Elementary School 6 - 12 years

I never thought I’d be teaching. I was always looking for big challenges in life, marathon, traveling, studying abroad. I rode racehorses, organized early music series, loved art and nature. It wasn’t until I had children that my eyes were opened to the greatest challenge ahead. Being a Montessori teacher is a great adventure, it takes a lot of strength, beauty, knowledge, love and humility. It is a journey for a lifetime. What fascinates me about Montessori education is that it offers an open path to knowledge. Several paths lead to each goal. We adults never know what path a child will choose; perhaps he will choose his own, creative one. As a human being, this gives me tremendous humility and respect for each child.

Radka studied International Studies at the University of Sydney and after management experience in Australia, Ireland and England she landed in the Czech Republic where she produced various art projects. She holds an AMI (Association Montessori Internationale) assistant certificate, “Respect and Be Respected”, Diploma AMI 6 – 12 with trainer Kay Baker and is currently studying distance learning pedagogy in Ústí nad Labem.

Radka is the co-founder of Andílek, formerly the independent Anima Atelier. She has been a guide in our elementary school since 2015 and has been the head of the elementary school team since 2017.

Thanks to my daughters I started to work in the field of education. The more I have become part of the classroom the more I fell in love with the Montessori methodology. What I most enjoy working at Andilek is to see the children growing and fulfilling their best potentials. It is simply beautiful to see how each child can discover their own expertise and how they can support each other in the community. The icing of the cake is that I have an amazing team to work with, each of us is a unique character and very inspirational. I am so grateful that I can come to work every day feeling supported, valued and cared for.

She studied English language teaching, literature and methodology in Budapest and Helsinki. Eight years ago she completed her studies in English language teaching using the Helen Doron method. She has been working at Andílek since 2015. She is currently completing the AMI International Diploma Course for teachers of ages 6 – 12 with Carla Foster.

I work in an elementary school with the youngest children, although I have a degree in second grade teaching. I grew up in the outdoors, began studying natural history at university and my love for it has stayed with me ever since. The Montessori approach opened new doors for me in terms of understanding child development. It may also be close to my heart as it has a strong connection to nature, which I love so much. Every day I see the progress children make and I am grateful to be there to help them on their journey of discovery. That kind of work is truly meaningful. As Montessori says : “Helping must be the goal of our education: to help man develop not his defects but his greatness.”

I graduated from the Secondary Pedagogical Lyceum in Prachatice, where I became more interested in fine arts. My studies continued in České Budějovice, where I studied second grade teaching with a focus on science and health education, which I finished this year. I am currently studying the AMI diploma course 6-12 under the guidance of Kyla Morenz and Carly Foster.

I have always found it fulfilling to spend my time with children, however, I resisted working as a teacher for quite a long time. Probably because I associated the profession with a traditional approach to education. However, in college I got to lead a science club and from there my steps gradually led from lecturing, leading camps, etc. to the decision that I wanted to work with children professionally. One thing I was still sure of, however, was that I needed to find an environment where education was done in a meaningful and respectful way. So I am very grateful that I was able to find Andílek. The Montessori approach towards children was very appealing to me in college, and now that I have the opportunity to experience it firsthand, I am constantly surprised at how wonderful it is to watch children who have the opportunity to express themselves freely.

Anička graduated with a Master’s degree in Zoology and in addition to that she completed a Supplementary Teaching Diploma. She gained her experience by lecturing educational programs at the Sluňákov Ecological Center and the interactive museum Fortress of Knowledge, leading camps and various clubs. During her studies, she also completed an internship in Indonesia, where she taught English and environmental education to local children, and an internship in Rome, where she taught Czech to bilingual children.

When I was a kid I couldn’t wait to finally grow up, at the time this desire seemed quite natural. Years later, I return to this now fulfilled desire. I guess at the time I felt completely insignificant in a world that belongs to adults. The Montessori approach appealed to me because of its desire to create a respectful environment in which every child feels that his or her voice is heard.

Veronika graduated from the Lyceum of Education. During her studies she specialized in drama education, from which she eventually graduated. After high school she went on to study theatre dramaturgy, which she successfully completed in 2021. She plays guitar and ukulele.

Mathematics and Czech – my two heartthrobs – have accompanied my tutoring of children since I was a high school student. While studying at university, I worked in a company that focused on tutoring children from socially excluded families. At that time, my scope expanded to almost all subjects, but still separately.After graduating from the Faculty of Education, my professional path took me elsewhere – to an IT company. Nevertheless, I am grateful that I was able to return to my teaching career thanks to the birth of my daughter. I wanted a different form of education for my daughter than the “military mode” I remembered from my own school years.

Working in Andílek fulfills this dream. It allows me to not only interconnect the subjects, but also to be part of the classroom – an observer, a guide and an enthusiastic explorer together with the children. It’s only with them that I really learn through play at school.I studied French with a focus on education and have regularly travelled to France as an au pair. I have also been working with the non-profit organization “Protecting Sea Turtles” for a long time. In my free time I like to spend time with my family, gardening, doing puzzles and going on trips.

I have been doing art since I could hold a pencil. The freedom of expression that came with it excited me so much that I decided to go to art high school and then to college. This is where I got into graphic design, which I decided to pursue primarily because of my love of visual culture and its applications. Despite the fact that I had already found a job in the field after school, I still didn’t feel fulfilled enough. Pursuing purely creative work was losing meaning for me over time and I was looking for a social outlet.

Plus, I realized that the freedom within that applied field was severely curtailed and where else but to observe the beauty of free creation and creative thinking than with children. Working with them reminded me once again of my original childhood enthusiasm for experimentation, working with error, and a free approach to art. While leading children’s camps, teaching art classes and working at a community youth center, I became passionate about this field and decided to pursue it fully, which is why I chose Angel, which supports me and gives me the space to have a free approach that allows me and the children to explore and inspire each other together.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

Working with children in a Montessori school is, above all, a joy and fun for me. Movement is a natural form of play for children and I try to create a space where children can play freely and discover their movement possibilities.

Lenka studied political science at the Faculty of Social Sciences and education at the Faculty of Education at Charles University. She then worked for years in marketing and media. Lack of exercise later led her to organize sports clubs for children, and now to Andíek.

A child’s soul, sensitive, insightful and very honest, is a source of unique joy for me and often a teaching mirror to myself. Being with children, working with them and learning from them makes sense. A child’s world offers a true glimpse into the future.

Vítězslav was born when John Steinbeck won the Nobel Prize for Literature and the Rolling Stones made their debut at London’s Marquee Club. After high school, he chose between forestry school, with a desire to join the Mountain Service, and the lure of the artistic muse. He eventually graduated from the Conservatoire with degrees in composition and conducting and has been involved in music in various forms throughout his life. As a composer and active musician, he has worked with various theatres and many musical ensembles. After the Velvet Revolution, he founded a music publishing company where he produced over 250 CD titles, mainly focused on classical music and jazz. De facto, for the sake of his own daughters, he co-founded Andílek’s Atelier, a creative platform for children from the Andílek Montessori schools. Here, he currently leads a choir, shares his joy of music with the children in individual lessons, and does woodworking. In 2018, he completed the Montessori Adolescent Orientation training in Sweden and is looking forward to the Grade 2 adolescent program he is helping to implement at the school.

f there’s one thing I’ve been passionate about since I was a kid and it still sticks with me, it’s music and the love for food. From the age of three I sang in the choir Kvítek Dačice. In high school in Znojmo I added solo, chamber singing, guitar and improved my piano and flute skills. I started to lead a music club for children. As part of my bachelor’s thesis, I created my own flute tutorial for children. With my love for food, I realized one day that I didn’t just want to eat it, I wanted to create it. So I started experimenting with combinations of different flavors, and recipes. Today I teach cooking and baking classes at the International Pastry Academy. Andílek showed me a way through which I started to use elements of Montessori principles quite naturally, not only in my personal life, but also during my courses.

Míša graduated in kindergarten teaching at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. After graduation she completed the AMI assistant course for children aged 6 – 12 years. She regularly attends culinary courses on her own, is a solo singer and sings in the chamber choir Vokalion.

Already in elementary school I realized how much disinterest, or even dislike, a bad teacher can build towards a subject. What I enjoy the most about working with children is discovering their enthusiasm and their individual strengths in what I enjoy so much. It is extremely important to me to lead children to movement, self-discovery and overcoming their own boundaries. As well as getting them out in nature and showing them all there is to do outside. At Andílek, as an added bonus, I work with a great group of colleagues that are also my friends, inspire me and push my horizons further.

Matěj graduated from high school, specializing in ecology and environment. He has been a member of the Boy Scouts since he was 8 years old and is still actively involved as a group leader. He also has many years of experience as a parkour instructor. He has completed the AMI assistant course for ages 6 – 12 and has been working at Andílek since 2017.