Shobhana Vaidyanathan, Director (Training) of IMTC- C is a gold medalist in Home Science from Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, 1980. An AMI Diploma holder, she did her Montessori Training Programme in the year 1980-81, at Hyderabad with Indian Montessori Training Courses under the Directorship of Mr. S. R. Swamy. At present she is a member of the Central Governing Council, Indian Montessori Centre.

She has done the Education Leadership Programme of the Kuruvilla Jacob Intiative in the year 2015 and received her post-graduate Diploma.

She has 25 years of working experience with children in Montessori environments. She passionately believes it is the only method that addresses the developmental needs of ALL children.

When she decided to devote her time fully to training adults in the field of Montessori education, she enrolled herself in the Directors’ Training Program with Indian Montessori Centre and received her Certificate to be an independent Director in December 2008.

She shares with the students her twenty five years of varied experience of working with children – at Lumbini, Hyderabad, Abacus Montessori School, and Maitri, in Chennai. Founder Principal of Maitri, she has the distinction of integrating children with special needs in the school.

Shobhana has gained deep insights into the doubts and difficulties adults face while working with children as coordinator of the pre-primary section in Abacus, as well as through her other experiences at Namma Bhoomi (a project of Concerned for Working Children, Bangalore) and SOS Village School, Tambaram. She has guided them with understanding and sensitivity.

She has been a consultant for various Montessori Schools to help them set up Montessori environments and to give in-house training for their teachers. Her passion for precision has also made her uniquely suited to helping manufacturers of Montessori materials to seek her help in guiding them to achieve excellence in their products. She conducts workshops for organizations and schools to spread awareness of the Montessori Method and philosophy.

She has held several posts as part of her commitment to the cause of Montessori education.

• She was the honorary Vice-Chairman of The Indian Montessori Centre – Tamil Nadu Chapter.
• In January 2007 she was a panel member for the discussion of the topic – “Follow the Child – Relevance Now” at the Montessori Congress organised by the Indian Montessori Centre – Bangalore.
• In January 2008 she presented a participated and presented a paper on “ The Social Question of the Child” at a 3 day National seminar on “ Early childhood care & Education” organised by the Department of Elementary education, NCERT , New Delhi.
• In 2014 and 2015, Shobhana was the Convener of the Maitri conferences held at Chennai an IMC initiative to create awareness regarding the Montessori movement especially for parents and general public.

Single-minded and energetic she is a stickler for work, and wholeheartedly gives her time and energy to any work she undertakes and expects the same of her students and associates.