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I read The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas last year and recently reread it and its sequel. Considering the current social justice climate, I think it is a good one for everyone to read. But if you’re a Montessorian, I think there is an extra need to do so.

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A Good Kind of Trouble is a middle grade book by Lisa Moore Ramee that I have read a couple of times now. But even though it’s a book written for the younger crowd, I think it’s an important book that educators and anyone who works with kids should read, because there are a lot of life lessons for adults in this book, too. There are also a lot of things even beyond the social justice message, that teachers should think about. First, let me introduce you to the book.

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Today is International Women’s Day and I have seen a lot of posts about Maria Montessori. So I decided to pen a few of my thoughts on her along my journey of being a Montessori Kid to Montessori Educator to Montessori Writer.

I first remember learning about Maria Montessori in my primary years. Primary at my school meant grades 1-3. I’m sure we learned about her at other times, too. That particular year, my third grade year, probably sticks out the most because that is the year my class put on the play “You Can Be What You Want To Be.”

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21 years ago, I had completed my Montessori early childhood training and was getting ready to start my first job on my own. We were lacking in a lot of supplemental materials and I had one boy who was extremely advanced. The internet was just starting to be a fun place to look for new activities and I stumbled upon a new website called ABCTeach. It felt magical.

Continue reading “Website Wednesday: ABCTeach”

When I was in the classroom, I thought I was working toward being more inclusive. And while I gave a good effort at the time, I now realize there is so much more that I could have done and that all of us should be doing in our classrooms and communities.

ABAR means Anti-Bias Anti-Racism. Educators who are truly working on this are working on themselves as people as well as what is being reflected and taught in the classrooms. And as one panelist said in a recent webinar I attended, if you’re in education and you’re not working toward this, then you need to get out.

It’s not an easy road to travel. It can be taxing and will leave you unsettled. But that’s kind of the point. But if you can dedicate the time and effort into doing the work, you will be a better educator and your students will benefit for a lifetime.

Continue reading “The Ever-Evolving List of ABAR Resources for Montessorians”

I love finding new books to inspire learning in children. Even better when you can get them for free! Take advantage of this free Kindle deal on October 1 to inspire some skywatching in your kids!

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If you want to teach kids about preservation of the environment, use this story as a launchpad! And grab it quickly, because it’s currently on sale for just $0.99, usually $2.99. Read more about Living Green: A Story About Planet Earth, Environmental Preservation, Respect and Friendship by Florian Bushy and take a sneak peek inside!

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Several weeks ago, I had the honor of participating in an online discussion with Temple Grandin. She is a woman I greatly admire who has taught me a lot when it comes to working with neurodiverse individuals. I first saw her speak and then get to meet her one-on-one at a critical point in my teaching career.

As I sat there listening to her speak, I kept reflecting on how so much of what she was saying perfectly fits into the Montessori method. My hand cramped up as I scribbled dozens of notes. But I wanted to share with you some takeaways from the talk.

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Throughout my blog networking and sharing, I came across something called the Ultimate Blog Challenge for the month of August. The topic of the day was “Why do you do what you do?” Well, let me share my why.

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So yesterday was the three-year anniversary of my mother’s passing. I found myself thinking about how I’ve just completed a three-year cycle, just like we have in Montessori education. In a way, I almost found some comfort in that thought, on what is usually a really difficult day.

Continue reading “Thank you, Mom, for my Montessori life”