Voices in Montessori Podcast

How to Incorporate Social-Emotional Learning into the Lower Elementary Curriculum

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.

Supporting the Development of Self-Discipline in the Primary Classroom

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.

Creating a Positive Social Environment for Adolescents

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.

The Importance of Playfulness in the Elementary Classroom

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.

Normalizing the Pause: An Intentional Reflection on How Our Biases Show Up in the Classroom

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 intentional because some of our biases are unconscious or implicit, so in some cases we do not even realize that they are present and at play.
Once we are in touch with our own biases and set intention, we have the opportunity to teach children how to honor, acknowledge, and respect the differences that exist between us. Cathy gives specific examples about how to respond to students who notice differences, reframing them as celebrations of what makes us all unique and opportunities for learning about other cultures.
Cathy reminds us that intentional self-reflection is not just for the classroom; this process can and should be applied to every area of our lives!

A Case for Embedding Writing and Expressive Skills throughout the Adolescent Curriculum

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.

Creating Harmony Through Courageous Conversations

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.

Creating a Structure for Successful Microeconomies

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.

Following the Child with Learning Differences in the Montessori Classroom

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 needs in our prepared environment. Barbara discusses some specific strategies and tools that guides can utilize in the Montessori classroom to support students with a variety of differences, such as ADHD, dyslexia, auditory processing challenges, and more. She describes the technique of co-regulation to model for students the vital skills of self-regulation. Barbara also describes what a successful collaboration looks like between classroom guides and outside support professionals.
 

Creating a Mentally Healthy Classroom

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.