Staff

Kristin Polk is the Executive Director and Primary Directress at Maravilla Montessori School.  Kristin knew she was destined to work with children when in high school she worked as the Tot and Day Camp Director and Playground Specialist of the New Berlin Parks and Recreation Program. Kristin graduated summa cum laude from UW-Milwaukee, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary and Middle-Level Education with a Minor in Language Arts.  Following graduation, she stepped into her first teaching and leadership roll when hired to collaboratively develop the first multi-age program in the School District of New Berlin. She gained 16 years of experience teaching multi-age, third grade, and fourth grade in this fully inclusive and 1:1 technology-device district.

During her teaching time in New Berlin, Kristin engaged in many district professional leadership opportunities.  As a New Berlin teacher, Kristin served on the district writing committee, district and school leadership team, district data retreats, district and school mission and vision committee, Waukesha County Reading Council, district representative for the Professional Learning Communities Institute with Rebecca and Richard DuFour, and representative for the CESA 1 district’s educator effectiveness committee work with the Charlotte Danielson Framework. Kristin was recognized for her efforts by being nominated for the Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship Award four times.  A special highlight for Kristin was being included in helping pilot Lucy Calkins’ recent draft of the Reading Units of Study and getting part of  her classroom lessons published in the curriculum guide.

During her tenure in New Berlin, Kristin engaged in many professional growth opportunities.  Some of the many literacy trainings included training in the Six Traits of Writing with Ruth Culham, Writing Workshop and the Units of Study with Lucy Calkins, and Writing Institute through the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.  Special interest in providing successful inclusive environments in her classroom led Kristin to also seek graduate level classes in neurodiversity in the classroom, emotional behavior disorders, technology as a transformational tool, and full-inclusion collaborative co-teaching models. Kristin is also committed to growing in administrative knowledge by taking Educational Leadership courses through Colorado State University and Cardinal Stritch University.  Serving as an adult-teacher, Kristin had the opportunity to share her knowledge in her school and district as a teacher trainer for SMART Boards, SeeSaw, Everyday Math Curriculum, and full-inclusion co-teaching.  In addition to these leadership tasks, Kristin enjoyed her role on the parent/teacher co-curricular committee, student council advisor, forensics coach, and school-event face painter.  

Kristin is a proud parent of two children who benefited from the Montessori environment for nine years.  Kristin has served as a trained assistant in the infant toddler, primary, and elementary level classrooms. She also greatly enjoyed serving as a trained co-teacher in Lower Elementary Montessori classroom.  She has also completed the academic portion towards becoming a certified Lower Elementary Montessori guide through an AMS accredited teacher training center.  Recently, she completed the Montessori Primary Training Program through the North American Montessori Center. Kristin believes every child is an individual with unique learning abilities and needs.  She fosters a calm, respectful, and safe learning environment by building supportive alliances with students and their families. She is excited to ignite the passion of learning for all the students in the Maravilla community