“We must give him the means and encourage him. ‘Courage, my dear, courage!” Maria Montessori – The 1946 London Lectures It was often a topic of conversation amongst my Montessori colleagues: at least part of the “means and encouragement” was to help the child find their voice. This included learning to speak in front of …
‘You are a new (hu)man that must adapt to this new world. Go on triumphantly. I am here to help you.’ ” Maria Montessori – The 1946 London Lectures This quote, a new one to me, landed so perfectly as a reflection of recent work I’m doing with a specialized Montessori program whose staff faces …
“…realizing the peculiarly absorbent nature of the child’s mind, she has prepared for him a special environment; and, then, placing the child within it, has given him the freedom to live in it, absorbing what he finds there.” E. M. Standing, Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work (p.265). In a week of school observations, over …
It is necessary for the teacher to guide the child without letting him feel her presence too much so that she may always be ready to supply the desired help, but may never be the obstacle between the child and his experience. Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook, “Freedom” First Published: 1914 Maria Montessori faced obstacles…many of …
Help or Hindrance? Aid or Obstacle? — Which are you?  Read More »
“Not words, but virtues, are her main qualifications.” Dr. Maria Montessori, ‘The Discovery of the Child’, Clio Press Ltd, 151 If these words were Dr. Montessori’s only directions, we teachers might feel mighty free to make up those virtues on our own. But of course, Dr. M wouldn’t leave us without some guidance, so the …
Wait a minute, Claudia…Why “Montessori PRACTITIONER”? Why didn’t you say Montessori teacher or Montessori guide? That’s a great question and I’d ask you to take a look at that term: “practitioner.” By definition, a practitioner is “a person actively engaged in an art, discipline, or profession”. Well that certainly fits! As a reader of this …
Becoming a successful Montessori practitioner takes time, patience, and guidance! Read More »
“You see things along the way and stop to look more closely.” I had to look at his face to see if that was an acknowledgement or something else. It was acknowledgement. Appreciation. It was also right on. Beach Walk Collections Beach Walk Collections I’m probably not the person you’d want along on a hike …
Be Who You Are…but Get $#@! Done!
Tips for the Start of the School Year Read More »
This reflection is about fear, specifically the tiny fears that shape our daily decision-making and choices, forcing us to maintain habits we’d like to change and keeping us from genuine growth. Several years ago, my observation practice was re-energized through the work of Paul Epstein. After nearly 30 years in my own classrooms and 20+ …
I was all prepared to launch into a Springtime series on flowers with some fun freebies that will have your children wanting to become botanists! (If you got excited when you read that, have no fear….it’s still coming!) But, as is often the case for me, the experiences of this week sent me off on …
“The real preparation for education is a study of one’s self. The training of the teacher who is to help life is something far more than the learning of ideas. It includes the training of character; it is a preparation of the spirit.” Dr. Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind As I gently returned to social …
Best Teacher Preparation Course? Dr. M Says Study Yourself Read More »
