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 role play in practicing these essential skills. Join us to learn about the powerful social and emotional benefits of this beautiful work!

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 based on self-reflection and open communication. Uniit shares her unique perspective on the art of collaborating with other Montessori adults.

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 circumstances, they're actually pointing to our minds. There are 4 ways we deal with emotions, and only one of them is reliably healthy for us, the people we care about, and the things we're committed to.

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 problem solving and leadership. These are skills that need to be practiced in order to be built! As older children take on the mantle of "change makers," they end up leading and inspiring each other. Shelby gives examples of philanthropic missions that her students took on, the lessons they needed to be successful, and how she wove these projects into the curriculum.

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 feeling inspired and confident!

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 every day. This conversation will give us a lot to think about as we attempt to move towards daring leadership in our school communities.

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 information is validation for Montessori Guides and parents, as well as a call to action for more research to be conducted on the efficacy of Montessori language curriculum so that we have the scientific data to validate our methods and encourage other educators to learn about Montessori pedagogy.

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 & Language Tutor at the Odyssey School, will share her expertise and guidance.

Tamara S. Balis shares her leadership journey and lessons learned. She delves specifically into communication strategies that build a culture of belonging among school staff. The keys? Assuming best intentions, individuation, directness and clarity, active listening, and modeling vulnerability. In other words, we build a culture of belonging for our staff by mirroring the structure of the Montessori classroom!