Victoria Brailsford

Career Highlights: 

Studied under one of Maria Montessori’s last living students. Taught in and led a parent-founded, non-profit Montessori school for fifteen years. Became a Master Teacher and helped prepare Montessori teachers from all over the world for two different teacher-training organizations. My work in the field has taken me all over the United States, to China, Australia, and of course, right here around Montana. 

Special Skills: 

I am an Early Childhood Trainer with the Montana Early Childhood Project as a Professional Development Specialist Level III. I’m a Level 9 on the Montana Early Childhood Practitioner Registry and I have a master’s degree in Montessori Education. I have volunteered for a number of local non-profit organizations serving children and families as a board member and committee member. This has given me a unique perspective on Bozeman as a community, and kept me plugged into what people need to thrive at every stage of life, inspired by Montessori’s motto: “aid to life.”

Things I am passionate about: 

As a single parent of two (now adult) children and having lost two parents to cancer in recent years, I know how challenging it can be to successfully manage a work-life balance. I am passionate about finding ways to support our resilient team of staff here at Bozeman Montessori, and to support our community of parents in caring for ourselves inside and out. Life is short — let’s not miss all the joy to be had along the way!

In my free time, I love to: 

I’ve called Bozeman home for over thirty years, but I also love to get out to visit interesting places and connect with new people--from quiet Montana towns to bustling cities across the globe. 

Other things about me: 

I am one of those dinosaurs that collects the paper each morning from my front yard, (or bushes, or wherever else it happens to land), and I follow the obituaries where I enjoy reading life histories. I find it fascinating to see where people were born, where their travels took them and how they found their way to Bozeman. I love how you can discover aspects of their legacy in the way their loved ones write about them. Everyone has a story to tell. 

When I was little, I loved to: 

Bring small bouquets of wildflowers to my mom from fields around our farm, pick vegetables from the garden, milk goats, collect eggs from our chickens, climb trees and connect with friends at school! I grew up wanting to be a teacher and a mom but as a student, I used to fill my notebook with redesigned school schedules, alternate models of what I thought made more sense, just for fun!

Personal philosophy: 

Anybody can learn how to cook. (Especially if you went to a Montessori school!) My Aunt Andrea taught me that if you can get comfortable with just five dishes, you will have learned enough to become a successful cook. I take this as a metaphor for life: just start where you are.