Our Team

Amukta Mahapatra, founder of SchoolScape has been associated with the field of school education since many decades. She has worked with small, independent schools and also developed programmes that have been implemented by the education departments across a state or taken to many states in India. Wherever she has worked, she has fought for the child’s right to live and learn spontaneously.

She started her teaching career at the The School K.F.I, run by the Krishnamurti Foundation India in Chennai.

Later, as the first principal of Abacus Montessori School in Chennai, she enabled Montessori practices from preschool to high school, to be seen from a contemporary perspective.

While working with UNICEF, she helped to develop a Quality Package to be implemented in government schools across ten states.

She conducted a programme called the Professional Development of Teacher Educators for the faculty of the DIETs (District Institutes for Education and Training) in Tamil Nadu. The education department took the evolved modules forward and trained 200,000 elementary teachers across the state. This was the harbinger for the ABL programme for primary schools to be developed and later implemented in all 37,500 elementary schools in the state.

She has organised many national and international conferences and is the initiating force for the movement of democratic education in India, under the banner of IDEC and InDEC. She has participated and presented papers at national and international seminars.

She has published articles and papers; her work has been mentioned in books and reports on best practices to be taken forward.

Member of the Task Force for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India (2023). Karnataka Task Force (2024). Life member, Association Montessori Internationale. Life member, Crafts Council of India.

Nalini Tanguturu comes from a technology background, with ten years of professional IT experience in India and in the USA.

After returning from the US, she got interested in Montessori education. She trained to be an elementary Montessori educator at SchoolScape in 2017-18.

Nalini worked as an Elementary teacher in Montessori schools, where she helped in setting up environments for children. She has also been a faculty member ​for ​the ​Elementary Montessori Course run by SchoolScape from the past few years.

Combining her global IT experience with her Montessori knowledge, Nalini has been instrumental in setting up the online platform for the Montessori training at SchoolScape.

Nalini describes her experience of working with Amukta as a career defining one. She has not only been able to realize her inner calling towards Montessori philosophy, but also been able to become an able administrator.

Gracy Kingsley is a Post Graduate MBA (HR). She completed her diploma in Montessori Primary teacher training from IMTC-Chennai in 2003 and later completed the Montessori Elementary teacher training from Sharanalaya Montessori School in 2016. She holds a B.Ed and Diploma in Special Education (Autism). She underwent the Training of Trainers programme with SchoolScape.

Gracy has extensive experience working with children since 2003 in Sharanalaya Montessori School, Chennai at both the Preschool and Elementary levels. She started as a Montessori teacher and then became the Principal of the school, which she held for seven years till 2020. She has experience in training and mentoring teachers during this time, while she set up and managed the school.

Looking for new ways of working in the field, with autonomy and to challenge herself, she joined SchoolScape.

Shobhana Vaidyanathan, Director at IMTC-Chennai (Indian Montessori Training Courses) from 1999.

She is a gold medalist in Home Science from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, 1980. She completed her Montessori teacher’training in 1981, at Hyderabad under the directorship of Mr. S. R. Swamy and received the AMI diploma. During her tenure at IMTC-Chennai, Shobhana Vaidyanathan received her certificate to be an independent Director of Training from IMC, Bangalore in 2008. Shobhana completed the Education Leadership Programme conducted by the Kuruvilla Jacob Initiative, Chennai.

She has 25 years of working experience with children and teachers in Montessori organisations. She passionately believes it is the only method that addresses the developmental needs of ALL children. She shares with the adult students of IMTC-Chennai, her varied experience of working with children – at Lumbini, Hyderabad, Abacus Montessori School, and Maitri, in Chennai. Founder-Principal of Maitri, she has the distinction of integrating children with special needs into the school.

Shobhana has gained deep insights into the doubts and difficulties adults face while working with children through her other experiences at Namma Bhoomi (a project of Concerned for Working Children, Karnataka) and SOS Village School, Tambaram. As a member of the IMTC-Chennai team, she has been a consultant for various Montessori Schools to help them set up Montessori environments and provide in-house training for their teachers. She conducts workshops for organizations and schools to spread awareness of the Montessori Method and philosophy.

Shobhana Vaidyanathan was honorary Vice-Chairperson of the Indian Montessori Centre – Tamil Nadu Chapter and has been the Convenor of the Maitri conferences held at Chennai, an IMC initiative to create awareness regarding the Montessori movement. She has presented papers at national conferences including one on “The Social Question of the Child” at a national seminar organised by the Department of Elementary Education, NCERT , New Delhi. Single-minded and energetic, Shobhana Vaidyanathan is a stickler for work and wholeheartedly gives her time and energy to any task that she undertakes.

Now Mrs. Shobhana Vaidyanathan has formally retired from her full-time director ship from IMC. She now sees herself in the role of a Montessori consultant for schools and a visiting faculty for the Montessori Training Courses

Sharon Caldwell is a teacher, teacher trainer, writer, and speaker. She was the founder of Nahoon Montessori School, a radical experiment in student empowerment embodying the pedagogy and vision of student liberty encouraged by Dr Montessori, but also inspired by the model of student self-governance exemplified in schools within the Democratic and Free School tradition. She has experience working with children in a Montessori context from 2½ to 15
years and has taught in conventional high school, as well as homeschooling her sons from age 13.

Sharon has key-noted and presented at conferences in India, the USA, Australia, Indonesia, Honk Kong and in South Africa. She has consulted and conducted Montessori teacher professional development in Tokyo, Hanoi, Beijing and Dakar as well as South Africa. She has contributed to two books on school innovation (Turning Points: 35 Visionaries in Education Tell Their Own Stories! and The Directory of Democratic Education) and co-authored and edited teacher training materials for the Centre for Guided Montessori Studies. She is a regular guest lecturer for the Montessori Campus, a Montessori teacher training program in South Africa, as well as running her own professional development seminars for Montessori teachers.

She served on the Executive Committee of SAMA (South African Montessori Association), and for two years was CEO of that association. She is currently the General Secretary of SAMA and represents the Association on NAISA (National Alliance of Independent Schools Associations), on which she holds the ECD portfolio.

For a number of years, she mentored Montessori school leaders for the Montessori Foundation, and has designed and written three short online courses for the Montessori Leadership Institute. She has been a regular contributor to Tomorrow’s Child Magazine and Montessori Leadership, magazine of the International Montessori Council, of which she was Assistant Editor.

In 2014, she was invited to begin an Adolescent programme at the Montessori School of Tokyo, after completing the AMI/NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent programme. In 2015/16 she was employed as Curriculum Coordinator and Director of Professional Development at the same school, during which time she led the school through the IMC (International Montessori Council) Accreditation process.

She is currently working as an independent consultant supporting South African Montessori Schools.

Khushbu Gupta is a trained Montessori Educator from AMI – RTI Mumbai. She has had a background in banking, is a mother of a teen, a storyteller, and has participated in various children’s events by organising and performing puppet shows and book reading sessions.

She has always found the world of children to be vastly fascinating and intriguing.
What thoughts do they have?

Why do their perspectives differ so much?

During her journey as an Educator, she realised that it’s not just helping her find some of the answers to these questions; but it’s also increasing her self-awareness and providing opportunities for self-discovery.

She has been working in the Casa and elementary environments.

She firmly thinks that Montessori is not only a method of education but also a means of nurturing life that can benefit the whole of humanity.

Bulbul Hasan was born in Shillong, Meghalaya in India and later went on to live and study in Bangalore and Chennai where she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Literature, Psychology and Journalism and also completed a Montessori training as a 3-6 guide with the Association Montessori Internationale. Soon after completing her diploma course she started on a search for a Montessori school where she could put into practice the theory of Montessori education that had had such a deep impact on her life. She went on to work in different schools across the globe and also deepen her understanding of different cultures. She has worked and lived in Montessori schools in Singapore, New York, Jersey City, Chihuahua Mexico, and Madrid, Spain.

Bulbul has also conducted Montessori related workshops at various schools across the world for teachers and parents. She has provided support and consultancy to schools in Mexico, Spain and India. Bulbul looks at her work in schools, with teachers as one of support and mentorship where her observations form the basis of a more sustained approach to the changes required in their work as continually preparing to be the adults working with children and also in terms of the preparation of their environments. She has also had the opportunity to create and teach short Montessori courses for teachers and parents and is interested in continuing to offer training to new students who are looking for a practical understanding of Montessori education. While including Montessori theory Bulbul also keeps in mind the very important experiential aspect of learning. Her lectures often include anecdotes from her personal experience.

Her other interests include travelling and exploring new cultures and she currently lives in Mexico.

Keerthana Sunil is an Elementary Montessori trained Educator. She was inspired by her daughter to do the Elementary Montessori course.

She is very passionate about working with children. Working with children has been life-changing. She has deeply understood the role of an adult in an environment and truly believes that giving children the right freedom and support makes them confident, curious, and lifelong learners.

She has worked in Anweshana Montessori School and The Earth School Elementary environment.

Dhanvanthini was born and brought up in Chennai, where her upbringing was closely intertwined with farming and the cultural strongholds of a household in South India. She holds a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Dynamics and clearly remembers that the course of her education was always a result of her conscious decisions.

When her son enrolled in a Montessori programme in 2015, it felt like a revelation to her. Since then, she has taken a greater interest in understanding the pedagogy, witnessing not just her own family’s growth but also the unfolding and discovery of the children in the environments she works with.

Dhanvanthini has completed her Preprimary training from IMTC-Chennai, followed by an Elementary diploma from Sharanalaya Teacher Development Initiative and with SchoolScape. She has been working with children as a lead adult since 2017. She is passionate about the Montessori approach and is committed to playing a role in the Cosmic Plan, whatever it may be. She is an intern faculty for the Preprimary and Elementary courses, as well as the School Development projects for SchoolScape.

She continues to be based in Chennai.

People from India and other countries are included as faculty for different areas and subjects. Those who have experience working with children are preferred. Those who are willing to learn, unlearn, work as a member of a team, guide students in a collaborative manner are those who have grown with this experience at SchoolScape.

With an internship programme for becoming trainers, the team evolves with mentorship and reflective practices built-in to the process, as one continues to teach and learn.