Julia Hittinger

Lead Elementary Teacher

Julia Hittinger received her bachelor’s degree in Special Education and has been certified through the Indiana Dept. of Education in Special Education grades K-12 and General Elementary Education grades 1-6.  Her experience with Montessori education began when she, her husband, Tim, and Anita Hittinger founded a Montessori day camp in 2005.  She spent the first 6 years of her professional teaching career in Perry Township and Center Grove where she worked in many capacities.  She worked with students diagnosed with various Mild Cognitive disabilities and led small group reading instruction using a researched-based intervention. She fully embraced the Montessori philosophy and helped to found the Elementary program at another local Montessori school in 2012.  She has a passion for reading and writing, visual arts, music, and nature.  She is a strong believer in students working to their potential and differentiating instruction based on student interests and skill levels.  She would like to see more schools founded on its fundamentals and practices.  Outside of teaching, Julia enjoys spending time with family, reading, watching movies, and vacationing in Michigan.  She received her Elementary Montessori training from Seton Montessori Institute in Chicago in 2012.

Tim Hittinger

Lead Early Childhood Teacher

Tim received his bachelor’s degree with a social science emphasis and has a special interest in cultural anthropology. His experience with Montessori education began as a preschooler at the Children’s House in Beech Grove. He received training in the nationally recognized Music Together program and received both paraprofessional training and Early Childhood training from Seton Montessori Institute, formerly MECA. Montessori education is his passion because it helps people learn how to be their best. He has been teaching since 2004. He lives with his family on the south side of Indianapolis. He has shared his special areas of interests and passions by enriching classes with Spanish, music, storytelling, and physical activity. Tim enjoys sports, music, martial- arts, sailing, reading, and writing.

Kayli Neff

Teaching Assistant

Kayli began her teacher’s assistant journey with Head Start in 2017. She found Montessori in 2023 and loved it. Her daughter is enrolled at Green Leaf in the Elementary class and is amazed by how the learning environment is and feels it’s a better fit for them both. She is currently doing her CPR certification and finished her Montessori Fundamentals training in the summer of 2023 by the United Montessori Schools of Indiana. She enjoys reading, going to the beach, Dungeons and Dragons, and board and card games. She loves her daughter and spending time with her family.

Kurt Tintle

Lead Toddler Teacher

Kurt is Lead Teacher for the Toddler Program. His son began his journey at Green Leaf Montessori in 2022. He became interested in Montessori philosophy after watching that process, and joined the following semester, as a Teacher’s Aide. He attended HSI/CPR/AED Certification class in May 2023, and Montessori Fundamentals Training through the United Montessori Schools of Indiana in Summer 2023. In his free time, he enjoys drawing pictures, outings with his family, his 2 dogs, and pursuing his family genealogy.

Sharon Holcktle

Teaching Assistant

Sharon received her Bachelors in Fine Arts and Photography from Pratt Institute in NYC in 2015. She was raised in Hawaii and moved to Indiana in 2020. She has been balancing working as a family photographer and being a stay at home mom with her two girls for the last 7 years where she practiced some Montessori concepts in her home. Over the summer of 2023, she completed a Montessori training session with United Montessori Schools of Indiana in preparation for Green Leaf and is so excited to be able to work and play with all the kids. Sharon loves being creative whether it’s through photography, painting, drawing, and whatever else she can get her hands on. She also spends her time watching all kinds of tv shows and movies from comic book-related to romance and comedies. You will likely find her family at almost every movie premiere. 

 

Justin Freeland

Lead Toddler Teacher

Mr. Justin is a Lead Teacher for the toddler classroom in the afternoon and works the aftercare program. Justin is from Whiteland and has worked with Tim & Julia Hittinger in Montessori school programs since 2016. His favorite part about his job is helping kids each and every day. He has attended classes on the Montessori philosophy and practices with the United Montessori Schools of Indiana (UMSI). In his free time he enjoys hanging out with friends, spending time with his nephew, and playing video games.

 

 

Anita Hittinger

School Consultant

Anita received her BA degree from Purdue University and her American Montessori Society credential in Early Childhood Education after receiving training through Seton Montessori Institute.  She has been teaching in a variety of capacities since 1987, mostly in early childhood.  Her introduction to Montessori education began at the Montessori Children’s House in Beech Grove where both of her sons attended preschool.  After seeing the love of learning instilled within her own children, she was very excited for the opportunity to serve there as a Montessori assistant for three years.  She served as director of 2 other preschools for nine years and 11 years respectively.  She has a passion for helping children reach their full potential.  Anita lives in Indianapolis with her husband and enjoys spending time with her family, reading music, gardening, camping, hiking, cycling, boating and water-skiing.