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…
Montessori environments are uniquely prepared for the students using them, and the cleaning and maintenance of these uniquely prepared environments usually falls to a team of adults to address. The Montessori environment is built by the principles and practice of order and beauty which manifest in the care and maintenance of the environment.…
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…
Over twenty years ago, I fulfilled a dream by embarking on a personally and professionally transformative journey over the course of an intensive year gaining my Montessori 3-6 credential. The American Montessori Society training center I attended is known for its academic rigor, its focus on Montessori philosophy, and for the support provided to new…
My first year in a Montessori environment was as an assistant to a seasoned, and I believe, enlightened 3-6 Montessori guide and mentor. I say “enlightened”, because Sue embodied that “lovingkindness” that Dr. Montessori promoted in her writings and is attained through inner spiritual transformation. Sue’s every interaction with the children was imbued with this…
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…
Earlier this year when I was in San Francisco and between speaking gigs, my perspective shifted a bit by visiting a Claude Monet exhibit at the deYoung Museum. That encounter coalesced into a blog post leaning on allegory about the role of reflection in leadership. Just this week, I had the opportunity to see yet…
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…
It’s interesting to me that we rarely talk about sleep as is related to learning other than to notice when a student is cranky and indicates they didn’t get enough, or a parent asks how to get their child down at night, or a student falls asleep while working. What I hadn’t known until recently…
Believing that you can accomplish something is a critical part of doing it. If you don’t believe you can do something, then you are very unlikely to actually do it. As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re RIGHT!” Yes I Can IS a Growth Mindset …