Tara McMahon
Upper Elementary Lead Teacher

Where are you from? Born in Georgia, grew up in Florida, studied in California

What year did you begin working with children? 2004

What is your favorite thing about Montessori? I love that the Montessori method gives every student the opportunity to succeed in their own way. A Montessori classroom fosters independence, creativity, curiosity, and confidence. I also love the opportunities it provides the teacher. Every day, every year is different. I am always learning something new.

Tell us something interesting about you: The Montessori philosophy values diversity and cultural awareness, which reflects how I grew up. I grew up with vastly different cultures. I grew up with Italian, Irish, and Guamanian cultures. I am a true American Melting Pot. In college, I studied social behavior and development across the primate order, and my first position after graduating was as a research intern in the Ape House at the Smithsonian National Zoo. While working at the zoo, I discovered that I enjoyed interacting with the patrons and teaching them about the apes much more than the behavioral research we were doing. This led me to become a teacher.