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 and leads to belonging and prosperity, is possible. Courageous conversations can be had respectfully and effectively.

Cassi has aligned Montessori principles with Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott and added key components of Elizabeth Slade’s Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Schools. She shares how to identify your current school culture, create a path toward more useful and shared behavior, and evolve into a community that thrives on earnest expression, even in the most challenging times.

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 provides many examples of successful (and not so succesful) projects that her students have run during her years as an Adolescent Guide and Program Director.

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 environments "living laboratories" for learning executive functions, linguistic and cultural fluency, social fluency, and emotional flexibility. He gives practical strategies and suggestions for how to support students in building these essential skills.

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 must be research-driven. When this is true, all areas of the curriculum can be hooked into a topic that a student is excited about exploring. Jennifer shares her planning for three-year cycles in the Science and Cultural areas. She also describes her record keeping system and how she tracks what follow-up work students have decided on. Jennifer shares so much practical advice and inspiration - join us!

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 classroom reflects a carefully orchestrated system and a consistent and strict adherence to a special set of values and practices. Wendy shares with us what she sees as the four pillars of Montessori discipline: respect, role modeling, Grace and Courtesy, and purposeful work. Join us for this deep dive into Montessori discipline.

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.