As a young girl, Jelena knew she would one day become a teacher and assist others because she believed that every child deserves the opportunity to learn. Jelena was first introduced to Montessori when completing her university degree. When watching a movie about Dr. Maria Montessori’s life and work, Jelena felt herself resonate strongly to Maria Montessori and was inspired by the Montessori Method as it was a child-centered and individualized approach to education. 

When Jelena moved to Calgary in 2012, she was given the opportunity to work at a Montessori preschool. After completing the Montessori Assistant Course and the Montessori Early Childhood Diploma Program, Jelena was left in awe with the teachings she received. We are all aware of the importance of the first six years of life, and one cannot think of a better method to assist the child’s natural development at that important stage than through the Montessori Methods. As someone who experienced war early on in her childhood and saw how it can disrupt one’s environment and life, Jelena felt honored to contribute to Dr. Montessori’s great vision of world peace through education.

When Jelena is not teaching or mentoring, she loves to spend quality time with her children and close friends. Jelena is also a self-taught photographer and enjoys capturing emotions and moments while creating new memories. In addition to Croatian and English, Jelena has also studied Italian and Spanish. She loves learning foreign languages, especially their grammar as language reflects how people think, and it is fun to discover the differences and similarities between cultures. 

Jelena is excited to deepen her understanding of the Montessori Method and assist the new generations of Montessori Teachers in their learning. As a young girl, Jelena grew up in a country where she wasn’t exposed to much diversity, but always wanted to meet people from other parts of the world and learn about their culture. Living in Canada for the past 10 years has been a blessing as Jelena as gotten to know and create friendships with people from all over the world.