Voices in Montessori Podcast: Recent Episodes
Greenspring Center for Lifelong Learning
Voices in Montessori podcast shares interviews with seasoned Montessori educators and leaders, as well as learning specialists, and other experts to inspire and support you. Our podcast is a resource for Montessori educators and leaders packed with actionable ideas to elevate and support your practice. Hear from Montessori elders about real-world classroom tools and school management strategies.
How do I offer positive discipline in my Montessori classroom? How do I get the support that I need as a first year Montessori teacher? How do I change the culture of my Montessori school community? We will explore these questions and more on the Voices in Montessori podcast. Topics include supporting learning differences in the Montessori classroom, positive discipline strategies, the neuroscience of learning, creating school cultures of belonging, and Montessori for elders and dementia.
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Anna Perry joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss what it really means to be a prepared adult in Montessori education. In this thoughtful conversation, our host, Tamara Sheesley Balis, and Anna discuss how self-awareness, humility, and reflection transform not only our teaching, but our relationships with children, families, and colleagues.
Anna shares practical stories from the classroom that illustrate how letting go of the ego allows us to respond with empathy instead of defensiveness. The conversation explores why conflict is not something to avoid, but an opportunity for growth, connection, and deeper understanding. They also examine the common misconception that "education for peace" means the absence of conflict, when in reality, peace is cultivated through honest communication, courageous conversations, and learning to resolve disagreements with grace.
Whether you're a classroom guide, school leader, assistant, or parent, this episode offers practical strategies for developing emotional intelligence, navigating difficult conversations, fostering healthy school cultures, and embracing the ongoing work of personal transformation.
Jess Davis joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to discuss the need for explicit instruction on executive functioning for Elementary and Adolescent students in order to set them up for success.
Executive functioning skills are cognitive (thinking) skills that support the processes needed to thrive in all areas of life- socially, physically, and academically. They help us plan, organize, and complete the tasks for basic needs and self-actualization. They help us control our emotions (vs. be controlled by them), actively engage in activities, make good decisions, and complete tasks.
Without strong EF skills, students will struggle to attend to lessons, follow directions, keep track of materials, retain content, and complete tasks. In addition, low EF can mimic a lack of motivation, comprehension, or memory and can be misinterpreted as intentional misbehavior or refusal.
If these challenges sound familiar when thinking of certain students in your classroom, you are not alone. In recent years, executive functioning skills have been an increasing concern for classroom teachers. Jess walks us through what to look for in the classroom, how to address EF deficits, and ways to work EF practice into daily routines. She explains the three categories of executive function, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control, and how these link to innumerable daily tasks. This is a great introduction to Executive Function and systematic ways to support the children in our care who need extra EF support.
Allison Jones and Elizabeth Slade join the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to discuss the invisible structures that keep a well-run Elementary classroom humming. After realizing that they each had spent years inventing and tweaking various structures and practices that were not explicitly taught in training, Allison and Elizabeth decided to write Finding Ground: Building Strong Elementary Practice, in hopes of saving other Elementary Guides years of experimentation (that often comes at the expense of the children). The book is filled with practical tools and resources to support and ground Elementary Guides.
In this conversation, we focus on just one small part of their shared wisdom: implementing systems for shared accountability. As Montessorians, we know that intrinsic motivation and the use of the Montessori materials are essential. AND...the second plane is also a sensitive period for developing the skills of time management and materials management - skills that are essential for their longterm development.
So what does this look like in practice? How do Guides keep track of what students are working on? How do the students keep track? And do we create these systems and tools to support students' self-reflection rather than rushing through checklists? We discuss the use of work journals in depth. Join Allison and Elizabeth for this fascinating discussion.
Ginni Sackett joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to discuss the important of meeting each child without expectations that they conform to a particular profile for success. (And then doing the same for ourselves and our classrooms!) She reminds us that Montessori method was designed for the child that doesn't necessarily "fit the mold." We must allow ourselves to break free of what the "ideal" Montessori child, Guide, and classroom "should" look like, to actually meet the children where they are. Yet focusing on the needs and interests of each particular child, as well as the group as a whole, can sometimes be a creative challenge for the Montessori Guide. Ginni shares guidance from her long career as a Montessori Guide, trainer, and consultant.
A culture of self-driven work among Elementary students doesn't emerge spontaneously. It needs to be carefully cultivated and maintained by the adults in the classroom. This takes intentional planning and effort, especially at the beginning of the school year. And the culture must be defended vigorously.
Jamie Rue joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to talk about ways to establish the expectations to support the cultivation of a strong work culture in the Elementary environment.
Andrée Rolfe joins the Voices in Montessori podcast, hosted by Tamara Sheesley Balis, to share what she has come to understand to be essential truths about successful inclusion based on her 50 years of experience as a special educator and 13 years of experience as a Montessorian. Andrée suggests that rather than thinking of these guidelines as new set of “tools for your toolbox,” they are better viewed as broader beliefs that inform what you do and how you do it. In other words, these guidelines enable the adult to transform in a way that enables us to serve more children well.
Cassi Mackey joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss creating and living our values as an organization. As Montessorians, we live from a strong pedagogy, but embodying these values consistently can be challenging. Do our choices, actions, words, and interactions align with our Montessori values, especially in moments of stress, conflict, or uncertainty?
Cassi explains that operationalizing and socializing the community's values is critical so there is a strong understand of "what we do at this school." How do we show up, what do our words sounds like, what do our actions look like, and how do we hold ourselves accountable? These values are created through consensus; they become a shared agreement or "a promise to each other." Cassi walks us through the process of how a school staff creates their shared values.
Next Cassi talks about how to operationalize these values, which involves identifying your desired outcomes and defining how these values translate into observable behaviors. Cassi explains that we further reinforce these values by embedding them into the strategic direction, staff evaluations, staff meetings, and more.
This work can change the culture of your school. Cassi has so many specific examples and practical suggestions - you don't want to miss this!
Michelle Blake joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to share strategies Guides can use to help young children make a smooth transition to school. She will discuss things that Guides can do over the summer to build a relationship with the family, how to structure the child's first visit to the classroom, and what to do when children are experiencing a challenging time adjusting to school life.
Ann Epstein and Julia Volkman join the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss the preliminary results of a research study examining the effectiveness of mentoring for Primary and Elementary Montessori Guides. Ann and Julia describe the structure of the mentoring program, the qualities of effective mentors, and the results of the study.
Angela Ma joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss emotional resilience and the Elementary child. Angela offers practical strategies and helpful perspectives that can help Montessori guides feel confident about empowering their children to handle tough situations, persistent worry, or dysregulation. In addition to an in-depth, brain-based discussion about ways to help our children build the skills to navigate their internal emotional world, Angie Ma authored a book to empower children with information to better understand their emotions and offers a free recording of helpful information for parents. After all, as Angie says, "Emotional resilience is not about feeling good, it's about getting good at feeling."
Jonathan Wolff joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss creating effective teaching partnerships with your co-guide or classroom associate. Jonathan describes this relationship as a "delicate dance" that involves "choreographing a partnership built on trust and understanding, humility and honesty." Jonathan first defines what a well-functioning classroom team looks like. Jonathan then dives into how successful teams overcome common challenges to achieve harmony, cohesiveness, and sustained joy.
Jonathan describes specific strategies to build a successful teaching partnership. We all know it's important to clarify roles and responsibilities of each member of the team. But Jonathan encourages us to first get to know the "whole" teammate. (What brought you here? How do you best learn? What are signals that you are feeling stressed?) He advises engaging early and often in "alignment conversations" (for example, "What do we do when...?") to create consistency among the classroom team. Jonathan also explains how to employ the Montessori “Three Period Lesson” model to orient and educate team members. Jonathan shares these strategies - and so much more - in this inspiring episode of Voices in Montessori!
Pamela Shanks joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to share information about Cortical Visual Impairment, an underdiagnosed learning difference that affects as many as 1 in 30 children in mainstream classrooms. CVI is often ignored, missed, or misdiagnosed as low vision, behavior problems, or learning disorders. CVI is a neurological visual processing disorder.
While classroom guides are not diagnosticians, you don't need a diagnosis to begin implementing classroom interventions. In this episode, Pam shares just a few of the 47 strategies (offered in Chapter 5 alone!) that classroom teachers can use to support students with visual processing challenges. These include simple interventions, such as changing the color of the work rug, showing pictures differently during read aloud time, and pairing visual tasks with motor ones.
Pam's new book, The Montessori Approach to Classroom-Based Interventions: A Handbook for Educators, Administrators, Service Providers, and Families of Children Whose Development is Impacted by Delay or Disability, addresses a variety of learning differences and provides a multitude specific strategies to use in the classroom to support students.
Chip DeLorenzo joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss the importance of holding regular class meetings as a tool to build students’ leadership skills. He advocates that class meetings are essential to developing a sense of community and belonging for the students in your classroom.
Chip describes the structure and processes involved in successful class meetings. He also shares how to teach the components of the class meetings in isolation at the beginning of each school year, so that the students have the skills to run them, and how to support students during meetings if needed (without taking over).
Through the class meeting process, children learn empathy and to see things from other people’s perspectives. They practice advocating for themselves and others, problem solving, collaborating with others, and making amends. Class meetings encompass Grace and Courtesy, SEL education, conflict resolution, and peace education all in one elegant bundle.
When we trust children to solve their own problems, students are invested in the solutions and help remind one another of the class’ shared agreements. This becomes shared leadership!
Catherine McTamaney joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to talk about how we commit to Montessori in an open-hearted, horizon-focused way, while caring for our spirits and caring for each other. What draws people to Montessori and why haven't we yet seen the New Society that she promised? How might Montessori practice (and Montessori practitioners) need to commit to a new model of radical love if we are to nurture the next generation? Join us for this inspiring and thought-provoking discussion.
Gulzar Babool joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to talk about how to build trust with families so that we can then share our objective observations through a collaborative exchange. Gulzar discusses how to share observations about what is working for the child and what might be inhibiting their learning in a way that builds partnership with the family. She talks about how to approach families who are hesitant to discuss their child in this way, how to continue serving the child in the meantime, and when to ask for outside expertise. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.
Lydia Farmer and Kalai Ramanathan join the podcast to talk about preparing inclusive holiday celebrations in the classroom.
While some educators choose to avoid all holidays for fear of leaving anyone out, Lydia and Kalai feel that this misses a valuable opportunity to create a sense of belonging for the children. Instead, Lydia and Kalai celebrate a multitude of holidays and celebrations from around the world throughout the year. This allows every child to see themselves reflected in the classroom community and exposes the children to new perspectives.
Lydia and Kalai talk about how they weave this exposure into the life of the classroom throughout the year. They describe their largest classroom celebration, a solstice celebration, which becomes a culmination of all of the Practical Life and Grace and Courtesy lessons the children have received and practiced.
Patricia Ludick joins the podcast to revisit Dr. Montessori's wisdom and insights regarding our work as practitioners who are serving Adolescents. Patrica reminds us that we must be constantly growing in our understanding of the mysterious third plane of human becoming. She considers what time and practice has taught us, as well as revisiting Dr. Montessori's vision statement in From Childhood to Adolescence.
Patricia touches on: Preparation for Adult Life, The Essence of a Working Community, The Big Picture of Program Design, The Important Role of the Adult, and then the importance of Grace and Courtesy as it evolves at the Third Plane.
She poses the questions, "What have we learned? What remains mystery? How do we move forward no matter where we are called to serve adolescents?"
Alexandra Sands joins the podcast to discuss cultivating concentration in young children. She begins with how we set the stage for children's concentration by carefully preparing the environment and with the way we bring new children into the classroom for the first time. She discusses ways we can use art, music, movement, and the outdoors to enhance students' concentration.
Alexandria explains how observation can be used to identify deep concentration (and what that actually looks like), as well as when a child is not concentrating. Then she guides us to look even more closely - what can we observe that sheds light on why the child is struggling to concentrate and how can we best support this child? Alexandra shares how to help our classroom assistants know when concentration is not happening, and when and how to intervene.
Michael Duffy joins the podcast to talk about Cosmic Education, the central element of Montessori Elementary education. He discusses the nature and purpose of Cosmic Education, as well as how it is implemented in the classroom. Michael implores Montessori teachers not get lost in the emphasis on math and language testing. He explains that as important as math and language are for Elementary students, they are just necessary tools for students to access the full scope of Cosmic Education. Join us for this fascinating discussion!
Dr. Joyce Pickering and Amy Cushner join the podcast to discuss the early signs of learning differences that Guides can be looking for during the Primary years. They use the acronym CLAPS for the main areas of development:
Coordination
Language & Speech
Attention
Perception
Social-Emotional Development
Joyce and Amy describe typical development in each of these areas, and also signs of atypical development to watch for during the Primary years. They explain how the Montessori materials and lessons can be adapted to meet the needs of a wide variety of learners.
They warn that it is dangerous to take a "wait and see" approach to learning differences. Because while we are waiting, the child with learning differences is struggling and suffering. We are also losing valuable time in which to begin early intervention. So instead, Joyce and Amy advise Guides to start using adaptive strategies as soon as they identify a child at risk. If it ends up having been developmental, there is no harm done. But if it was a learning difference, you have already been supporting the student with strategies and skills they need to be successful.
Joyce and Amy share methods for recording these observations and adaptations, and how to discuss this information with parents. This episode is filled with information that all Montessorians should have - don't miss it!
Kathy Leitch joins the podcast to reframe the Montessori practice of daily observation - not as a chore, but as an act of love. After all, how do we know what to teach? If we're just choosing the next material on the shelf or turning to the next page in our albums, how is that different from conventional education? Our pedagogy is reliant on knowing our children, our relationship with children, and understanding that they will each follow their own path.
Kathy advocates for elevating scientific observation and using it for planning, implementation of our teaching, guiding students, and assessment. What does this mean from a practical perspective? Kathy makes suggestions about when to observe, what to observe for, how to record it, and most importantly, how to use the information to shape your guidance of children.
Kathy gives advice to Guides who say they just "don't have time." We've all felt that way, but after hearing Kathy's perspective, you will rededicate yourself anew to this vital practice.
Jana Morgan Herman joins the podcast to discuss some common Montessori myths. As a Montessori historian and researcher, Jana has searched every one of Dr. Montessori's original writings, including those in the archives in Amsterdam, transcribing them from the original Italian, looking for evidence of some commonly held Montessori practices.
Here are some examples of Montessori practices that are not found in Dr. Montessori's writings:
- Rugs being used only to frame the work
- Ordering materials on the shelves from left to right, top to bottom
- The preliminary activities in Practical Life
- How to hold the red and blue rods
- Circle time
Another common Montessori practice that Jana has researched deeply is the three-hour work cycle. Jana found Dr. Montessori's original schedule of the day from her book, The Montessori Method, and discovered that this schedule is very different from the one that most Montessori school's practice today. (You can read Dr. Montessori's Schedule of the Day here.) The original schedule has very different implications for how much time children should spend outside and the role of play. Dr. Montessori's original vision is actually supported by current brain research. So how did we veer away from this? And how can we get back to the original Montessori practices that are best for children's development?
Join us for this fascinating discussion that will make you rethink some of your Montessori assumptions.
Cheri Gardner joins the podcast to talk about how Elementary and Adolescent Guides can create a classroom culture that embraces worthy challenges, problem solving, and self-reflection.
Cheri talks about the importance of Guides designing follow up work and projects that are "rich tasks." Rather than being procedural or routine, rich tasks are both engaging and challenging. They provide opportunities for problem solving and critical thinking, apply to other areas of the curriculum, and are culturally relevant and meaningful to students.
Cheri advocates for teaching problem skills directly and creating opportunities for students to practice them in isolation before expecting students to be successful with problem solving during rich tasks. Cheri also discusses with her students the learning and work habits necessary for learning, such as thinking flexibly and perseverance. She defines these traits with her students, gives examples, and then names them in action. This provides a framework for students to know what it looks like to be a problem solver. She encourages her students to embrace the discomfort of challenging work because this is when real learning happens!
Cheri provides her students opportunities for self-reflection and self-monitoring by asking questions like, "What did you learn? How do you know you learned it? What would you do differently?" She works with her students on setting goals and discussing their own growth.
Cheri advocates for creating a classroom culture that celebrates risk taking, rather than being right. She explains that confidence doesn't come from getting the right answer. It comes from being successful in a challenge!
Heather Barger joins the podcast to talk about bringing Montessori outside. She shares Dr. Montessori's vision for outdoor learning, which was for children to learn primarily through first-hand experiences in the natural world.
Heather is the founder of The Montessori Field School in Floyds Knobs, Indiana. She describes how its nature and Montessori-based curriculum supports a hands-on, experiential approach that nurtures the development of the whole child.
Heather shares what a typical day looks like at The Montessori Field School, including the practical logistics. She also shares her discoveries about how learning outside impacts children's academic development, as well as their social/emotional growth.
Tammy Oesting joins the podcast to talk about raising ecological awareness in young children, which includes cultivating awe in Montessori classrooms, integrating nature seamlessly, and empowering educators to nurture eco-consciousness. Tammy discusses why is it important to support children with ecological consciousness, and which specific Montessori principles and practices align with nature education. Tammy talks about how Montessori guides can nurture their own sense of ecological wisdom, and then offers some practical strategies for integrating nature education across the planes of development. Finally, Tammy talks about how Montessori communities can collaborate with environmental education initiatives. She also shares some resources that educators can use to learn more about how to bring ecological consciousness into their classrooms.
Seth Webb joins the podcast 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, social fluency and emotional flexibility, linguistic and cultural fluency.
Seth then shares how the Montessori philosophy has human development at its core by focusing on planes of development, human tendencies, spontaneous activity, and a prepared environment. He then shares how we can extend this framework to the school community as a whole.
Seth describes the resources offered by the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS) that support both classroom and school-wide Montessori practices.
Mandy Cheskis and Margaret Jarrell join the podcast 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 with dementia. They discuss features of a prepared environment for adults that combine best practices for people living with dementia with the Montessori approach of meaningful engagement. Mandy and Margaret talk about the importance of deeply knowing the person and designing individualized activities and roles that invite elders to contribute to their care of self, care of others, and care of the community. They also share how specific Montessori materials can be used to help elders maintain skills. This approach often requires a longterm care community to undergo culture change, but the results speak for themselves. Listen in to learn more about this innovative approach to elder and dementia care!
Uniit Carruyo visits the podcast 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 Montessori throughout their entire journey.
Tone setting starts with building the relationship with the family and truly getting to know their family culture. Uniit strongly advocates for doing home visits before the school year begins. Tone setting continues through the phase in process, and includes sharing Montessori philosophy, inviting parents to observe in the classroom, and offering multimodal communication. It requires staying non-judgemental, meeting families where they are, and inspiring them by showing them what is possible.
The community Infant/Toddler Guides help new families to build may last their entire lives!
As Montessorians we thoughtfully prepare our classroom spaces to support children's self-construction. Sarah Moudry, both a Montessorian and an interior designer, joins the podcast 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!1. The Invitation 2. Perspective 3. Purposeful 4. Enchantment 5. Surrender
Join us for this fascinating conversation. You may be inspired to look at your classroom with fresh eyes!
In this episode, we have a conversation with long-time Montessorian, Elizabeth Slade who talks about the importance of 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 community and ultimately our impact on each other. The Language of Reverence model emphasizes creating a powerful, shared language that allows all members of the community—children, families, and school-based adults—to feel respected and valued.
Sylvia Glassco joins the podcast 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 problem and searching for a way to represent it; and using evidence to support an argument. They must build executive functioning and self-regulation skills. They must discover what kind of learners they are and build the self-advocacy skills they need in the adult world. They must be empowered to make meaningful contributions.
Sylvia discusses how all this skill building is interwoven through a rigorous academic curriculum, how students engage in formative and summative assessment (without traditional letter grades), and how Microeconomy work provides Adolescents the opportunities to build many of these skills while working as a team, experiencing failure, and overcoming challenges.
Marcia Perez joins the podcast 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 an essential part of the Sensorial curriculum in the Primary classroom.
Marcia briefly shares the history of the development of the Bells and Tone Bars. She then encourages Guides who are intimidated by the music work to think of it simply as pitch and rhythm. They can be studied individually, or together in the form of song. Marcia dives into how to incorporate rhythm, pitch, singing, movement, and music appreciation into a rich experience woven throughout the curriculum.
Marcia does a deep dive into how the Bells should be set up, introduced to the children, and used by the Guide when singing. She talks about how to use the White Boards (the singing charts), which introduce pitch and pattern, and the Rhythm Patterns (clapping charts), which work on rhythm. These materials become centerpieces for the child training their ear in music, which in turn, improves the child's ear for the development of language. Marcia says, "Music IS language!"
Sue Saad joins the podcast 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, and problem-solving. They are truly absorbed in the process, not the product. Sue shares the art materials and experiences that are appropriate for toddlers and how to refrain from stifling their creativity and learning.
Junnifa Uzodike and Simone Davies join the podcast 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 understanding. The Planes of Development can serve as a "guidebook" for families, helping them to understand the characteristics and needs of their children, manage their expectations, and how better to respond to their children. Junnifa explains that when we give our families the gift of this knowledge, we empower them to be partners and collaborators in supporting children to their full potential.
Junnifa and Simone share the most important characteristics, tips, and tools they share with families about children in each Plane of Development.
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 to discuss DEI). She also offers some themes we can introduce to our students (i.e., same and different, equity detectives, etc.) and suggests scripts for how to respond to certain questions that may make us feel uncomfortable. Jen's book, Help Us Begin: Strategies and mindsets for meaningful conversations with kids, especially when you are challenged by the topic, is an excellent resource for more tips.
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 means it isn’t actually meeting the needs of anyone. And instead of asking, “Are students proficient at x, y, and z skills?”, he wonders why we aren’t instead asking, “What do we want for our students? What kind of society are we creating?”
So what is the alternative? Andrew makes a case for an alternative model (such as Montessori) that honors what students can do with real-world work. Andrew describes humanistic methods of assessment, such as student self-assessments and goal setting, student-led conferences, and portfolio-based evaluations. The focus of these methods, rather than a numeric score, is actually preparing students for life. In light of the current trends of anxiety and depression in teens, is it not our moral responsibility to better serve the needs of our students? Join us for this fascinating discussion!
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 support? Which Montessori materials are appropriate for the Elementary child (and which aren't)? What other activities can you create for emergent readers in the second plane of development? How do you monitor their progress? How do you discuss their progress with parents and guide parents how to help (or not) at home? Shelley shares her expertise as Montessori Guide and reading specialist.
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-create authentically equitable organizations through:
- Individual learning so people themselves raise their knowledge, awareness, and action when it comes to identifying, analyzing and knowing what to do in the face of oppression.
- Interpersonal action because anti-racism work is community-building work, and we have to do it together.
- Institutional transformation in order to create new systems and structures that center equity.
In this episode, Nicole and Carly focus on individual learning - specifically, five anti-racist learning goals you can do RIGHT NOW to build a sustained anti-racism practice in your classroom.
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 directly prepared through practical life, sensorial, and through spoken language. The key lessons in sound games, sandpaper letters, and movable alphabet get a child on the road to writing.
Jennifer then details all the ways Guides can encourage writing through a variety of modes from modelling, creating important opportunities to write (e.g. thank you notes, invitations), using a class journal, and more. She encourages us to use our intimate knowledge of each child to create experiences of writing that are personalized and joyful!
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, psychologists, sociologists, and others have all discovered many benefits in nature immersion, as well as detriments to health and well-being from nature-deficit disorder.
Linda reminds us that humankind’s first prepared environment was the natural world. Montessori materials--in our second prepared environment, the classroom--were designed with the assumption that children had hands-on experiences in the first prepared environment. So what can educators do to help mitigate this deficit that many children are experiencing?
Linda gives practical suggestions for things to do in the classroom and ways to partner with parents to support children in developing biophilia, a love of nature. Our host, Tamara Sheesley Balis, also shares ways we can support our staff in developing their own connection to nature.
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, because as he explains it, "Equity is bringing a service to the families, who otherwise would not have access."
MoW offers parent-partnership programs, small group Montessori experiences, and small group tutoring with trained Montessori guides. Tatenda describes how important it is to demystify the term "Montessori," instead emphasizing the aspects of hands-on materials, individualized learning, and storytelling. Tatenda explains that by exposing families to Montessori, even in small doses, parents are able to see their children as learners, see themselves as educators, and become empowered to advocate for their children's education.
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 help encourage and develop cooperation and follow-through.
One tool that Chip discusses in depth is "the power of silence." So many times, teachers overexplain when maintaining limits. Instead, Chip recommends giving nonverbal prompts (or at least limiting our words) and then stepping back, remaining present, warm, and silent. Chip delves into how and why this technique works so well, and what to do when it doesn't.
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 environment. Tamara describes Greenspring's journey in creating its own dual language program.
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 provides valuable information about learning readiness.
Dr. Wilson explains that dysregulation is caused by disconnection from regulating resources. So what are the regulating resources for the nervous system, and how do we teach ourselves and others to access those resources when needed? She provides a formula for safety, connection, and retuning the nervous system. Dr. Wilson explains how these skills can be utilized by teachers and taught to our students, resulting in more joy - both in and out of the classroom.
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 scientific theories and hypotheses that evolved after Dr. Montessori's passing that build upon the great insights she had into the development of humanity.
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 in the first plane, intellectual independence in the second plane, and social/emotional independence in the third plane. Letty talks about how to collaborate with children to invite them toward independence in a way that respects their needs and development. She also discusses how we can use this approach with other adults!
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 shares commom pitfalls she has seen that prevent leaders from cultivating the school cultures they are looking for. Then she shares key strategies for overcoming these challenges, so that all members of the school community feel capable, valuable, and powerful.
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 meetings, during which important discussions are held and collective decisions are made. John makes the case that experiencing democratic governance as a healthy and vital part of Cosmic Education that serves students in both individual and collective ways.
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 developing the skills and tools of mindfulness?
- How can we be the Guides that Dr. Montessori envisioned us to be?
Rachel discusses these big questions by describing her own practices and strategies she has used successfully in her own classrooms.
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 answers the question, "How do we, as adult learners, cultivate these characteristics?" Join Tammy for this lively and inspiring conversation!
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 students are mathematical thinkers. This comes from students being given the time to explore mathematical concepts with hands-on materials. Upper El Guides must resist the temptation to move students too quickly into abstraction and give the gift of time for students to make foundational discoveries. Mike gives lots of specific examples about how to inspire students who resist using materials. Mike describes how the Montessori materials can still be used with Adolescents, although they are beyond their sensitive period for using manipulatives, to support their understanding.
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 trees, the air we breathe, and the animals we share this planet with. We need our children to love our planet, as they are the ones who will be most impacted by the choices humans make.
But what does this look like in daily practice as a Montessorian?
- What are ways that a Montessori educator might prepare themselves in order to most effectively connect children with the natural world?
- How might a Montessori educator extend the prepared environment outside the classroom walls?
- What are specific ways that nature studies, specifically gardening studies, be incorporated into each of the Montessori curriculum areas?
- How are the Montessori biology materials best used? Are they enough?
- How might a busy teacher, or one who doesn’t know much about gardening, find help?
Kathryn Ross considers these questions and offers specific ideas about connecting young children in a Montessori setting to the natural world.
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 children build these muscles, including offering appropriate choices, connecting children to work that meets their abilities and interests, and preparing the environment for children's independence. Veronica also gives practical suggestions about how to support children who have not yet developed their will.
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 combination of observation and intuition when reacting to situations in real time. Knowing when to sit back and when to step in is an art! Join us for this lively conversation about meeting the social needs of Adolescents.
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 into it! We can model taking purposeful joy in the things that we do. Building a practice of playfulness fosters peer-peer connections and teacher-student relationships, and can bring life to lessons. Jody talks about using mindfulness, lesson planning, and balancing playfulness with a calm classroom.
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 learning & peer feedback, and the interdisciplinary curriculum - inherently support an approach to writing that is authentic, expressive, and culturally relevant.
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.
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, and bucket filling. Jen also walks us through the process of how to introduces these topics with our students - first through direct lessons and then with daily practice - just as we do with Grace and Courtesy! She makes the case for incorporating the language of these lessons into the daily life of the classroom, so that it becomes part of the classroom culture.
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!
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 successful) projects that her students have run during her years as an Adolescent Guide and Program Director.
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 encourages problem solving and leadership. These are skills that need to 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.
Dr. Valaida Wise discusses her research and its implications for how to broach the topic of race in our school communities. Val identifies the four stages along the "broaching continuum" that communities must go through on their journey. She advocates that school leaders conduct an equity audit, set goals, make a plan, track progress, and hold themselves accountable. Val also talks about how we start these conversations with our students and their families. Val explains that we must acknowledge difference and learn culturally sustaining practices to support students' identity development.
What is sensory processing disorder? What behaviors will we observe when a child is struggling with sensory processing? Our Guest, Pam Shanks, a Montessorian and expert in special education, will answer these questions and offer specific strategies for supporting children with sensory processing challenges in our Montessori classrooms.
Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS), developed by Ross Greene, is an evidence-based model that helps adults focus on identifying the root of concerning behaviors in children and solving those problems collaboratively and proactively. The CPS model aligns beautifully with Montessori principles and offers powerful insights into how to view and respond to concerning behaviors in your classroom.