Montessori PrePrimary Teacher of the Week

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- J. Allen Axon Montessori School is one of two Montessori magnates in Duval County. First Coast News received a stack full of Teacher of the Week nominations from parents at that school.

Long time pre-primary teacher Beth Boyd is our Teacher of the Week.

As the pre-primary teacher at J. Allen Axon Montessori School, Boyd spends a lot of time on the floor in her class working with her young students.

She teaches 3, 4, and 5-year-olds all in the same classroom. "It's really amazing how much 3-year-olds know and how ready they are to learn; and the older children are good role models," said Boyd.

Everyone in the classroom is busy, each working on different projects and at his or her own level. A 5-year-old in one part of the room works on her letters, while a 4-year-old sitting close by is working on something totally different.

Ms. Beth, as she is called, oversees everything while also working one on one with each student. "It is a challenge to provide work that meets everybody's needs but it is great because everybody at the same age doesn't need the same things."

The classroom is very busy and in the middle of it all is Ms. Beth. "She's wonderful. I say that she has these invisible arms around all the children when you walk into her classroom because you really get the sense they're under her umbrella, under her care as she's working with individuals and groups," said Principal Paula Renfro.

The 3-year-olds in this class get to look forward to having Ms. Beth for 2 more years.

One of the parents wrote in a nomination letter, "Ms. Beth is so patient and kind to the children while teaching them in a very tactile Montessori classroom."

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