from Florida 10 years ago, they were captivated by the area but faced a challenge: finding a Montessori school within the city of Maryville. Both of their children had thrived in Montessori schools in Florida, and they were eager to ensure a smooth transition for their then three-year-old son. While they found a suitable option ten miles away, they recognized the need for a high-quality Montessori school, for everyone to utilize, within the city limits.

Their son successfully transitioned to kindergarten at a local elementary school, demonstrating the strong foundation his Montessori education provided. Megan firmly believes that the Montessori approach equipped her children with the essential skills and confidence to seamlessly adapt to different learning environments.

Megan is thrilled to have established Smoky Mountain Montessori in 2017, with her husband Jesse joining a year later. Offering the transformative power of Montessori education to the City of Maryville and Blount County; Smoky Mountain Montessori is commited to providing a nurturing and respectful learning environment for all children, while offering an authentic Montessori experience nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Smokies.

THE HISTORY OF THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL STYLE

Dr. Maria Montessori opened her first school in Italy in 1907. At age 13, she broke barriers set by a patriarchal society when she entered an all-boys technical institute to prepare for a career in engineering.

In time, however, she changed her mind, deciding to become a doctor instead. She applied to the University of Rome's medical program, but was rejected. Maria took additional courses to better prepare her for entrance to the medical school and persevered. With great effort she gained admittance, opening the door a bit wider for future women in the field. When she graduated from medical school in 1896, she was among Italy's first female physicians.

Smoky Mountain Montessori is a small school whose mission is to create a prepared classroom environment that fosters the children's natural desire to learn. This is the foundation of Montessori's methods and principles. Smoky Mountain Montessori understands that though Dr. Montessori's methods are tried and true, the parents of today's children are not the same as those Dr. Montessori served. By continually reevaluating our school, we will evolve to better meet the needs of parents who are faced with an epidemic of electronic devices and overstimulation that makes information too readily available and takes away from self-reliance.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

If you'd like to explore the possibility of a Montessori education for your child, or if you'd like to know more about Dr. Maria Montessori and her methods that she created, contact us today!

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