Nadia Michoustina

I was born in Kyiv, Ukraine and grew up in a family of diplomats, which led to me living in the Congo, the US and Belgium.

My interest in teaching and languages developed when I was a graduate student in English at the University of Texas at Arlington.  To earn extra money, I took up tutoring and teaching English to learners of various language backgrounds.

Teaching became my passion. I planned for a career in academia and pursued doctoral work at Columbia University in New York, but my best memories were of working directly with students: the high-fives, solving problems together, and chatting as they arrived at school each morning. I have always been fascinated by classrooms as environments which spark curiosity, learning, discovery and exploration, where ideas are tested and relationships are built.

Maria Montessori, whose pedagogy inspires my practice, recognized that for learning to be successful children need to feel a sense of belonging. She called her primary classrooms “children’s house,” a place where children are free to explore, create, learn autonomy and build a community.

After more than thirty years of working in language education and seven years as a Montessori teacher, I am very happy to join the outstanding EBiHS team and contribute to creating a learning environment where each child feels valued and supported and learning is purposeful, enthralling and joyful.