Voices in Montessori Podcast

Creating a Community of Change Makers in the Primary Classroom

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.

Reaching for Montessori’s Potential: How to Stay Inspired and Engaged in Our Classrooms

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!

Skills for Teachers to Step into Daring Leadership

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.

How Current Brain Research Shapes Our Work in the Montessori Classroom

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.

Powerful Literacy in the Montessori Classroom: Aligning Reading Research and Practice

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.

Early Signs of Dyslexia and When to Ask for Help

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.

Communication Strategies for Building a School Culture of Belonging

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! 

Broaching the Topic of Race in Our School Communities

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.

Supporting Students with Sensory Processing Challenges in the Montessori Classroom

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.

Implementing Collaborative Problem Solving in the Montessori Classroom

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.