Inoka Jayasinghe is the founder of Creative Minds Children's House, driven by her dream to create a nurturing space for children's growth. She has 21 years of experience in Montessori education, initially trained in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and further trained in the Reggio Emilia model. Her career began at Shamrock Montessori Center in Kalamazoo, MI, under the mentorship of Mrs. Yolanda Quinn. Inoka is also a Mixed Media Painter with a passion for nature, which she integrates into her teaching through projects like the "Secrets of our Mind" traveling art project.
My Story
Hello! I am Inoka Jayasinghe, the founder of Creative Minds Children's House. I was inspired to start my own program as it has always been my dream to design my own space where children can blossom and grow. I obtained my initial AMI Montessori Education in Colombo, Sri Lanka. An AMI Teacher is instilled with significant understanding of the Child’s mind and is equipped with considerable knowledge to nurture and enrich their minds that are constantly curious and ready to grasp new events that unfold in their environment. I have 21 years of experience working with young children and helping them not only foster independent growth but also assist children to learn at their own pace though self-correcting lessons.
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Prior to starting Creative Minds Irvine, I started my career as a Montessori teacher at Shamrock Montessori Center in Kalamazoo, MI. There, I was mentored by the Montessori Director, Mrs. Yolanda Quinn, and have been trained in the Reggio-Emilia education model since August 2018. I was quite enthralled by Reggio Emilia approach; it incited me to wonder how we could collaborate these two educational models together.
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Reggio Emilia approach fascinates me primarily as it practices one of the best ways of learning, taking the environment as a third teacher. I have always been a firm believer in practicing this life skill of living close to nature, a boundless place of wonders and marvelous creations that I have always looked to capture its enormous beauty in my paintings as a child growing up. Needless to say, I am still in awe of this infinite canvas as an adult.
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Apart from my career as a Montessori teacher, I am a Mixed Media Painter driven by an immense passion of nature that took its seeds as a child. I have strived to continue on this delightful journey through my adult life as well. Enabling me to take flight on this path and share the joy with the vivid little minds, I created the ‘Secrets of our Mind’ traveling art project in 2013 at Shamrock Montessori Center, MI where I taught for 15 years.
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I am so blessed to work with children on a one-on-one basis and share this beautiful journey with them.“Secrets of our minds" painting program will be a momentous highlight of my program at Creative Minds Children’s House.