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Autumn Box
Kindergarten Teacher
In 2021, when my dad, Loric, Upper Elementary Teacher, and Molly, our Head of School and lower elementary teacher, expanded Peace in a Pod, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
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Miss Molly O’Malia
CMTE Certified1st - 3rd Grades | Founder & Head of School
Molly O’Malia brings 28 years of experience as an elementary teacher, specializing in 1st through 3rd grade combination classes. Renowned for her effective classroom management, Molly’s approach is rooted in clear expectations, respect, and positive reinforcement, creating a nurturing and productive learning environment.
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Loric Box
CMTE Certified Head Teacher, Upper Elementary 4th-6th Grades
My goal is to educate the whole child by utilizing the Montessori Method and my love for the great outdoors to create a learning environment that aims at instilling an appreciation for the natural world through hands-on experiences, like backpacking, gardening and the art of wilderness survival; all in conjunction with learning the important academic, social and physical skills that can be gleaned from the Montessori method.
More about Molly O’Malia, CMTE Certified
1st - 3rd Grades |
Founder & Head of School
Molly O’Malia brings 28 years of experience as an elementary teacher, specializing in 1st through 3rd grade combination classes. Renowned for her effective classroom management, Molly’s approach is rooted in clear expectations, respect, and positive reinforcement, creating a nurturing and productive learning environment.
Molly earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 1993. Her passion for Montessori education led her to pursue an Elementary Montessori Teaching Credential through an intensive three-year program at CMTE/NY. She later obtained certification for Lower Elementary (ages 6-9) from the American Montessori Society.
Her teaching career began at Montessori Center School in Santa Barbara, where she dedicated eight years before taking on roles as both Teacher and Interim Director at Montessori Cooperative School in Ojai, CA.
Molly has also taught Montessori philosophy at Antioch and Pierce Colleges, where she has shared her knowledge of Montessori principles, goals, and materials with future educators.
Molly’s professional development includes training in the Lindamood Bell Phonemic Awareness and Symbol Imagery Programs, Brain Gym Educational Kinesiology, and intermediate SEE (Signing Exact English) sign language. She has actively contributed to the Dyslexia Awareness Resource Center in Santa Barbara.
In addition to her Montessori credentials, Molly is a certified yoga instructor and a former softball coach for the Santa Barbara Independent Schools League. She integrates sign language into her lessons to teach a second language and enhance learning through movement.
Molly is deeply committed to the Montessori Method and aims to instill a lifelong love of learning in every child. She focuses on respecting each child's unique ideas and abilities while guiding them through a rich curriculum that includes advanced math and geometry, language arts, history, geography, and sciences such as zoology, botany, and physics.
As a strong advocate for physical education, Molly enjoys sharing her athletic skills with students, promoting both their physical and intellectual development within a well-rounded Montessori environment.
Our Teachers
Loric Box, CMTE Certified
Head Teacher, Upper Elementary
4th-6th Grades
Hello, my name is Loric Michael Box and I have been a Montessori, Upper Elementary teacher for the past 20 years.
My goal is to educate the whole child by utilizing the Montessori Method and my love for the great outdoors to create a learning environment that aims at instilling an appreciation for the natural world through hands-on experiences, like backpacking, gardening and the art of wilderness survival; all in conjunction with learning the important academic, social and physical skills that can be gleaned from the Montessori method.
I was born and raised in New Mexico. Here I would start my early life in the country on a working farm where family values and a love for nature would guide me along my path. Later in life, following all of the lessons that come with having my own family, a wife and kids, I would go on to graduate from the College of Santa Fe, in Albuquerque, N.M. with a bachelors in education.
In conjunction with my college years and the true reason I decided to get my bachelors in education; I obtained my Montessori Credentials, 6 - 12, under C.M.T.E.; an AMS certified Montessori training center. First, I discovered Montessori by being a Montessori parent, and then I landed into a teaching assistant position in a primary Montessori class, and the rest became history. I would soon go through my Montessori training and become passionate about this amazing method of teaching humans how to develop.
In conjunction with Montessori, I would continue to fan the flame of my passion for the natural world. A strong focus in my college training involved the sciences: botany, zoology and geology.
For thirteen years as head teacher of the MCS Upper Elementary program in Goleta, CA I organized and took kids on overnight backpacking trips into the wilderness and many other outdoor excursions.
Furthermore, aside from my own passionate studies around wilderness survival and backpacking I have taken multiple classes teaching outdoor survival skills, including Wilderness Advanced First Aid training.
My passions in life are my faith, family, friends, teaching children, nature, volleyball, playing guitar and living life. I believe in seeking truth and following it, and taking advantage of the time we have been given, because it is short.
In other words, what we do with our time and the choices we make are what really matter for tomorrow. Seeking financial gain, power, popularity, convenience and pleasure are all fleeting. This is why I feel it is crucial that we invest our time in children.
Children are our most precious resources and the key to a healthy future.
Autumn Box
Kindergarten Teacher
Hello, my name is Autumn.
In 2021, when my dad, Loric, Upper Elementary Teacher, and Molly, our Head of School and lower elementary teacher, expanded Peace in a Pod, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
I began as an assistant teacher in the Upper Elementary “Oak” classroom, working alongside my dad. There, I discovered my passion for teaching, particularly with the Montessori method. This experience rekindled cherished memories of my childhood in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where my parents nurtured my love for nature through family camping and backpacking adventures across the Southwest.
As a Montessori student from kindergarten, I thrived in an environment tailored to my visual and hands-on learning style. This approach fueled my passion for exploring my interests and instilled in me the confidence to work independently, setting my own pace and schedule.
After completing my upper elementary years, I transitioned to traditional schooling, where I struggled to find the same joy in a less adaptive educational setting. This contrast deepened my appreciation for the Montessori method. Inspired by my experiences, I pursued a degree in education at Santa Barbara City College, following in my parents’ footsteps.
Years later, I expanded my passion by becoming a Holistic Nutrition Consultant through Bauman College. Today, I am thrilled to integrate my love of outdoor adventures, Montessori education, and nutrition into my role as a kindergarten teacher.
As a Montessori teacher, my goal is to create an environment that inspires them to explore their interests through hands-on tools in the classroom and the natural world around them.
At home, I continue to explore with my husband and our two young sons. We love rock climbing and backpacking with our extended family.
I am deeply grateful for the Montessori tradition my parents passed down to me, and I am honored to educate our children alongside yours at Peace in a Pod Elementary.