Author: mw-claudiamann

I have a mentor who talks about getting on the “No Train.” The first time I heard that, I thought, “Right! Good luck with that!” 

She didn’t simply repeat the “Just say no” mantra, though. She had some really great tips for getting on that train…and riding it into the future with a passion for life full of choice and ease.

I must be totally ready for this lesson because not only was this mentor giving it, but at least three of the folks whose guidance I receive were giving the same message in one way or another.

Robert said, “You don’t have to do anything.” I rolled my eyes at that one, too.

Another’s advice was to choose the one  thing that gives me the greatest frustration and put “I don’t do…” in front of it.  For example, “I don’t do holidays.” “I don’t do pages of conference reports.” or “I don’t do overwhelm.”

My initial reaction to each of these wise souls was the same:  It’s not possible! Never gonna happen.  In spite of my respect for each of them, I was pretty sure that they never had an imposed deadline, a bean-counting boss, or teaching during the holidays. Without much faith in their ideas, I shrugged my shoulders and decided, What do I have to lose?

Maybe a busy and overwhelmed schedule, that’s what!

And, I’ll be honest in my amazement that just repeating these words to myself had some amazing results!

When I felt like I had too many things on my list, especially items put there by someone else, and I told myself, You don’t HAVE to do anything, it was astonishing! Suddenly everything on the list became a choice. There was incredible freedom in that. So much so, in fact, that I often completed the entire list in less time and with a whole lot less resentment and frustration. I made decisions that came from my own heart. These words were and inspiration that was in sync with the tasks. The heaviness lifted!

Nevertheless, there were still times when I felt the burden of a task that I either couldn’t get organized or that felt too big to tackle. That’s when I got this lesson:

You always have time for the things that matter most.

This lesson arrived by way of a story: A gentleman found himself diagnosed with a critical illness that would end his life within a few short months. Not wanting to face this fate, he sought in vane to find alternative diagnoses. So he made a decision to spend the months he had left doing only those things that he determined truly mattered.

As the story goes, he chose to travel, be with his family, rest, and make choices that would bring him joy. During this time, he met someone and fell in love. His new partner, hoping for more time together, suggested he consider seeking someone who could look at his health and give him more insights. Remarkably, his new physician had a totally different diagnosis: The man did have a rare form of the same illness, but this form was completely curable.

The man burst into tears.

These were no tears of joy, however.  The tears he shed were tears of sadness and fear.  He was immediately smacked with the possibility that the new life he’d created would slip away. He faced the fear that his life made of choices rooted in what mattered most in the moment, would return to a list of to-do’s. He never wanted to lose the  joy and peace he’d achieved and knew the power of living a status quo life.

No matter what your pressing issues are, I encourage you to practice these mantras and get on the “No Train” as quickly as possible. And then do whatever you can to stay there… forever!

When I was teaching, the Thanksgiving week was a time of deep rest and quiet. Typically, we did everything we could to avoid “doing” anything except changing the day-to-day work-life channel.

If deep rest is exactly what you need this year, I hope you’ll find these three ideas helpful.

 

 

#1: Repeat this mantra until you believe it:

“I don’t have to do anything.”  

The critical part of this is the believing part, because if you truly embrace this philosophy, every possible thing that you could do becomes a choice based on your priorities. Since I began practicing this perspective, my mindset has shifted and I am finding myself to be more focused, getting more accomplished in less time, and most days are free of stress. So, write these words on the top of your planner so you see it and remember it, especially on those days when traditional expectations are nagging you to give up the joy of directing how you spend your time.

 

 

#2: Simplifying is the key to Amplifying.   

Whatever you choose to do, break it down into short and simple actions that you can do in 20-25 minutes. Then hold yourself accountable to completing the task within that time. Discipline yourself to not get sucked down a rabbit hole, and, if you find an interesting rabbit hole that seems worthy of your time and attention, make a note of it (copy the link, write a post-it, jot it down in your planner) and come back to it later.  Just keeping your attention on knocking out those short tasks is going to invigorate you and help you get your work done. Then if that rabbit hole is still calling, you can take it on during the free time you have left over. My experience? Most of the time, the thrill and appeal were gone!

 

 

#3: Reward yourself!

I grew up with a dad whose motto was literally this: “Rest when you die!” Oh my gosh! No wonder I have to give myself a HUGE talking to when I’m beating myself up for taking time to watch a movie, read a book for pleasure, or cheer on my favorite teams on Sunday! The better I get at finishing my lists without the stress, the more choice time I’m finding in my life…and the LAST thing I want to be dealing with is guilt or shame around taking some time to relax! So, I usually add some sort of reward to my daily plans: a nap, a walk, sitting in the hot tub, or vegging out with popcorn and a movie…and NO GUILT!

So there you have it! Three truly simple things you can think about to get some genuine rest over your Thanksgiving break.

Here’s a gift to sweeten your Restful week: a short video and e-book with more thoughts on how you can take care of yourself now and whenever you need a little reminder!

The holidays are upon us and for teachers that means more excitement, more projects, more special events, and more magic to create! If you use these three tips, I promise you’ll be savoring these moments like never before!

If you want more tips for taking charge of your time and your life, be sure to sign up for my newsletter at www.claudiamann.org and follow me (Instagram and Facebook)

Are you addicted to your planner? 

…to maintaining a routine that allows you to sustain a balanced life?

If this sounds like you, then 

what do you do when the unpredictable turns that all upside down? 

The unexpectd event that turns your plans upside down is what I’m reflecting on this morning. Why? Because the curveball I got hit with recently is still sending out ripples of impact that have to be dealt with and I’m beginning to feel the little cracks that let me know I’m simply not doing all that great.

I’m mostly an optimist. I always seek the lesson and learning to be gained…eventually. With this recent unplanned emergency, I’m discovering that a few new tools have made all the difference to my sense of balance, so I’m sharing with hope that you’ll find some respite when your next curveball comes whizzing across the plate. 

This blog is especially for all you teachers out there. It’s late summer and many of you are getting ready to start the school year. I imagine you’ve got a lot of ideas and plans for the fun you want to have and for all the learning you want to inspire. If you’ve been doing this work for a while, you know, although you may not be thinking about it, that there will be challenges among the good times. But knowing that challenges will come is not the same as having those challenges in your face. Anticipation is not the same as when the challenges interrupt your plans or bring everything to a screeching halt. Knowing that you will be triggered is not the same as feeling the frustration, fear, or anger that comes up when the triggering moment happens. 

With my recent curveball, I found these tools expanded my ability to return to balance while facing life-impacting questions and decisions. 

1. Pause and release

I have an amazing doctor. She practices medicine holistically, including traditional wisdom with modern medicine. When I told her that breathing wasn’t enough to reduce the stress levels, she suggested I try releasing all the muscles in my lower abdominal area: sphincter and all. Why does this work? Because these muscles activate a different nervous system than the one that’s revving us up and both systems can’t be active at the same time. It works amazingly well for an almost instantaneous calming effect. Once that settles over me, the addition of breathing brings me back to the front of my brain so I can effectively manage the decisions in a logical, less emotionally reactive way.

2. Consider the help that will make a difference

In the midst of a sudden challenge, it can be difficult to know what actions will help calm the situation. That’s why it’s so important to get into the part of your brain that can discern what is needed. In the recent upset, I first asked myself whether I was hungry, had had enough sleep, or if I were experiencing information overload (or likely challenged with all of the above). As I ran through each question, I closed my eyes, took a breath, attempting to connect with the intuitive truth about what my physical body might be needing. Once I found those answers, I was able to move on to step 3.

3. Ask for what you need

Asking for help can be the greatest limiting factor for really taking care of yourself in a moment (or week) of crisis. Accepting help can also be difficult. Unfortunately for many of us,  asking for support can be tough. Some might be held back by not wanting to impose, or by a fear of being turned down. But having the courage to ask for help when you’re trying to return to equilibrium can be a lifesaver. (With this writing, my heart is overflowing with the appreciation for my friends and their families whose support meant maintaining my sanity during a week of worry and unknowns! You know who you are!) 

4. Tap or move your body

When I’m triggered, I need movement to redirect the energy that has risen in my body. If I can, sometimes I just stretch my arms up and reach for the sky a few times…like 25 or 30 times back and forth. But this wasn’t exactly available to me in the middle of a highly charged situation in my classroom. As an alternative, I used tapping. My favorite tapping exercise was simply folding my arms across my chest and tapping in that little indentation below the arm and shoulder joints. There’s also Brain Buttons from Brain Gym which is a little more difficult to explain…but I’ll try: place your thumb and middle finger in indentations just below the collarbone and above the rib. It’s just about the right amount of space to massage with your thumb and middle finger. These exercises bring a calming presence. Google “tappng” and “Brain Gym” and you’ll discover lots of suggestions. I taught these and other similar actions to my students so we can calm down together.  

5. Slow down 

I get a short weekly newsletter: “Sloww Sunday.” I found it during the lockdown and still get it because just seeing the subject line in my inbox reminds me of how slowing down can regulate any emotional moment. I often take a slow walk a la Thich Nhat Hanh’s “peace is every step.”  A slow walking practice awakens the sweet memory of walking the UC Boulder campus with Thay leading us silently along the paths, but more importantly, the act of slow walking calms the nervous system and returns my troubled mind to balance. Slowing the voice, slowing the physical movements with stretching or chi gong, slowing the breath…simply slowing down…can activate the parts of your brain that are best equipped to find a solution to the crisis du jour.

These five “exercises” were plenty to get me through a tough and triggering time. I trust you’ll find guidance in them for you, too.  We are only able to “Teach Peace” when we are able to create peace within ourselves during troubled times.  

~~~~~~~~~

I have some additional tips in a free workbook and webinar: Finding Calm Amidst Chaos. You are cordially invited to use them as often as you need. (Here’s the LINK) Know that I trust you’ll find your way through all the challenges you face, whether at work or at home or somewhere in between. You’ve Got This! (Thanks, Mari! Your support still hangs in clear view!) 

Claudia Mann is a Montessori guide who spent 40 years working in schools and striving to help others make the most of their lives. She currently leads mentoring groups, 1-on-1 coaching, and consultations for organizations to find peace as they follow their hearts. You may contact her at [email protected]. 

 

Sit in a quiet room. Close your eyes and think of the color red. 

Pause for a moment as you conjure that color in your mind.

Now, without opening your eyes, imagine things that are red:

a stop sign

the universal symbol for “no”

blood

an exit sign

a red rose

a red wagon

Stay with this imagination of red and things that are red for a few 

minutes…at least 5 to 10.

Then open your eyes. What do you notice?

After you finish this part of the experiment come back to this page 

and read the experiences (below) of some who have done it.

For some, all the red objects stood out. They immediately saw the red objects first. Their eyes were drawn to the red objects around them.

For at least one person, they reported that it felt as if they couldn’t avoid seeing the red items all around them. They said, “I never imagined the experience would be so intense and extreme. Objects I previously ignored became my focus.”

When we “see” things in our mind’s eye they have the potential to amplify: the student who is “always” off task; the colleague who “always” sees things a certain way (but of course you do not!); the lack of time; the problems with the schedule that isn’t the way it “should” be. I’m sure you have your own list of perceptions of the people around you.

As you begin to contemplate the coming day or week or year, consider how the way you see things might benefit your lived experience by changing the way you look at them. Make a list, focus on forgiving, seeing differently, and letting go.

You just might change your life!

“We shall walk together on this path of life,
for all things are part of the universe
and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” 

Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Claudia Mann, MEd
303.907.0297

Recognize this Logo and Quotation? It’s my email signature.  Maybe you’ve written me and seen it. If not, I hope you’ll reach out! ([email protected])  I’d love to know you and the part of the world you live in and love!

This Montessori quote is likely my favorite, although choosing is always difficult; there are SO MANY good ones to inspire. For me, it is the notion that we are all connected to form one whole Universe that touches my heart. I fully believe this to be true.

Years ago, I was part of a fellowship that did that typical thing of looking into your personality. I came up as a Connector. No surprise there.  But traveling affords opportunities to connect in completely fresh ways.

This month I’m traveling again. It’s a gift to be able to spend time transporting myself around the globe and I’m so grateful for it. With that said, I thought I’d send you some of the highlights of my trip and why they matter.

If you choose to read on, you will learn that I was part of the AMS Innovation Fellowship Think Tank (IFTT). One of my groups focused on Inclusion. Our project was sharing stories to help us Understand, Heal, and Belong to one another.

We know that everyone has a story of exclusion or inclusion that has impacted their lives or may be continuing to impact their lives in both negative and positive ways. In our effort to bring the Montessori community together, we collected stories of teaching, guiding, growing, and coming together to face the challenges of inclusion that happen each and every day in our schools and classrooms.  There’s been a lot of connecting in this work!

After a year of gathering individual histories, we’ve come to believe that sharing stories is the perfect starting point in forming a foundation of peace. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing more of our work and more of everyone’s stories for certain. If you’d like to share YOUR MontesStori, please reach back and let me know. I’ll give you all the details so you can decide if participating is for you.

In the meantime, we’ll be finding out how we may walk together on the path of life, or discovering connections between us that we never knew!

What I’m experiencing throughout this month of travel is the value of connecting, merging, and growing in understanding of new cultures, experiences, and, always, the people. In a world that seems so easily divided on painful lines, it is my hope and my mission to sow a few seeds of love through mutual sharing and increased understanding.

For now, here’s a little run-down of where I’ve been and where I’m headed!

Orlando: American Montessori Society – The Montessori Event

This year was no different in the reunion of friends that I value so much, but there was a fresh twist of joining with a group of new and new-ish friends as part of the Innovation Fellowship Think Tank. One of my two groups became particularly close this year, so joining with them to present our work was filled with love and gratitude. Our work on Inclusion brought us together and we had opportunities to share our work in presentations and recording stories at the conference.

My long-time mentee, Tatenda Blessing Muchiriri, received the Innovator Award this year. I couldn’t be more proud of his amazing work and, again, so full of gratitude for being able to walk this path alongside him.

Mexico

After a month in Mexico in November, we couldn’t wait to get back. This time, we are visiting our friends in Leon, Guanajuato as our home base. We’re gearing up with some new products for Fossilicious.com and we’re looking forward to connecting with a couple of schools here who are interested in using the Spanish translations of our Paleontology for Kids books in their elementary and secondary classes. Woohoo! In addition to just enjoying Leon, and its surroundings, I’m using this month to finish up my workshop for the Trillium P2P Montessori and Ecological Consciousness Summit that will be available this summer!

But it’s not all work and no play for sure! A temazcal in Juventino Rosas and a day-trip to Lagos de Moreno gave us opportunities to meet and enjoy people who share our passions. It is amazing to feel these heart-connections. We have more trips on the horizon to Cuernavaca and Mexico City, with a USA family rendezvous the night before we say goodbye to our friends on the southern side of the border.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

After sunny Mexico, I’ll travel to Calgary for the Children Change the World Montessori Conference. Last year was my first time at this very special conference and I can’t wait to go back! I’ll be offering the Saturday morning Keynote and two additional presentations: Cosmic Education and the Science of Reading and Keeping Cosmic Education at the Heart of the Elementary Program. My presentations always focus on Cosmic Education; which, of course is totally about connection!

Back in the USA

After CCtW, I’ll head to Oakland and Livermore, CA for a couple of days visiting schools and family before finally turning toward home. It will be wonderful to see Montessori friends in the area, once again enjoying connection through our love of all things Montessori.

So what’s all this have to do with Montessori education? For me, travel IS connecting to the universal world of humanity. It is a way that we can overcome the sense of division and detachment that seems to permeate social media and news these days. It’s also the very best way to experience our one whole unity!

 

 “Only the disciplined are truly free. 

The undisciplined are slaves to moods, 

appetites, and passions.”

 

~ Stephen Covey ~

 

There’s a lot of talk about self-care these days, especially overworked and under-paid teachers! Since you and I are part of that community, self-care goals come up a LOT!

 

 

 

 

 A Little Less Talk; 

A Lot More Action!

We teachers talk about getting more self-care, taking more time for ourselves, saying ‘no’ to others more often, and triving to do less, but is it just talk? Are we able to find ways to walk that talk consistently enough to feel less stressed and overwhelmed? 

I’ve faced a whole heap of stressful times the last couple of years: the near-death of my child and the continued chronic illness that caused it, both adult children moving home, becoming self-employed, changing the focus of my career: plenty for this lady!

I found that the near constant barrage of in-my-face needs that filled my days required an entirely new way of thinking about self-care. Self-care that took chunks of time out of my day were simply not enough to create the kind of internal peace necessary to be functional and at my “better;” best was not even on the table! 

I began to make space for short, mini-retreats throughout my day.  Talk about a world of differen

 

 

 

 

Want To Know How? 

The first thing I did was look at the work I wanted to accomplish each day. Since a lot of my work is solitary now, I used a process called a Pomodoro to focus my attention for short bursts of time, taking a break about every 20 to 25 minutes. This process could work for you in your planning times, whether that happens at school or home. 

Classroom Pomodoros

The problem I faced was that my daily “work” included attending to the needs of my invalid child: to supporting my family in ways that hadn’t been needed for nearly 20 years. To use the Pomodoro technique in managing the often spur-of-the-moment needs required some modification. I thought back to my teaching days in which I usually planned 3 or 4 lessons in a morning, sometimes group and sometimes individuals. Pomodoros work great for lessons because no lesson should take more than 20 with a few minutes for dismissal. Between lessons, I would sit and take stock of the classroom while getting a few shoulder stretches and deep breaths. I might add lighting a candle or starting some soft music to bring down the energy of the classroom. 

I began to take short breaks after attending to my child so I could manage my emotions as well as get myself centered and grounded before moving back into “work” mode. Just having the awareness of taking a little break to calm myself and honor what I was going through helped me get into a more productive frame of mind. 

Again, thinking back to my classroom days, I remembered how taking a mini break, no more than two to three minutes did as much for that class as it did for me. When I sat down, put on my signal that I was not available, and began to be still, it seemed like the entire classroom felt the shift in my energy and the classroom energy shifted too! I firmly believe it did the same for my child who, after 8 or 9 months, began to show real improvement and started using similar quiet moments to deal with the mental health issues that came along with the physical challenges. 

In both my class and my home, there was a peaceful calm that settled over the environment, taking some of the intensity off of the moment and the day. 

Pomodoros for Coaching

You may be thinking, “What about being available for questions and support of the students?” Pomodoros work great for this, too! We had a communication system in our class for letting teachers know that help was needed. Students made beautiful name cards that, when they needed help, would be placed beside a guide who was otherwise engaged. When the teacher was free, they would pick up the stack of cards, turn them over to get the first card on the top and begin to go around the classroom. Do this for 25 minutes (one Pomodoro) and then take that two to three-minute break. 

This routine will begin to have a rhythm to it and your students will feel the flow. They may even pick up on the taking of breaks and follow your lead. You are being a wonderful model of staying fresh and rejuvenated throughout the day. 

I’ve made a little Cheat Sheet for using the Pomodoro Method to stay refreshed throughout your day, so you can end your day with energy and vitality. Pick it up here! 

And have a great day! 

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

~ Anne Lamott ~

“Times have changed, and science has made great progress, and so has our work; but our principles have only been confirmed, and along with them our conviction that mankind can hope for a solution to its problems, among which the most urgent are those of peace and unity, only by turning its attention and energies to the discovery of the child and to the development of the great potentialities of the human personality in the course of its formation.”

 

Montessori, M. (1948). The Discovery of the Child, NY: Ballantine Books

Helping children develop compassion and acceptance for people who are different can be a challenge. If you’ve read my recent blog, you know this challenge has been heavy on my heart in recent weeks, as it has been for so many, and it’s been a frequent discussion in my Demystifying Cosmic Education Mastermind. Dr. Montessori says to “discover the child” and “develop the great potentialities of the human personality.”

But how?

This was the question we contemplated at last night’s mastermind meeting. One member offered the value of conversations held in the class so that children’s vision could expand to include ideas beyond the ones of their own families. The approach of open and honest conversations about differences and diversity can lay the groundwork for deepening respect that develops over years of experiences.

We can encourage children to ask questions and engage in discussions about people who are different from them. As teachers and parents, we can seek advice to provide age-appropriate answers and explanations with the primary goal to be ever-fostering a sense of curiosity and understanding. These types of conversations help children develop empathy while learning to see the world from different perspectives.

“Never be afraid of the conversations you are having. Be afraid of the conversations you are not having.” 

Susan Scott

This quote reminds us of the importance of engaging in conversations about differences. These sorts of conversations can break down barriers and build bridges of understanding and acceptance.

Another approach is to expose children to different cultures, religions, and appearances from an early age. This can be done through books, movies, or field trips to museums and cultural events, but can also be encouraged in the home or classroom by sharing simple artifacts like these gathered in my recent trip to Mexico.

The beauty of the artistry in simple clothing the children can try on or tasting the foods unique to the culture will allow them to be immersed in the many ways humans solve the problems of providing Fundamental Human Needs. These important Montessori lessons enrich the children’s learning, expand their academic skills, and, most of all, help them to they appreciate and respect differences.

Along with these intentional difference-enhancing experiences, it’s important to teach children the value of kindness and respect. They can be guided and encouraged to treat everyone with kindness and respect regardless of their differences. Inclusive language and avoiding stereotypes or discriminatory behaviors can go a long way in helping children develop compassion and acceptance for people who are different when modeled by the adults in their lives

It is so important to support the development of compassion and acceptance for people who are different through a variety of age-appropriate experiences, open conversations, and teaching the value of kindness and respect. When we provide children with diverse experiences and encouraging them to ask questions about differences, they can learn to appreciate and embrace diversity. We can create a culture of curiosity and openness, skills that enhance all kinds of learning and which lead to a more empathetic and inclusive society.