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Meet Our Teachers
Lisa Nantais
Children's House Teacher
Lisa is a Montessori certified teacher with 20+ years experience. She spent 18 years teaching at a Montessori school and was also the director for the last nine years there. She joined MindSprout in 2022. Lisa has an Associate Early Childhood Credential, a Montessori credential, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. She believes children learn by being given time and opportunities to discover. Lisa loves that the Montessori environment allows the child to chart their own path for learning with the assistance of the teacher to follow their lead. One of her favorite things about teaching children is seeing them take pride in a task accomplished all by themselves. Lisa enjoys spending time with her two grown daughters and exploring her new home state of Texas with her husband.
Marianela Puron
Lower Elementary Teacher
Marianela is originally from Mexico and has been in Houston for nine years. She holds a Master’s degree in Multidisciplinary Studies, a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, and is beginning her journey to become Montessori certified. Teaching is her passion and she has more than 15 years experience working with children. She taught English language arts in a bilingual school, has been a tutor, as well as taught Spanish and English as a second language for preschool and elementary children. Marianela truly believes when you teach a child according to their psychological, physical, and social development is when they best learn. As a Montessori teacher, her goal is to discover every child’s uniqueness and guide them through their learning journey. Marianela is happily married and has two sons. She enjoys being outdoors, playing board games, and watching movies with her family. In her free time she likes to practice yoga and go for walks.
Rachel Harris
Upper Elementary Teacher
Rachel is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author with 16+ years of homeschooling experience and two fully home educated daughters happily attending college. A frequently invited panelist and guest speaker, she has led multiple national creative writing workshops as well as a local writing group for homeschooled teens, and she is in the process of becoming Montessori certified. She attended Louisiana State University where she majored in Mass Communication and met her best friend to whom she’s been married for over 20 years. She’s passionate about books & bubble baths and believes the most important things we can do for our children is instill a love of learning, encourage them to dream, and create a legacy of joy.
Loren Figueroa
Teaching Assistant/Sprouts Outdoors Teacher
Loren graduated from the University Of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She has four years of experience in a Montessori classroom as an assistant teacher and a Spanish teacher, and she is in the process of becoming Montessori certified. Over those years she fell in love with the Montessori approach to education. Loren believes the Montessori approach to education cultivates independent and creative thinkers. Nothing brings her more joy than teaching children and watching them grow their confidence through creative choices in their learning. Loren has a passion for all sports, and was on the USA national Diving team and a D1 springboard diver on the University of Missouri Swimming and Diving team. She loves to spend her days outside walking her dog, going on hikes, and doing any kind of activities that put her in a body of water.
Mandi Jablonski
STEM Teacher
Meet Mandi Jablonski, our STEM teacher. Mandi is a certified teacher with 14+ years of experience. She joined Mindsprout in 2021. She specializes in Robotics, Coding, and has a Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics. Mandi believes children learn best through play and discovery, so building and programming robots allows them to learn to work cooperatively while critically thinking and problem solving. In her free time she enjoys reading, cross-stitching, and crafting as well as exploring the world while spending time with her husband, son, and black lab Lily.
Amber Bauman
Visual Arts
Amber is a homeschool mom and art enthusiast. She started homeschooling during the pandemic and has continued since then. Amber has experience as an art teacher for homeschool students. She believes children learn from a practical, hands-on approach. Amber loves to teach children because she feels they are our future. Her favorite part of teaching is seeing the excitement in a child's eyes when completing a project or task. She looks forward to encouraging her students this year.
Rosalinda Santos
Spanish
¡Hola! Yo soy Ms. Rosalinda. Rosalinda is a native Spanish speaking homeschool mom of two. She has worked with children for over ten years directly and indirectly. Rosalinda is grateful to have had the ability to homeschool for over five years now. She loves seeing the expression on a child's face when something finally "clicks". She feels that moment is the most rewarding part of teaching. Rosalinda believes having fun while learning is a must. In her spare time she enjoys a nature walk (even in this Texas heat) as much as she loves reading.
Curtriona Burrell
Office Administrator
Curtriona Burrell (Ms. B) is originally from Houston, Texas and has relocated to the Spring area with her four beautiful children. Curtriona is the eldest of twelve siblings, and was born on Halloween. She is an alum of Texas Southern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications Radio/ Television/ Film. Curtriona is joining the MindSprout Campus as the the assistant to the Head of School. Prior to joining the MindSprout family, Curtriona served as the Behavior Specialist at KIPP Destiny in Dallas, Texas, as well as a classroom teacher at Richard Millburn Academy. She is currently completing her Masters degree in Education specializing in Curriculum and Instruction from City University of Seattle, and is beginning to study the Montessori Method.
