KATHY MACHALICA, CALP – DIRECTOR |  MONTESSORI ACADEMIC COORDINATOR | LANGUAGE THERAPY

Owner | Director |Bachelors of General Studies Texas A&M Commerce| AMS Montessori 3-6 Credential | RBT | SEE Language Therapy | Search-Teach Language Therapy | Interactive Metronome Therapy

Kathy Machalica received her Bachelor’s from Texas A&M University Commerce, and it was during this training to become a traditional teacher that Kathy found Montessori. For each of us, the evolution from teen/young adult into maturing parent/partner brings to the surface our “areas of improvement.”  For Kathy, Montessori gently excavated her own need for positive discipline, open-ended learning, child-led teaching, organization of the mind and body, and the existence of a peaceful classroom.  This experience so captivated Kathy’s heart—pulling her toward that higher calling–that it completely changed her path of education!  Kathy received her AMS Montessori Early Childhood certification from Shelton Montessori in Dallas, Tx in 2017. Through this program, she wishes to further pursue and finish her M.A.T. at Dallas Baptist University. Kathy and her husband have 4 children ages 7-16. When their 3rd child was born in 2012, they realized the very challenging, confusing, and beautiful path a learning different child will take. It was through this journey within her own family, and the families she connected along that way, that Rooted Life Montessori was conceived, grown and now fully born. Her own daughter’s needs, that exceeded the skill set of the average Montessori classroom, drove Kathy to further pursue purposeful education for the learning different child. Kathy spent 3 years in the Primary Classroom, 2 years dedicated as a full time SEE, TEACH and RBT therapist, and another 2 years as the Elementary lead before moving into the role of Academic Coordinator and Director of RLM.  Through Shelton School’s Outreach and Training, she is trained in the Sequential English Education (SEE) program, which is an IMSLEC and ADA accredited curriculum for dyslexia. She is certified through ALTA as a Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP). In addition to this, she is a Search and Teach language therapist for ages 5-7, Interactive Metronome therapist for all ages, and RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) for all ages. She had the privilege of working alongside 2 behavior therapists (Kaela’ Bryant and Princess Moore in 2021-2023), and it was through this cooperative co teaching and merging of Montessori philosophy with ABA best practices that the Adaptive Behavior classroom was conceived and born.  When Kathy is not creating yet another Montessori material, she enjoys learning more about Ashtanga and Aerial Yoga, her second love. Kathy knows that the brain is neuroplastic and the single greatest tool we can teach our children is how to calm our nervous system so it can grow, build, heal and reach its highest potential.  Kathy is dedicated to envisioning and building a Montessori school where all children–regardless of their typical or atypical–development can access the “Genius Behind the Method” in their early childhood years.