Watershed Montessori School
Meet our Guides
Jed Burchett
Director, Lead Guide Heron Class
Jed earned his BA in Art History from Sonoma State University in 2002. After working as a counselor in a program for deaf and hard of hearing clients in the foster care system, Jed began his Montessori journey in 2005 when he started as an Assistant Teacher. In 2008, Jed earned his Certificate as Montessori Primary Guide from the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center under the guidance of Susan Cohn, a student of famous Montessorian Ursula Thrush, and who was recently awarded a Wisdom of the Elders award from the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE). In 2013, Jed earned a certificate with the NAMTA-AMI Orientation to Adolescent studies at the Hershey Montessori School, Huntsburg campus. It was during this time Jed began work as a teacher trainer for the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center. Jed is now Co-Director of MMTTC with Rebecca Keith, with Susan Cohn as director emerita.
Jed has a passion for the Montessori system of education and developing new and experienced teachers to grow in their ever-changing roles as Montessori professionals. He lives with his husband Bernie and several pets, and loves gardening, travel and singing.
Jessica Omar
Lead Guide Kingfisher Class
Jessica found her calling to Montessori Education in 2003 while working as an assistant teacher at Little Oaks Montessori. She began working at Brush Creek Montessori in 2004, where she taught primary and elementary students for sixteen years. Her experience includes teaching first grade at The Presentation School in Sonoma and serving as Associate Director for College Oak Montessori. She received her primary teacher training at the Maria Montessori Teacher Training Center of the North Bay from instructor and mentor, Susan Cohn. She received her elementary training at the Montessori Teacher Education Center San Francisco Bay Area. Jessica holds a BA in Liberal Studies from Sonoma State University. She considers herself to be a lifelong learner and she maintains an American Montessori Society membership among her efforts to stay knowledgable in the changing educational landscape.
Jessica lives in Santa Rosa with her husband, Abdullah, and their sons, Adam and Noah.
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Pauline Gutierrez
Heron Guide, Yoga Teacher
Pauline received her Yoga training at the Ananda Seva Yoga Training Center in Santa Rosa, CA. She's been involved in her yoga practice for over twenty years and has incorporated yoga into every aspect of her life. As a Montessori elementary teacher in her classroom she held a yoga class once a week, although her students had the opportunity to practice whatever they felt the need to stretch or calm down or just sit on a mat! She's taught classes in Hatha Yoga in various studios in West County, and continues to practice in her home. She lives in Bodega Bay, California with her husband Dean, and their dog Luna...who at times loves to sit on the mat while she practices.
Aaliyah Boggeri
Assistant Teacher
Aaliyah joins Watershed as a former Montessori student herself. She is currently studying child development and working toward a fine arts degree at Santa Rosa Junior College. She spent the last academic year working as a teachers' aide at College Oak Montessori. Aaliyah enjoys drawing, anime, and spending time with family.
Kingfisher
Guide
Profile coming soon.
Barbara Golden
Guest Art Teacher
Profile coming soon.
Susan Cohn
Teacher Trainer Emerita and Mentor
After retiring as Director of the Maria Montessori Training Course, North Bay in 2015,
Susan moved to Kansas to help with the Kansans Can Initiative where she continued her
work in Montessori education by assisting Kansas State Superintendent of Schools, Dr.
Randy Watson in this initiative to promote the Montessori framework within all Kansas
public schools Kindergarten through high school. This program is now fully operational
in all Kansas public schools.
Susan Bakel Cohn has dedicated nearly 50 years to the successful education of children
and is currently enrolled in Ananda’s Education for Life teacher training course. She feels
that the lessons she is learning from the course are invaluable in the continuing spiritual
education of children. She is currently serving as the Educational Director of Polestar
Gardens Summer Camps and the Project Director of the Polestar Intergenerational
Wellness Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, where a Montessori preschool will inhabit the
same facility as Elders. Susan plans on establishing a teacher training course there by
September, 2024.
In addition to JHU Teaching Awards, Susan was honored with the Dominican University
Caritas Veritas Award in 2018, and the Wisdom of the Elders Award in 2022 from the
Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education.
