Jana Morgan Herman

Bio

Jana Morgan Herman earned her B.A. in English Literature from Indiana University, Southeast, then obtained her Pre K- 3 Teaching Credential from the State of Indiana with a Reading Specialist endorsement.  She completed Resources for Infant Educators (RIE) Level 1 Jana holds AMS 2.5-6 certification, participated in elementary Montessori training for ages 6-9, and earned an M.Ed from St. Catherine University at St. Paul. Jana started her journey in 1992… as a long term substitute, and eventually moving into an assistant teacher role. She taught as the lead teacher in 1999 at a private Montessori that transitioned into a charter school in 2002. She continued working in the classroom until 2015, when she took the director position. She has written articles for Montessori Life, Montessori Leadership, and other publications, and is on the Editorial Advisory Board for Montessori Life Magazine. She has held positions as a university Literature and Writing instructor, a Field Consultant for Western Governors University, an advisor for master’s candidates at St. Catherine University, and a consultant for school administrators and teachers. In addition, Jana has worked as a teacher educator for 5 MACTE accredited teacher education organizations in the US and Asia, since 2001 and is the Director of Training for VMAT, a MACTE accredited training center in Hanoi, Vietnam. She has presented at AMS conferences for over 10 years, along with MEPI and IMC national conferences. She presents regularly at regional conferences in the US and Canada. Jana facilitates workshops in Vietnam, China, and various locations throughout the US. She is the co-founder and Vice President for the Kentucky Montessori Alliance, the school and teacher advocacy organization in Kentucky.

Keynote – Nurturing the spirit through our interaction with nature and the world, according to Montessori. Montessori believed that people do not spend enough time outdoors. She believed that spending our days in “prismatic prisons” limited our thoughts and behaviors. And, in fact, much of Montessori writings relate directly to the spiritual preparation of the adult.  Join us as we look at the importance of our relationship with nature and our inner work and how this understanding benefits the families and communities we serve.

Workshop One:

Montessori and the importance of outdoor classroom, according to her. While in India, Dr. Montessori and Mario opened a small school in the lower level of the house where they lived. In this school, Montessori describes the children spending most of their afternoons outside, engaged of the study of nature. This is an interesting juxtaposition to the  “all day” academics at many Montessori schools. Join us as we review Montessori’s writing on the importance of nature for children so they may be inspired by the universe and begin their cosmic task.

Workshop Two:

The seven elements of art and sensorial materials as Montessori describes it. Montessori describes the geometry materials as both art and mathematics. Starting with the Sensorial Materials Montessori lays the foundation for the internalization of the seven elements of art. Montessori says the imagination is the key to man’s intelligence and that the freedom to create and imagination should not only be permitted, but encouraged.