Voices in Montessori Podcast

Tammy Oesting, world-renowned Montessori trainer, consultant, and public speaker, joins us to talk about the preparation of the adult - specifically our own character development. First, Tammy describes the characteristics of an inspired educator. (To inspire others, we ourselves must be inspired!) Tammy also talks about prosocial emotions and their role in this conversation. And finally, she answ...

Mike Waski joins us to talk about moving between concrete and abstract exploration in Mathematics with Upper Elementary and Adolescent students. This is not a linear progression, but a dance back and forth between both types of exploration.   Mike explains that it's no particular skill that is the most important for students moving from Upper Elementary to the Adolescent Community, but that studen...

Kathryn Ross, Montessori educator, trainer, and master gardener, joins us to discuss the importance of connecting young children to the natural world. Today, as we observe the deterioration of our natural environment, this connection is more important than ever. Humans learn to love what they are most closely connected to, and that love can form the basis for necessary care - of our rivers and tre...

Kathy Minardi joins us to talk about applying the Bowen Theory of family systems to create a healthy school community. Edwin Friedman, author of A Failure of Nerve, was the first to apply Bowen’s family systems theory to professional organizations, which he argued have personalities, just like families. Friedman’s approach focuses on the importance of leaders being self-differentiated, being non-a...

Jennifer Naiman, a licensed mental health therapist and the Director of Student Support at Greenspring Montessori School, joins us to talk about how to incorporate social-emotional learning into the Lower Elementary curriculum. Jen explains what social-emotional learning really is and shares examples of social-emotional lessons for this age level, such as tattling vs. reporting, personal space, an...

Veronica Burbano joins us to talk about supporting children in developing self-discipline in the Primary classroom. Montessori discovered (and research now supports) that children develop their will and self discipline during their first six years of life. Veronica explains that these are muscles that must be developed through practice. Veronica describes the Montessori practices that help childre...

Kelly and Adam Ladd join us to talk about creating a positive social environment for Adolescents. They describe the proactive structures that support a healthy social environment, such as student-created Community Ethics and student-led Council Meetings. Other proactive steps involve the spiritual preparation of the adult and effective parent communication. Kelly and Adam also discuss using a comb...

Jody Trimm joins us to talk about the importance of playfulness in the Elementary classroom. Elementary aged students are just starting to connect with their teachers and peers in new ways. By nature they are rambunctious, enthusiastic, and daring. At the same time they are thoughtful, sensitive, and caring. And boredom is what they dread the most! As their senses of humor start to develop, lean i...

Cathy Durand-Horne joins us to talk about the importance of reflecting on our own biases. Cathy asserts that to shape children’s thoughts around inclusion, diversity, and equity, we have to take a look at the biases that we each have and intentionally work to change them. We have to begin to make a habit of (i.e., normalize) the process of intentional self-reflection. And the effort must be intent...

Corey Borgman joins us to talk about the de-emphasis of writing in many classrooms - why it’s happening, why it’s important to keep writing and expressive skills as a fundamental part of students’ learning, and how to do that in an authentic Montessori Adolescent program. Corey describes how key elements of the Montessori approach - student choice, formative feedback & assessment, peer learnin...

Cassi Mackey joins us to talk about the need for courageous conversations among educators.  The honesty and partnership we hope for and expect of our students is so often askew from that which we hold for ourselves. This disparity is commonly evident in the manner in which adults, even within a school, interact and communicate. Living the truths of an open and honest culture, where trust is built...

Amy Fagan joins us to talk about the structures that need to be in place for successful microeconomy program in an Adolescent community. These include the prepared adult; a process for applications and training; a division of labor, so adolescents and adults all understand their roles and responsibilities; and a commitment to integrate microeconomy work into all other areas of the curriculum. Amy...

Barbara Lubosky joins us to talk about "following the child" with learning differences in the Montessori classroom. Many guides don't feel adequately prepared to support students with learning differences. Yes we can start in a familiar place, with observation. Once we have observed and have a sense of the child's needs that are not being met, we can start brainstorming ways to meet the child's ne...

There is a mental health crisis facing our young people. William ("Biff") Maier joins us to talk about the importance of creating mentally healthy classrooms. You may be wondering, "Why is mental health the work of schools instead of mental health professionals?" Biff proposes that teachers ARE mental health professionals - and the classroom is a therapeutic environment.  Biff calls Montessori env...

Jennifer Dorrell joins us to discuss the keys to inspiring students' engagement in the Elementary curriculum. Jennifer talks about the importance of the Great Lessons in creating a culture of curiosity and student-led inquiry. One key is to be inspired yourself! Jennifer gives advice on how to dig deeper into areas that you aren't naturally drawn to. She also advises that Elementary classrooms mus...

Many of us have had the pleasure of feeling awed by an observation in a Montessori classroom. The children seem peaceful and calm, working and learning alongside their friends, demonstrating self-control and respect, moving and speaking carefully and gracefully. While it can seem miraculous to the outside observer, our guest, Wendy Fisher, explains that what we see in a well-managed Montessori cla...

Montessori consultant and parent coach, Reena Vohra Morgan, joins us to talk about Grace & Courtesy lessons in the Primary classroom. As Montessorians, we offer Grace and Courtesy lessons proactively, and also in response to observations of our students’ needs. But Grace and Courtesy doesn’t end with the lesson; the children need to practice, practice, practice! Reena discusses the power of ro...

Infant and Toddler educator, Uniit Carruyo, joins us to talk about the skills needed for effective team teaching, which includes the spiritual preparation of each adult member of the team. Effective team leaders scaffold learning for newer members of the team by setting the tone, normalizing feedback, stepping straight into challenges, and modeling grace. The fabric of successful team work is base...

Mick Scott joins us to discuss what he says is one of the most profound lessons missing in K-12 education: where our emotions come from, what they're pointing toward, and how to experience them in a healthy and empowering way. Mick describes emotions as vibrations within our body that are the dashboard indicators of what’s happening in our minds. While we think our emotions are pointing to our cir...

In this episode Shelby Hiken discusses ways to encourage children between the ages of three to six to identify themselves as agents of change - meaning developing them as people who ask themselves, "How can I make this better?" Laying the foundation for this involves preparing the environment for children to take ownership for their community, as well as speaking to students in ways that encourage...

Paula Lillard Preschlack joins us to talk about her new book, The Montessori Potential, How to Foster Independence, Respect and Joy in Every Child. Specifically, Paula encourages teachers and school leaders to aim for authentic, proactive practices in Montessori and staying engaged! Paula dives into what this means, the reasons to do so, and how to do it successfully. We hope listeners will leave...

Courage is a skill we can build and practice every day in our schools. Brené Brown defines a leader as anyone who takes responsibility for developing potential in people and processes -- and has the courage to develop this potential. When we think of leadership in this way and not about titles or corner offices, we see that teachers and school leaders are absolutely leaders, developing people ever...

Julia Volkman joins us to talk about how current brain research shapes our work in the Montessori classroom. How do we take advantage of brain plasticity? How do we support students in developing self-efficacy? How do we overcome our natural negativity bias? Julia shares current brain research and the implications it has on our classroom practices.

Dr. Susan Zoll, Laura Saylor, and Natasha Feinberg discuss their research that aligns the Science of Reading to the Montessori Language curriculum. They describe what led them to undertake this project and their collaboration. Susan, Laura, and Natasha share the foundational elements of the Science of Reading and how these match the lessons and materials we use in our Montessori classrooms. This i...

In today’s episode, we’re talking about early signs of dyslexia in Toddler and Primary age students. As Montessorians, it can be especially difficult at this age to determine when to "follow the child" and give the "gift of time" or whether a child would benefit from additional outside support. How can you tell? How do you broach this topic with parents? Kate McElderry, an Outreach Coordinator &am...