Martina Bannasch

3rd grade homeroom teacher (includes Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science)

I have lived in the USA since 2000 and have taught here at The Frederick Montessori School, Friends Meeting School, and this is my 16th year at The Banner School.

I studied Education for grades K-10 (in additional classes I specialized in elementary education), Biology, and Geography at the University of Hamburg, Germany and earned both 1st and 2nd state exam (German requirements for a teaching degree equivalent to a Master’s degree in the US). 

I also have a certificate from the North American Montessori Elementary Training Program. This is a post-secondary diploma for Montessori Education with the age group of children six to nine years of age (Montessori works in 3 year curricula so that's why it's only 6 to 9 instead of elementary).

In my 25+ years of teaching experience I have worked with students from grades pre-K to 8. During my time at the Banner School I have taught first grade, was the middle school remote teacher during the pandemic, and am now finishing my 10th year as the third grade teacher. While most of my time as an educator has been spent in the classroom I also have been on administrative teams at the Frederick Montessori School and here at Banner.

Fun facts:

My own two children have attended Banner from Pre-K/Kindergarten through 8th grade and are now very successful at Walkersville High.

We have two guinea pigs.

I love animals, reading, going on nature walks, playing the piano, and spending the summer in Germany.

I am a Hamburger... but you cannot eat me...I was born in Hamburg.