Lower Elementary Teacher

Hi, I’m Jesselyne Winklaar Odor, known as Miss Jessy. Since September 2022, I’ve been a certified Montessori Teacher for ages 6-9. My journey with Nos Fortalesa Montessori Children’s House began in August 2022 as the Lower Elementary lead teacher and I’m excited to continue my passion with Children’s House  Montessori by July 2024.

Before becoming a Montessori teacher, I dedicated myself to working with children aged 0-18. During my teenage years, I was a Girl Scout and guided younger girls. In 2003, I moved to the Netherlands to study and earned my Bachelor’s degree in “Sociaal Pedagogisch Hulperverlener” (Social Work) in 2008. I spent two years working with the Kindergarten 0-4 group in the Netherlands before returning to my island, Aruba, in December 2011. Back home, I worked as an “Intensieve Thuishulp begeleider” for two years at Fundacion Guia Mi and, since 2014, have been a “Beheerconsulent” at the FCCA.

My interest in the Montessori Method of Education began when I noticed that traditional education wasn’t a good fit for my daughter. Witnessing a positive transformation in her behavior and learning sparked my desire to delve deeper into Maria Montessori's methods. This led me to start my program for Lower Elementary through the North American Montessori Center. The child-centered approach truly resonated with me and it has been my guiding principle ever since.