Greenpoint Montessori

Our Teachers

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Hi, I’m Kat!

I am a Montessori and Early Childhood teacher in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I have been a teacher at some of the top Montessori schools in NYC, including Battery Park Montessori and Hopscotch Montessori. I am also a consultant and teacher for an in-home Montessori tutoring program.

I began my Montessori career at age 3 when I attended an in-home Montessori school in Charlotte, North Carolina. I continued to attend public Montessori elementary school until 5th grade.

It wasn’t until decades later that I began my teaching career in the dance studio, where I taught dance to hundreds of children over the years. When I realized I wanted to work with children more in-depth, I began to dig at my roots and study Montessori basics at Washington Montessori Institute in Baltimore. I moved to NYC in 2013 and attended the West Side Montessori School Teacher Education Program, where I received an Early Childhood credential. I received my MEd in Early Childhood Special Education from Concordia College and am working toward NY state certification in Early Childhood Special Education.

When I’m not in the classroom, I spend lots of time with my pup, Finik. I love hiking and thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail in 2018!

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Testimonials

“Kat’s gentle smile and warm voice became the soothing assurance that my daughter needed as she began school. My daughter, A, relished in the way Kat gave her independence and communicated confidence. Kat reassured A that A was capable and possessed the fortitude to try new things, but that additional support and guidance was always available and nearby, should it be needed. Kat is an effective instructor and gently but confidently guides children through instruction and varying academic, social, behavioral and emotional challenges. She is a potent commutator to children and adults alike. She adequately relates ideas and information with an openness for new ideas without losing the conviction of her own. Kat Walker is a delightful teacher that has served to support and foster both academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth in my child. I highly recommend her.” -Anya (parent)

“Kat has been our son’s most thoughtful caretaker and best friend since he was 2. She helped prepare him to enter Montessori school at 3 and provided him with seamless protocol at home. She’s smart, empathetic, insightful, patient and directed. She knows how to bring out the best in our son, how to nurture his capabilities and curiosities and how to keep things fun and interesting. He can’t wait for visits from Kat. She respects him. She keeps him on task and cultivates positive behaviors while honoring his feelings. He grows with her guidance. She’s been one of the most positive influences in our Ain’s young life. I could not recommend her more highly.” -Meissa (parent)

“Kat is a positive role model for any and every child. She is knowledgeable and dedicated. She pours her heart into her work. Ms. Walker has a real understanding of children and never settles for less than the absolute best she can give each one of her students. When I think of Kat, I picture her creating a work specific to one child, but can trust that the material is so thoroughly thought out, it can be expanded upon or simplified making it assessable to all types of learners. I have seen Ms. Walker seize an opportunity to grab a group of children at peak interest and create a material for them on the spot. Attention to detail is one of Kat’s greatest strengths. She approaches each one of her plans holistically and her execution is always neat and aesthetically pleasing. She can make a work so readable that children can follow it on their own with little to no teacher guidance. She understands the effectiveness of this. When a child can take the lead of their learning while successfully and independently completing the cognitive task, it sets the roadwork for children discovering their own unique lifelong strategies for learning. Most impressive, is Kat’s love of researching best practices. She is constantly creating self -made guides, reaches out to experts and speaks on insight gained about students through utilizing websites such as Ages and Stages. Again, I recommend Kat Walker as your child’s learning guide without reservation. Along with her undeniable talent, Ms. Walker is an absolute joy to work with.  I know she will be a beneficial addition to your child’s life.” -Stacey (parent and educator)

“Kat is simply wonderful. She is one of the best possible adult influences on our son inside or outside of the classroom. She encourages him to achieve his potential, treats him like an adult (when appropriate) and teaches him to be responsible and respectful for himself and others. She encourages him to take learning seriously and to be playful (a tough balancing act). I can’t think of someone I’d rather have influencing and teaching my son. She is also just a great person - she’s responsible, caring and someone we trust and genuinely like and enjoy being with.” -Sinan (parent)

Philosophy

Greenpoint Montessori brings high quality, intimate, Montessori education to Greenpoint. Children can follow their passions in this child-led, emergent curriculum.

Our program follows the Montessori approach to learning, which values self-directed learning and hands-on play. We believe children can be empowered to follow their interests and curiosities if given the independence and tools to do so. We value self-expression, building a sense of community, and building character.

Location

288 McGuiness is a wonderful place for Greenpoint Montessori. Every morning, teachers greet the children in the backyard, where they can run and play. Then we head on in to the classroom, where the open layout is specially prepared for the children to learn and grow independently. We have child-height windows that look out to our community (street) and windows that look onto our big backyard. We are a short walk to the Greenpoint Ave G line. Please be aware that Greenpoint Montessori is located in a residential building with no sign.

About our program

Montessori Education

The Montessori method was developed in a housing project in Italy around the turn of the century. Maria Montessori was asked to teach children in what she called “Casa dei Bambini”, or Children’s House. She experimented with different approaches, lead by scientific observation, ultimately settling on the idea that children learn better when the learning comes from within. She flip-flopped the teacher-child relationship, putting the child in the spotlight instead of the teacher.

In a Montessori classroom, everything is child-sized, and the children are encouraged and expected to use the space to their full advantage. When they are hungry, they help themselves to food. When they are thirsty, they fetch themselves a glass of water. When something spills, they clean it up. All the tools and materials they need are readily accessible to them without adult intervention. Children discover concepts through didactic materials.

This new way of learning gained attention in Italy and around the world. In 1915, the World’s Fair even had a glass classroom, where spectators could come see a Montessori classroom in action. What spectators saw were children developing their own capabilities and motivation. What they saw was the Montessori Method at work, which has stood the test of time. Today, there are about 4,500 Montessori schools in the United States and about 20,000 across the globe.

What are the pillars of Montessori education?

• Deep respect for children as individuals

• Multi-age classes allow teachers to develop close and long-term relationships with their students, allow them to know each other’s learning style well, and encourage older students to become role models, mentors, and leaders to younger students.

• Integrated curriculum is carefully structured and connects subjects within programs (e.g., history and cultural arts to maximize the opportunity for learning and builds from program to program to progress from concrete to abstract learning).

• Independence is nurtured and leads to children becoming purposeful, motivated, and confident in their own abilities.

• Peace and conflict resolution are taught daily and children learn to be a part of a warm, respectful, and supportive community.

• The child creates, in a very real sense, the adult that is to be, through his/her experiences, interactions, and environments. Character development is a central focus of the Montessori curriculum.

• Hands-on learning is central to the curriculum in all programs and leads to children being engaged rather than passive with their work.

• The environments are responsibly and carefully prepared with multisensory, sequential, and self-correcting materials to support self-directed learning.

• Self-expression is nurtured in all children. Children experience art, music, poetry, theater, writing, and other forms of creative arts with confidence and passion.

Admissions

Visit https://www.greenpointmontessori.com/enroll.html