“Before I moved to the Upper Valley, I taught at a public middle school. After a year or so in the area, I got a job at the Montessori Children’s School in Hanover, despite never having worked with preschoolers. I think part of me always wanted to work with that age group. About four years ago, I had the opportunity to become Head of School, and I took it. I have been in education for close to 15 years now in some form or another.
Funnily enough, there is a little bit of adult education involved in my role at the school because I talk to a lot of families about the Montessori philosophy. Montessori has become a buzzword, so many people have heard of it, but they are not quite sure what it means. I want to make sure that families understand how the philosophy is translated into our day-to-day activities.. Our school has a lot of tradition and history, but we want to make sure that we are staying current because the Upper Valley has changed so much.
I grew up as an Indian American in a place where there were not that many Indians. I went to India for work thinking that I would fit in there, but I did not. Instead, I was an American living in India. It seemed like everywhere I went, I got the sense that there were a lot of things about me that were different. But that has helped me understand that, regardless of how different you think you are, you can always find ways to connect with others. Even the three to five year olds I work with are trying to figure out their own identities as little beings. I emphasize that you can always find similarities with somebody new that you meet, even if you look or speak differently.
I always like to think about what I can learn next. I just started taking French on Duolingo. When I was younger I moved constantly, traveling and living in different places. Though I have now settled down, I still have this need in me to ask: What is next? What can I read? What can I learn?”
– Neha Vaze, Hanover, NH
