Faculty & Staff

Shoka Araki

Rossano Campus Room 2 (Dogwood)

Associate Teacher

My life has been all about dance and ballet. My passion for working with young children grew in middle school when I first decided to be a teacher for younger teammates on the dance team performing one of the famous Japanese traditional dances. This experience developed an interest in teaching.

During my college years, I came across Montessori Education. Being in the position of assistant teacher in a Montessori-inspired classroom, I was amazed by how children in the classroom absorb knowledge and concepts, observe others, and find their interests, which are unique to every child. With the encouragement of the teacher I worked with, I decided to continue my education in the Montessori field. After I graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 2022, I came to Bellevue Montessori School as an intern and completed my Montessori certification in 2023.

My passion is supporting and nurturing children in the classroom, and I am eager to create a comfortable environment where they can enjoy their exploratio