Ann's Classroom Hyde Park Montessori

​            Hello! My name is Ann Jenneman. I grew up in the suburbs of Northwest Houston and first came to Austin to attend UT in 1993. My teaching career began in the Los Angeles area with Montessori training and internship at Santa Monica Montessori in 2002. I had had some attraction to teaching before that, but I hadn’t come across any alternative teaching methods until then, and I just couldn’t stomach the thought of teaching in the modern public school system in which I had been raised. The Montessori method immediately attracted me, and the more I learned, the more I fell in love! In 2003 I moved back to Austin (moving to Austin seems to be a recurring theme in my life) and began the wonderful journey of teaching, learning and personal growth in “The Montessori Center” community. As our school transitions to Hyde Park Montessori, I continue in a lead teaching role in the 3-6 year-old classroom, and have been elected as the president of the Hyde Park Montessori board.

            What I love most about the Montessori method is the individual approach that truly strives to meet the child’s needs (as opposed to the adult’s needs to conform the child), encourages each child to stay connected to his heart while he develops a true love of learning, and allows the child to naturally grow into a caring, contributing member of society.

            I have also lived in Mexico, for a total of six years. I spent that time building an adobe house and learning about many aspects of self-sufficiency, gardening, gaining fluency in Spanish, teaching English, and getting a more realistic understanding of the human condition through exposure to another culture.

Apart from teaching, there is nothing I like more than to spend my time dancing. My favorite kind of dancing (which I also teach) is an American folk dance called contra dancing (join us Wednesday nights at Hancock Rec Center!). I also enjoy two-steppin’ and swing. Other favorite activities of mine are swimming, cooking, gardening, crafting, and spending time with my husband Scott.