Maria Govoni shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi Maria , thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: When was the last time you felt true joy?
Honestly, and this may sound a little strange, but I felt true joy very recently at my grandmother’s funeral. She lived 97 years and left a legacy of 5 children, 15 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. She lived her life full of joy and gratitude and she made each one of us feel special, seen and loved. Each one of us were convinced we were her favorite, I don’t know how she did it, but she really made everyone feel that way, and she taught us how to love one another.
Even though it was so terribly sad and hard to say goodbye, I felt joy. Joy in knowing she lived exactly how she wanted to- putting others first and living simply with quiet strength and confidence.
Going through her pictures and things brought my cousins and I so much peace. She was an inspiration to us all and I will carry her wisdom and her way with me for always
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi my name is Maria Govoni, I am originally from the North East, but have lived in Austin for over 10 years now. In 2021 I opened The Children’s House Montessori School in South Austin, after working in various private and charter Montessori schools for over 15 years as lead teacher and instructor.
After recieving my Montessori credentials in the 3-6 year age group, I began teaching on the seacost of Massachusetts, and quickly fell in love with early education, and the importance of those early years in childhood. Children are truly sponges at this age, and have such a strong desire for independence, which is why Montessori just makes so much sense. After working at a private school in MA for 4 years, I moved to Austin to help open Austin’s first public Montessori charter school on the East Side. It was here I unfortunately experienced the hardships of teaching, and witnessed lots of teacher turnover. I saw how educators were overworked/underpaid and asked to do almost impossible things on a daily basis. Teachers were leaving in droves, and after a year and a half of trying so hard to help change the system, I myself left the school. It was one of the hardest decsions I have had to make. I did not want to leave my students, their families and my co-workers, but it just wasn’t sustainable. I went back to work in the private setting, and while there was still a lot of teacher turnover each year, I enjoyed having more independence again in the classroom.
I still felt like there was more that could be done. Why were teachers leaving? I don’t really have a clear answer for this, but from my experience, when owners of schools have their own hands on experience in the classoom, they have a better understanding of what teachers need, and in turn teachers tend to be happier and feel more seen day to day.
Teaching is hard no matter what, but I definately think there are things admin/owners can do to help make it less so.
Even though I had been toying with the idea of opening my own school for many years, it was COVID that was really the catalyst to making it all happen. When the school I was working at shut down during the pandemic, I had a few families reach out to me to start a pod school. I saw the benefits of smaller class sizes and the closeness that the familes felt as well. I decided to to open The Children’s House Montessori School in 2021 and we have been proudly serving students ages 18 months to 6 years ever since!
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
I have always played it safe in most areas of my life. The fear of not getting things “right” or fear of costly mistakes. It has taken owning my own business to know that most often in life the best things are on the other side of what makes you scared, you just have to go for it and own it, mistakes and all! If anything you will learn something from it and the value in that can’t be measured.
While I would say I am definately still a cautious person, I have leared to let go of a lot of those fears and trust that what’s on the other side is meant for me.
Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
I was in theater, plays and chorus from aged 4-16, I really enjoyed those times and miss being a part of something in that way. I loved the community, and the shared goal. I think especially in today’s world we are missing group activities and places to come together for the sake of sharing art and just letting loose.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
“Ignorance is bliss” right?! I often find its the smartest people that hold themselves back the most. Their barier to entry is the biggest. Whether thats because they are overthinking all the different outcomes, afraid of failure, worried about what other people will think or whatever fear holds them back, it’s usually because they are too smart for their own good.
The people who just go for it aren’t overthinking and aren’t as worried about the outcome. They aren’t afraid to fall and get back up again. I really admire this way of thinking.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when my family is healthy and happy, and when things at school are flowing smoothly. Those moments when everyone is well, the energy feels balanced, and the day-to-day rhythm falls into place, that’s when I can really breathe and feel at ease.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.childrenshouseatx.com/
- Instagram: @thechildrenshouseatx
Image Credits
AJ Govoni
Ross Mclane
