Greatly inspired by Maria Montessori meet our Early Years Teacher Erika Mills

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT ABU DHABI?

I love the diverse culture in Abu Dhabi, and forming friendships with people from around the globe. In my free time, I explore nature - kayaking in the mangroves or adventuring into the desert.

WHAT EXCITES YOU THE MOST ABOUT JOINING NAS ABU DHABI?

Being part of the founding teaching team in NAS Abu Dhabi is remarkable. I am part of an exceptionally talented team of teachers who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in education. We have created an innovative educational experience for our students who are part of a new era of learning. 

WHO DO YOU ADMIRE AND WHY?

I genuinely admire Maria Montessori. Thanks to her work in a child-centred educational approach based on scientific observations of children from birth to adulthood, education has prioritised the interests and needs of children. Montessori has inspired our 'In The Moment' approach that we foster in our setting based on the work by Anna Ephgrave. 

WHAT DO YOU FEEL MOST PASSIONATELY ABOUT IN EDUCATION?

I am passionate about inclusivity in education, and making sure each child has access to education. I support my students' learning through 'Makaton' - a language program that uses signs and symbols to help people to communicate. It supports spoken language, and the signs and symbols are used with speech in spoken order. This approach benefits all children for language acquisition, especially children with English as an additional language and educational needs. 

WHAT HOBBIES DO YOU HAVE? WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THEM?

My hobbies are singing and performing. I love singing as a way to express myself, have fun and connect with others. I look forward to participating in the NAS Abu Dhabi busking on Fridays! 

Want to learn more about our school? Read all about  MFL Teacher Marina Errea Rodriguez.

ABOUT ERIKA MILLS, EARLY YEARS TEACHER.

Inspired by Maria Montessori, Erika Mills is a passionate early years educator who loves nurturing the creative potential in children, their natural curiosity that drives them to learn, and values every child’s uniqueness that makes them special in this world.

Before moving to Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi, Erika led early years teams in the United Kingdom, China and the United Arab Emirates. She has experience building high-quality learning environments and experiences with the child's holistic development at the heart.

Erika feels passionately about creating indoor and outdoor educational environments that have been described by OFSTED (Office for Standards in Education in the UK) as a 'haven for learning'. She’s also led on teaching 'Effective Learning Environments', 'Best Practice in Assessment For Learning in the EYFS', and 'Characteristics of Effective Learning' in the education sector.

In Erika’s classrooms, children are inspired through music and song, accelerating their learning, supporting their vocabulary development, teaching them emotional regulation, and encouraging inclusion.