Voices in Montessori Podcast

Seth Webb joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to discuss tools that can be used to support Montessori practice, while keeping human development as the focus. Seth starts by highlighting current research about developmental objectives and "dimensions of wellness." He advocates that we redifine educational outcomes to what matters most: executive functions, socia...

Mandy Cheskis and Margaret Jarrell join the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to discuss Montessori for Aging and Dementia and how this movement is changing care for elders. After painting a picture of the current state of longterm care, our guests then share some exciting research findings about the impact of the Montessori approach on older adults and people living w...

Uniit Carruyo visits the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to discuss the additional responsibility that Infant & Toddler Guides have to serve as "tone setters" for new families. Many times, this is their child's first experience away from home. 0-3 Guides must shepherd the entire family through the transition to school, thus setting the tone for the way they view...

Sarah Moudry, both a Montessorian and an interior designer, joins the Voices in Montessor podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to share her knowledge of design research and best practices. She identifies five design elements essential to a well prepared environment that you may not have considered before! The Invitation Perspective Purposeful Enchantment Surrender Join us for this fascinating...

Elizabeth Slade joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to talk about using Language of Reverence as a central part of the Montessori practice. Language of Reverence explores the power of our words and their effects on human flourishing. By examining and changing our word choice to and about children, each other, and ourselves, we can change our sense of the school...

Sylvia Glassco joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to share how the Adolescent Community prepares students for high school and beyond. As they straddle the line between childhood and adulthood, their time in the Adolescent Community is a time of skill building. Students need to be comfortable with drafting and revision as a writing process; entering into a math...

Marcia Perez joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to share her expertise with Montessori music curriculum and materials. Long before the technology existed to prove it, Montessori realized that music was key to children's neurological development, and language development in particular. The Bells, therefore, can not be thought of as an "extra." Instead, they are...

Sue Saad joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to talk about providing early art experiences for toddlers. Sue describes how to lay the groundwork for toddlers to use art experiences in their self-construction. Sue explains that toddlers are in the process of gaining the true creative spirit required for producing innovative art, confident independent thinking, a...

Junnifa Uzodike and Simone Davies join the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to talk about how we can educate families about the Planes of Development to facilitate closer partnership. As Montessorians, we know how vital our understanding of the Planes of Development is in shaping how we approach and respond to children, yet families don't often have this same understa...

Jen Cort joins the podcast to discuss how to approach diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations with our students. Jen begins by helping to reframe (and detoxify) the terms bias and privilege. She also offers strategies specific for having conversations with children at different ages and how these can be woven into the fabric of our classrooms (rather than designating certain blocks of time...

Andrew Faulstich joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss resisting the push toward standardization in our current educational system. Andrew discusses how this trend emerged in the 1980’s and continues today. He contends that the question, “What works?” is not the right question to be asking. Andrew argues that standardized education is aimed at an imaginary child “in the middle,” which...

Shelley Cruse joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss supporting emergent readers in the Lower Elementary classroom. Rarely does every child entering Lower Elementary come in as a fluent reader. Shelley discusses normalizing that fact that learning to read begins in the toddler and children's house classrooms and it continues in Lower El. How do you know which students need additional su...

Dr. Nicole Evans and Carly Riley join the podcast to share five goals that can support you in developing the stamina and skills for effective anti-racist learning, awareness, and action in your teaching practice and beyond! Nicole and Carly see anti-racist education as the lever for social transformation. Through their organization, Embracing Equity, they work alongside educators and leaders to co...

Jennifer Shields joins us to talk about creating a culture of writing in the Primary classroom. Jennifer explains how Montessori Guides first build up children's ability to express themselves orally by talking to them, singing, reciting poetry, and maybe most importantly, by listening to them. In a Montessori setting, children can explode into writing when their hands and minds are indirectly and...

Linda Englehart joins the podcast to talk about supporting children's connection to nature. She talks about how the child's experience of nature has changed over time. Today’s children are “containerized” (examples: playpens, bouncy seats, car seats, strollers, spending more time indoors in general) and cut off from the natural contact that generations past had. Yet physicians, educators, psycholo...

Tatenda Blessing Muchiriri joins the podcast to tell the story of how his non-profit organization, Rungano Montessori on Wheels was born. Tatenda's goal is to move education liberation forward by co-creating Montessori-based learning environments within Black and Brown communities, ensuring that children and families can learn, play, and dream together. Tatenda chose to put the classroom on a bus,...

Chip DeLorenzo joins the podcast to discuss setting and maintaining limits in the Montessori classroom. First Chip distinguishes between setting and maintaining limits, and then share guiding principles for these practices. Chip also describes some roadblocks that teachers encounter when attempting to maintain limits with children, and most importantly, a few effective and respectful tools that he...

Gabrielle Kotkov joins the podcast to discuss starting a dual language Montessori program. She explains the different models of bilingual education and why the enrichment model is her recommended program structure. Gabrielle describes things to consider when starting a dual language Montessori program, and how to transition an existing monolingual Montessori environment into a dual language enviro...

Dr. Debra Em Wilson joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss Polyvagal Theory and how we can apply it to the work we do with our students. Debra is a teacher and the author of The Polyvagal Path to Joyful Learning: Transforming Classrooms One Nervous System at a Time. She explains the three main nervous system states - ventral vagal, sympathetic, and dorsal vagal - and how each state prov...

Dr. Philip Snow Gang joins the podcast to revisit the essence of Dr. Montessori's work. In what ways was the discovery of the normalization process revelatory? How was the concept of cosmic education formed, and what impact did it have on her life's work? In what ways has her vision expanded over time? Dr. Gang poses the question: What is the legacy of Maria Montessori? He highlights the scientifi...

Letty Rising joins the podcast to discuss fostering independence in children – and specifically, the difference between inviting a child to be independent as opposed to forcing it on them. She describes the negative repercussions of mandating independence rather than reframing these moments as opportunities. Letty describes what this looks like at each stage of development – physical independence...

A Montessori leader is invested in growing, developing, and reaching her full potential.  While some leaders correspond with others on a transactional level, Montessori leaders transform themselves and others by inviting trust, managing effectively, building teams, and empowering others. Shawn Edwards joins the podcast to discuss what it means to lead a school with transformational intention. She...

Simone Davies joins the podcast to discuss the realities Toddler Guides face after training when they are working with “real” toddlers in the classroom. What does concentration in toddlers actually look like? How do we know whether to observe or give a presentation? How do we meet toddlers’ needs rather than merely redirect their behavior? How do we use the prepared environment to help us set limi...

John Fowler joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss classroom governance at the Elementary level. In the context of Cosmic Education, John shares a framework for classroom governance that involves students creating their own shared agreements for the classroom, taking on leadership roles (such as president, vice president, and secretary/treasurer), and running their own weekly classroom...

Rachel Shatananda joins us to talk about supporting children with their spiritual development, particularly by creating space and structures for calm and peace in an age of overwhelm.   What does it look like for us to create space for ourselves as adults? What does it look like to create space for the child? What are the tools you use in a Children’s House classroom to support children in develop...