Junior High Faculty

	Bob Feferman, Junior High Teacher Bob Feferman is a Junior High teacher in Room 112. He teaches Social Studies, Language Arts, Writing and Personal Knowledge in the Junior High program. He began teaching at TMA in 1993. Bob received his Montessori training at The Houston Montessori Center in Houston, Texas. He was born and raised in South Bend, attended Adams High School and Indiana University at Bloomington where he majored in Political Science. After graduation from college in 1975, Bob lived in Israel for 11 years where he met his wife Shoshana. They have two children, Dan and Efrat. (Bio updated Feb. 2008)
	Judy Hill, Junior High Teacher Judy Hill has been teaching Junior High at The Montessori Academy since 1999. Her philosophy of education is to develop an educational environment that stimulates curiosity, awareness, broadened perspectives and continuing self-motivated participation and involvement. She also believes that students need to be provided with the tools that will allow them to make competent decisions and to take effective action in science-related issues by thinking critically and rationally in order to function as scientifically and technologically literate citizens. Judy has come to embrace the ideals of Maria Montessori because they reflect her own ideals of what education should be. Being a part of the Montessori Academy's community has rekindled a spark of her love of teaching. Judy has her B.S. degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Michigan State University and her M.A. degree in Education from the University of Connecticut. Her educational background is complimented by practical experiences in varied settings. She was a Naturalist at River Bend Nature Center in Racine WI, Thames Science Center in New London CT, and Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles, MI. Judy's classroom experiences include: Applied Biochemistry, Biology, Earth, Human and Physical sciences, and mathematics at Stockbridge Community Schools in Stockbridge MI and Kiski Area Schools in Vandergrift PA. Judy participated in and completed NAMTA's Adolescent Orientation program, located at Hiram College, Ohio, in the summer of 2006. Judy lives in Niles, Michigan with her husband Greg and their two children, Steven and Megan, and all their critters inside and outside their home. Her hobbies include gardening and landscaping, camping traveling and music. Oh, and she cant forget BASEBALL! Go Cubs! (Bio updated Feb. 2008)
	Zabe Williams, Junior High Teacher Zabe Williams is a Junior High teacher in Room 112. She holds a B.S. in Mathematics from DePaul University in Chicago and a Masters Degree in American History from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Zabe became aware of Maria Montessoris ideas as a graduate student in History and Education Policy Studies at the UW in the late 80s. When it came time to choose a path of education for her children in South Bend, she quickly became re-acquainted with Montessoris Philosophy. Zabe first came to TMA as the parent of David (Toddler class, 1996-97) and Nathan (Toddler class, 2000-01), both current elementary students. In 2000, she started part-time on the faculty at TMA with only 6 hours a week and 8 students. She now directs most of the Junior High mathematics inquiry as a full time math specialist. Zabe lives in Granger with her two sons, her husband, Peter Cholak, and their Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Cocoa.