BILL ZIEGLER

•Lower Elementary
Head Teacher

This is my 30th year as a Montessori Teacher. In 1986, while a student at UCSB, I was hired as a PE teacher by the Montessori Center School. Curious about this unique and highly effective way to learn, I started to spend time in the MCS classrooms observing and asking questions. The following year, I was offered an Assistant Teacher position in one of the 6-9 classrooms and switched my college courses to evenings. After graduation, I joined the Peace Corps and lived for 2 years in the Kalahari Desert of Botswana where I taught secondary school English, trained incoming PC volunteers and started a school/village library. When I returned to Santa Barbara, Montessori Center School generously offered to pay for the Lower El Montessori teacher training in San Leandro with a 6-9 head teacher position when completed. I remained happily at the school until 2003 when my wife Cortney and I headed to Armenia for a year where, as Peace Corps volunteers, we trained local English teachers, started another library, and engaged in other secondary projects. When we returned to Santa Barbara, MCS offered me the Upper El training and a 9-12 head teacher position. A year later, Cortney’s career took us to San Diego where she finished her internship hours to become a licensed Marriage/Family therapist. For two years, I worked as head teacher in a 3rd/4th grade classroom at Maria Montessori Elementary and helped train new teachers at the school’s Montessori teacher training center. In 2007, we relocated to Morro Bay and I happily accepted a position here at CHMS. As expected, I have greatly enjoyed expanding our school library and bringing my guitar and singing with all of the children. I can’t wait till we can do that again.

Of all the Montessori schools I have seen through the years, I really feel that Children's House feels the most like a home. That’s why Cortney and I enrolled our 3 year-old daughter Charli in the toddler classroom this year. We are looking forward to watching her grow in this amazing environment.