Sometimes the process of learning involves unlearning mistaken understandings and correcting misconceptions. Undoing Errors May be Less Necessary in Montessori Montessori environments are unique learning places in which to make mistakes. Our youngest learners rely on hands-on didactic materials in which they gain impressions of concepts including identifying mistakes when the error…
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…
Imaginative Play is at Work in Montessori Environments Most people would agree that children naturally love to pretend play and use their imagination to create alternate worlds. Most people would agree that this imaginative play is a natural part of human development. What most people don’t agree upon though, is whether pretend play should…
There is a question that has been bugging me, and I’ve been searching for the solution for years. It’s one of those trick questions where the answer is so simple that it’s the proverbial snake that would’ve bit me had I been looking at it the right way. The question however, is monumental: “What are…
As an adult immersed in a culture where I couldn’t speak the language, didn’t know how to eat the food, and being reliant on others to take care of most all of my daily needs, I felt like an infant, needing the care and compassion of others to meet my needs. The past…
“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” -Jane Howard Just this morning I noticed a colleague posted one of those “Are you introverted?” quizzes on Facebook. You know the kind, one of those posts that…
Twenty-seven years ago, I stepped into a Montessori classroom for the very first time. The five year old boy that I was a nanny for forgot to collect the novel he was writing at school, so I parked my car and followed him inside to collect it from the 1970’s home converted into a school.…
In the fall of 1969, I was three years old and my young adult cousin came to live with my family for awhile. Although there was at least a twenty year difference between us, his laughter and his gentle way with our pet hamster made a profound impression on me and I became his fan…
The Dual Nature of Screens There is a lot of concern in our culture over the quantity and quality of screen time, and its effects on children of all ages. Headlines regularly recount a litany of issues for children that result from the use of devices including depression, shortened attention spans, cyberbullying, obesity, addiction,…
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…