Laura Foster is a seasoned educator and educational leader with nearly 20 years of experience. Her work is grounded in a rich interdisciplinary background that includes a B.A. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from Pomona College, an AMS Montessori Early Childhood teaching credential, and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Kentucky. Over the course of her career, she has taught in public, non-profit, and independent schools, drawing on both her classroom expertise and her dual teaching and administrative credentials from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in Washington, DC to support diverse learning communities.

In addition to her classroom work, Laura has created and delivered numerous professional development workshops, sharing her expertise to support educator growth and strengthen instructional practices. An active member of the Montessori Research Collective, she recently published her first article in the Journal of Montessori Research. While she has a strong pedagogical foundation in Montessori education, her research and practice are particularly focused on the concept of micro-adaptations within conventional early childhood and elementary settings—small, intentional shifts that support children’s development and executive function in diverse classroom environments.

Currently, Laura serves as a first-grade teacher in Washington, DC, while also working as affiliate faculty at Loyola University’s Center for Montessori Education. She is pursuing a doctoral degree at the Johns Hopkins School of Education, where her research examines the intersection of executive function and classroom environments.

Outside of her professional work, Laura enjoys spending time in Rock Creek Park, hosting leisurely dinners with friends, and living in a historic apartment in Washington, DC, with her partner, son, and cat.