Presentations & Discussion Topics

Going Out: The Practical Life of the Elementary Child

Presented at MANC Conference, October 7, 2023

We already know that ‘all there is to learn’ can’t be contained in a classroom. Dr. Montessori compels teachers and parents alike to connect our Elementary children with what the world around them has to offer. Based on Montessori’s plan for the Going Out program, I share preparatory exercises and practical systems for inviting your children to take ownership over their education for life, right down to the logistics. Your child’s trips out become more meaningful as they flex their independence in planning, communicating, and leading. This session is designed for parents & caregivers who want to implement the skills, systems, and outcomes of Going Outfrom their own homes or for guides who would like to pass on practical support for parents who want to extend their child’s learning after school hours.

 

The Prepared Environment

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Foundations Course

In this video, I share a glimpse into the visible and tangible components that make up an elementary Montessori classroom as well as the invisible but critical components like the systems, preparation, and community.

When considered altogether, these are what we refer to in the Montessori framework as the prepared environment, and it stands as one of the most essential pillars in building a Montessori elementary class community that prioritizes the development of elementary children's social and cognitive independence.

 

Routines that Support a Culture of Work

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Foundations Course

Are the adult, the child, and the environment all prepared? Now we’re ready for action. Follow along to visualize a ‘day in the life’ and then dig in to analyze the routines and systems that make it so dynamic.

Building Relationships with Families

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Professional Development Series


A high-fidelity Montessori Elementary program guarantees an individualized approach to children's intellectual, social, and spiritual progress and communicates to a child's parents about that approach & progress:

  • Parents want to know how to help their children

  • Parents are always right that something is wrong, but they are not always right about what is wrong

You can build trusting relationships

  • through listening, articulating positive goals, taking professional ownership

  • through consistency & following through on your promises

  • through high-quality touch points at pivotal moments in the school year

 

Progress Reports; Chutes and Ladders

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Professional Development Series

What would it mean...

...for parents to read a progress report and take true delight in their child's development?

...for children to know that what you've shared with their parent was a formal extension of the conversations you're having with them in weekly conferences?

...for you as the "Montessori teacher to be constantly looking for the child who is not yet there" and to chart a path towards each child's next intellectual. social, and functional milestones?

 

Assessment & Decision Making

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Foundations Course

How do you know what each child already knows? What is the proof that each child is learning? What will you do with this information?

Use diagnostic assessments and formative assessments to answer these questions and prove progress through qualitative and quantitative methods.

Documenting and Showcasing Student Work

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Professional Development Series

Every bit of student work is a reflection of a guide’s systems - the Invisible Prepared Environment:

  • lesson planning

  • follow-up work assignment/negotiation/agreements

  • record keeping

  • regular meetings with the children

  • storage (of in-progress work; best or completed work) and systems for organizing/cleaning/clearing

  • Child Study process (or other iterative behavioral intervention process)

  • schedule

 

Summer Goal Setting

Presented in the Prepared Montessorian Institute’s Professional Development Series

It's the night before the first day of next school year. You are looking forward to a great new year and feeling a sense of satisfaction about your summer.

What did you accomplish over the summer? What is the one thing that makes you most optimistic about next year?

What are obstacles you anticipate that could block you from accomplishing your priorities? How do you plan to go about removing these obstacles?

Bird by Bird and Word by Word...
Second Plane Children, Literacy, and Number Sense

Takeaways from AMI Refresher Course 2020

Inspired by a story from Anne Lamott’s book and Alison Awes’ workshop - topic include:

  • Human Tendencies

  • Principle of Process

  • Language Development & Tips for Listening at Home

  • Number Sense & Creating an Environment To Help Children Think for Themselves

You Might Be the Parent of a Second-Plane Child If…

Topic includes:

  • The psychological characteristics that the parents and caregivers of a child entering into second plane of development may notice in their changing children.

 

Introduction To Elementary:
As It Relates To Tools of Responsibility In The Classroom & Home

Topic includes:

  • Specific examples and suggestions for the elementary child’s growing skills and responsibilities leading to greater independence.