Our Teachers
Lynn Christiansen, Co-Director
About Me: I’ve been teaching little ones for 20+ years, 17 of which has been right here at Children’s House! In addition to being Montessori certified, I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from St. John’s University
My Family: I live in Honesdale, PA with my husband and 3 of our 4 children. Our daughter and son-in-law just recently blessed us with our first grandchild!
My Pets: I have one crazy, but sweet rescue dog named Pearl and a fluffy cat named Maisy.
My Interests: I enjoy reading, antiquing, and exploring new places both near and far.
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: The Prepared Environment! The room is thoughtfully prepared with natural materials. Everything on the shelves is for the children and has a clear purpose. When you enter a Montessori classroom, you can’t help but feel a sense of calm. Every area of the classroom invites the children to explore, discover, and learn.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
Favorite Montessori Material: The moveable alphabet
Favorite Snack or Treat: Honeycrisp apples and peanut butter
Favorite Place to Visit: Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Micki Darazsdi, Assistant Teacher
About Me: I have been with BCH for 14 years and 3 school sites! Originally, I am from Ridgewood (Queens) New York but I moved to this area 33 years ago.
My Family: Includes my husband of 30 years named John. I also have a 28 year old daughter named Zoe. She is married to my son-in-law, Alex.
My Pets: I have a granddog named Beezus that’s a rescue animal. He was named after the older sister in the Ramona book series.
My Interests: Besides English, I speak an Austrian dialect and love learning more about my culture. I also enjoy swimming and boating on Lake Wallenpaupack.
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: I appreciate how Montessori education is intrinsically motivated and based on children’s interests and abilities.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats
Favorite Montessori Material: Tangram Cards
Favorite Snack or Treat: Smoothies
Favorite Place to Visit: Pumpkin farms in Autumn
Danielle, Assistant Teacher
About Me: I am excited to be part of the BCH team. I love working with children helping them learn and grow in a fun, caring environment.
My Family: I live with my husband and two daughters.
My Pets: Our dog, Rosie!
My Interests: I enjoy projects around the house, coaching cheerleading, and cheering my girls on from the sidelines
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: What I love most about Montessori education is watching children grow into confident, independent learns through hands-on experiences.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn
Favorite Montessori Material: Pouring and Spooning works because they help children build focus, coordination, and independence in a fun, hands-on way
Favorite Snack or Treat: Popcorn
Favorite Place to Visit: The beach
Amber Bond, Co-Director, PP1 Head Teacher
About Me: Hi! My name is Miss Amber! I am the lead teacher in the PP1 class. I hold an Early Childhood Montessori Diploma through NAMC as well as elementary teaching certificates in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Prior to teaching here at BCH I was a SAHM and taught 1st grade for 8 years in a public school in New Jersey.
My Family: I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who is also a teacher! We are on opposite sides of the spectrum though, as he teaches high school. We are originally from New Jersey, but fell in love with Honesdale and moved here to raise our twin daughters over 15 years ago!
My Pets: We have a 5 year old black lab named Harrison. He is the perfect balance of love and mischief!
My Interests: Currently, I am passionate about learning all I can about Homeopathy to better care for my family and those around me. I also love cooking, baking, and searching for treasures at thrift shops and yard sales.
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: I love the Montessori practice of”The Prepared Classroom”. It is a true joy of mine to creatively prepare our space with order and beauty to promote a peaceful classroom community.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
Favorite Montessori Material: The Hanging Bead Stair
Favorite Snack or Treat: Coffee, chocolate, and Smartfood…I can’t pick just one!
Favorite Place to Visit: Cape May, NJ
Megan Gardish, Assistant Teacher
About Me: My name is Miss Megan, and I am 24 years old. My bachelor’s degree is in Psychology with a Child Welfare minor. I am currently in my Masters Program for School Counseling.
My Family: I have 4 sisters and 1 brother. I am the middle child of us all!
My Pets: I have a boxador dog named River and a cat named Layla. They are both 3 years old.
My Interests: I love listening to music, hiking, dancing, bike rides, and going to the gym.
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: Montessori education fosters the idea that children learn when they play. Letting the children pick works from a variety of materials brings to life constructive development and the enjoyment of learning.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: The Little Red Hen
Favorite Montessori Material: Math Beads
Favorite Snack or Treat: Soft-backed chocolate chip cookies
Favorite Place to Visit: St. Lawrence Seaway
Melanie Terwilliger, PP2 Head Teacher
About Me: I graduated in 2013 with my associates degree in Early Childhood Education. I graduated from Penn State with my bachelors degree in Human Development & Family Studies in 2020 and became Montessori certified in February 2026
My Family: I live with my husband and daughter
My Pets: 1 dog, Simba and 2 hermit crabs, Jelly and Bean!
My Interests: Nature, disc golf, riding bikes, baseball, and softball
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: One of my favorite aspects about Montessori is that it fosters a care for the environment, care of self, and respect for others.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister and Aaron Reynolds “Creepy” series
Favorite Montessori Material: Moveable Alphabet! It is very versatile and a great option for working on letter recognition and word formation.
Favorite Snack or Treat: Chips with french onion dip
Favorite Place to Visit: Bittos Tikka, a nearby Indian restaurant and going to softball and baseball games!
Lee DeFazio, Assistant Teacher
About Me: I grew up in Scranton and moved to Honesdale about 20 years ago. I retired from nursing in March 2026.
My Family: I am married and have 2 adult daughters and 2 adult stepchildren. My husband and I both come from large families, so I have a lot of extended family, too.
My Pets: A dog named Dolly!
My Interests: Reading, gardening, and going for walks.
What I Love Most About Montessori Education: I love that the children are having fun exploring whatever interests them, either alone or with others, while always learning. All the activities are instructional and still enjoyable.
Fun Facts
Favorite Children’s Book: I’ve always liked books by Dr. Seuss, especially “Green Eggs and Ham” and “The Cat in the Hat”.
Favorite Montessori Material: I love art materials because the kids are so creative and I love to see how they take a work and make it their own. I also love blocks and puzzles — it’s amazing to watch the children figure them out!
Favorite Snack or Treat: Ice Cream
Favorite Place to Visit: Any bookstore or the beach.
