Donna Moffo
1. Where are you from? I am from Watertown, Connecticut.
2. What year did you begin teaching? I began teaching in 1977.
3. Where did you go to school? I attended Dean College & Emmanuel College.
4. What degrees/certifications do you hold? I hold an AA Music Therapy, a BS Psychology, an AMS Early Childhood Certificate, and a VPK, CDA, along with Dale Carnegie Training (Leadership Training for Managers).
5. Describe a “top” teaching moment. One of my top teaching moments was when a 3-year-old confirmed for me the importance and value of multi-age grouping. H was observing an older child’s lesson and chimed in with the correct answer, without having had the lesson himself or practice with the materials. So he had observed the older children working with the materials and through these visual lessons had learned the concepts. This affirmed for me the idea of honoring each student as an individual with different learning styles and desires.
6. What part of the Montessori curriculum do you find most exciting/effective? There is great respect for the choices (work) of the child/ren. Since we follow the child and provide lessons to each child’s interest and abilities, they easily keep up with or surpass what they would be doing in a more traditional setting. Much of the learning comes from sharing and inspiring each other instead of competing with each other.
7. Tell us about your family/hobbies. My Italian family is so large (over 500) that we have a board of directors that we vote in every 3 years to handle family events and gatherings. I come from a very long line of highly respected educators and sports coaches. My hobbies are cooking, baking, sewing, gardening, camping, fishing, playing the piano, and spending time with family.
8. What country have you never visited but would like to? I would like to visit Scotland.