math hack

An Effective Montessori Math Hack

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…

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…

T is for Teaching

T is for Teaching Targets Learning

George Bernard Shaw couldn’t have been further from the truth when he wrote, “ “He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.” In fact, teaching assists you in acquiring “chains of connected ideas” that deepen your understanding of the material at hand!   Teaching is a Set of Conditions   When asked why I shifted…

S is for self-explanation

S is for Self-Explanation Serves Learning

You might have heard that really smart people talk to themselves.  Wonder why? It might be because they use a neuro strategy of self-explanation that serves their learning and improves comprehension!     Self-Explanation is Self-Instruction   Self-explanation is simply a method of self-instruction of talking through a procedure or making connections of what is…

L is for Listening

L is for Listening and Learning Surge Synergy

Listening is a Key Practice in Collaborative Learning Environments   When students use the learning strategies of listening and sharing with others, their collaboration leads to problem solving and completed tasks.  Better yet, effective collaborative learning environments can alleviate a student’s frustration and “allow group learning to surpass what would be possible by a single…

K is for Knowledge

K is for Knowledge Knocks Out Problems

This week’s installment of The ABCs of Learning: Montessori Edition varies from the rest of my articles on learning strategies, as knowledge is more of an outcome than a neurostrategy.  I’m including it in this series as I believe that when educators deepen their understanding of educational outcomes it can lead them to more mindful…