Staff

 

Yoko Avramov M.Ed.

Head Teacher and Director of Montessori Language Academy

Montessori Language Academy’s faculty is led by the school founder and director, Yoko Avramov. Known to her students as Yoko-Sensei, Yoko is a winner of the prestigious Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Award for 2001, a Golden Apple Award Finalist in 2000, and an inductee into the Kohl Academy of Outstanding Educators. She also serves as a presenter for the Montessori Education Center Associates (MECA) in Clarendon Hills. Her monthly column "Mama, Mitetene" appears in J-Angle Japanese news paper, which is available in Chicago area.
A native of Kyoto, Japan, Yoko holds an American Montessori Society credential in Early Childhood Education. She earned B.A. in English Literature from Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan, and a M. Ed. in Early Childhood Education from Concordia University, River Forest, Illinois.

 

Mieko Fujii

Japanese language Teacher

A former kindergarten teacher in Japan, Mieko Fujii also teaches Japanese at the collegiate level. She completed her graduate work and holds a certificate in teaching Japanese Language from the TMCA /foreign Language School in Kobe, Japan and a B.A. in English Literature and Education from Mukogawa Women’s University in Nishinomiya, Japan.

Mieko holds an American Montessori Society credential in Early Childhood Education and Illinois state certificate as a Japanese language Teacher.

 

Narjisse Benkhraba

English language Teacher

A native of Morocco, Narjisse Bankhraba holds associate degree in English language and Literature from Mohamed V University, Rabat, Morocco. Narjisse is fluent in English, French and Arabic. As a mom of an active multilingual preschooler, Narjisse shares a lot of joys and challenges with MLA parents.
Narjisse has completed her certification for Credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in Summer 2008.

 

Chiaki Kawamura

Japanese Class Teacher

A native of Tokyo Japan, Chiaki Kawamura graduated Tokyo School of Business where she studied Program for Executive Assistant. Chiaki has completed certification for credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in 2011. As a parent of a bilingual grade school boy, Chiaki helps MLA families with resourceful information about local public schools.

 

 

Kaori Mincer

Japanese Class Teacher

A native of Japan, Kaori Mincer holds a BA in English Literature from Seijo University in Tokyo,Japan and an MBA from the University of Tennessee,Knoxville. Kaori has a bilingual background and is fluent in English and Japanese. As a parent of a bilingual grade school daughter who graduated MLA, she enjoys the growth of the current students . Kaori will complete her certification for Credentials from the American Montessori Society in Early Childhood Education in early 2012 .