“Education begins at birth,” says Montessori Guide Ardass Khalsa, referring to the philosophical essence of Maria Montessori that she herself embraces. Over her many years as a Montessori educator, Ms. Khalsa has followed an approach to teaching that honors and supports each child’s individual path, one infused with her love for the arts and her reverence toward beauty.
Born in Mexico City, Ms. Khalsa grew up immersed in classical music and visual arts. Her interest in dance led her to a career as a professional performer and has encompassed ballet, modern dance, jazz, flamenco, and other styles of this art. When, later in her career, Ms. Khalsa began practicing and teaching Yoga and meditation, a chance encounter with a two-year old led to her teaching movement and music to very young students. “The children chose me,” she says, describing the turn in her career path that began with a sense of mutual recognition and joy.
After coming to the United States, Ms. Khalsa received Montessori training at the Northern Virginia Montessori Institute. She has worked as Montessori Lead Guide in Spanish immersion at different programs, and at the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning, bringing performing arts into the schools. “Children can learn anything,” she says, adding, “We just have to teach them how to do it so that they can do it themselves.”
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