Meet Alicha Pantoja!
Alicha Pantoja is the head teacher in the Toddler program at Grace Montessori School. During Alicha’s previous 13 years of teaching, she developed an appreciation for Montessori education, which led her to join the Grace Montessori team in 2023.
Alicha earned her associate degree in Early Childhood Education at Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). While in school, she volunteered with Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers, working as a school-age teacher at the Truman School in Salisbury. In this position, Alicha was recognized for her enthusiasm and innovative teaching methods, earning her the School Age Teacher Excellence Award.
At Grace Montessori School, Alicha’s classroom is known to be “home-like.” She strives to create a calm, clean environment where students can explore the classroom freely without being overstimulated. To Alicha, the most important part of Montessori education is the environment. Therefore, she is committed to providing her students with a safe space to develop self-awareness and independence.
Throughout her career, Alicha’s teaching approach has been to respect children as individuals with their own personalities, thoughts, and feelings. As part of the toddler curriculum, Alicha designs one-on-one lessons for her students to address their personal needs and learning objectives. However, at the end of each year, all of Alicha’s students leave her classroom with two of the same key lessons: to enjoy learning and to take charge of their own learning. At Grace Montessori School, Alicha feels like a member of one big family. By helping her students develop a sense of identity, she hopes to make them also feel seen and heard as members of this family.
When Alicha is not with her Grace Montessori family, she loves spending time with her own family at home. In her free time, she prioritizes relaxing and being outdoors. Want to learn more about the Grace Montessori School experience? Click here for more information.
