If you spend any time whatsoever on social media, and you happen to be in the online world of Montessori, you might be faced with the kinds of questions like I field from parents, newly trained guides, and homeschoolers. “I’ve introduced all the number rods and numerals, why isn’t my student remembering them?” “If…
Part of being a Montessori guide is a commitment to reflecting and adapting our practices to best serve our students. In today’s parlance this could be considered a “hack”. As my students these days are adult learners, I tend to focus my reflections on how to better help them transfer Montessori pedagogy into their spirit…
Montessori preschool environments are renowned for introducing big abstract ideas, such as the decimal system, to young learners through precise, beautiful, instructional materials. In particular, the Montessori math materials, produce more “aha” moments in learners of all ages than any other curricular area. For example, just this last summer, I was witness to a…
Unschooling is a rare topic to be promoted by a professional educator; yet after you hear my tale as a mother who happens to be an educator, maybe you’ll see unschooling in a new light. I recently had the opportunity many people hope for in life: a do-over. Four years and a few…
Many in the education field are familiar with Stanford Professor Carol Dweck’s notion of instilling in children a growth mindset, that is a belief that their intellectual abilities can be developed through effort and practice. Recently, some researchers have challenged her work claiming that further analysis indicates that growth mindset interventions are not particularly effective.…