Plan or Not

To Plan or Not to Plan Student Work Plans

A frequently asked question by Montessori elementary teachers at the beginning of the year is how to set up an effective expectation for student work performance and how to balance this structured plan with the spontaneity of student-chosen subjects.  Maybe this has come about because most adults (including Montessori guides), have acquired a conventional construct for…

observation

Preparing Ourselves for Observation

Delivering a quality Montessori experience for your students is a lot of work.  You prepare and maintain an environment and curriculum that meets every child’s needs, you guide children to uphold their part of a community agreement, you report student progress to parents and administrators: the job of a Montessori guide can be overwhelming and…

mentor

Are You a Montessori Mentor?

After 28 years in Montessori, in which I have held nearly every type of position, including assistant, lead guide, mentor, school administrator, teacher trainer, and now international professional development provider, I have had ample time for reflection on my goal of bringing high-fidelity Montessori education to the world.     What has struck me as a…

Reframe Your Approach to Peace

I’ll never forget the wonder I experienced during my 3-6 training when learning about Montessori education as a means of creating world peace.  The idea that our youngest children have the potential to transform humanity when we nurture their spirit and expose them to tools for gaining inner peace and the guidance to resolve conflicts…

x is for excitement

X is for eXcitement eXcels Learners

Excitement as is related to learning is defined as a heightened state of physiological arousal exemplified by an increased heart rate and blood pressure, and higher emotional and attention.     What many educators are not as aware of is how excitement can be harnessed to accelerate learning, and how Montessori educators have built-in mechanisms…

O is for Observation

O is for Observation Occurs Naturally

Learning by watching others is called observational learning, something every Montessori practitioner experiences every day!   Observation Through Millennia   People can often learn a lot just by watching others perform a task.  In fact, this kind of learning is what has propelled mankind for millennia and is thought to be behind the concept of…