Presenter Workshops

Cynthia Reimer

The Peace Stick

You may have heard of the Peace Rose in the CASA classroom, where the children are given a yellow rose to take turns speaking, to work out their conflict. The story of the Peace Stick, written by Nidhi Misra, shares how two young Indigenous boys are guided by their grandfather to use the peace stick to resolve their conflict.

The peace stick has been used as a traditional practice within different tribes to settle disputes. Come learn about the ways to create different peace sticks and the meaning behind them. Developing conflict and resolution skills in the Montessori classroom is a way to build strong community and independence in the child. Supplies to create your own peace stick for your classroom will be provided.

 

Indigenous Children’s Literature in the Montessori Classroom

In response to the 94 Calls to Action in Canada, we are required to include Indigenous content in our classrooms. We will look at Indigenous themed children’s literature and ways to incorporate it into the Montessori learning environment. Come prepared to create and connect during this make and take workshop. Materials will be provided.

 

Barbara Murphy

The Power of Movement in Montessori

Against a backdrop of increasing sedentarism, Dr. Montessori’s emphasis on the importance of movement for child development and well-being seems more relevant than ever. Movement sits at the very core of Montessori pedagogy. Throughout her writings, we find Dr. Montessori advocating for education to incorporate movement. Why the emphasis on physical activity? Montessori believed movement to be an essential factor not only in terms of a child’s physical growth, but also for their cognitive development. In this presentation, we will dive deep into the concept of movement as it unfolds in Montessori theory, unpacking Dr. Montessori’s idea that children need to move to learn, because learning happens through movement. We will also revisit her views on muscular or physical education, while exploring how Montessori pedagogy aligns with the present-day concept of physical literacy. Finally, we will delve into how, by bringing movement back into the spotlight in education, we can further support child development and well-being, across mind and body.

 

Independence and Well-Being Through the Planes of Development

As we look to counter the effects of the recent pandemic, we need to empower children with a foundation of self-care practices that can help them build resilience by boosting their overall well-being. In Dr. Montessori’s view, the driving force in a child’s developmental journey is the quest for independence. Now, how can we help children build resilience and a foundation of well-being to better navigate life without sidetracking from our task of supporting their essential pursuit of independence? In this session, we will examine the four planes of development in Montessori theory as approached from a self-care and well-being perspective. We will further explore the connections between well-being and independence as it unfolds on each plane. Finally, we will see how wellness-related concepts and activities can be incorporated, in a way that aligns with Montessori pedagogy, to further support the building of both independence and resilience throughout childhood.

 

Mary Flewelling-Pinchen

The Inspirational Foundation of Practical Life

No other area of the Montessori curriculum does as much for the overall construction of the child’s personality as does Practical Life. This workshop will examine how we elevate the child and the classroom community by fully embracing the tasks of daily living.

 

Classroom Management and Discipline in the Children’s House

This workshop will examine the many remarkable factors that create the delicate balance between structure and freedom in effective Montessori programs. The role of the child and the adult, with regard to the prepared environment, independence, grace and courtesy, observation and restraint will be examined and discussed.

 

Sarah Moudry

Give Me a Space to Move.

“Genes provide a blueprint for the brain, but a child’s environment and experiences carry out the construction.” Urban Childhood Institute, 2023 Educators, must create environments and opportunities for children to move.  In this presentation, explore the many ways we can prepare our environments to promote purposeful movement, support the development of equilibrium, and create opportunity for refined movement – all this in service to the development of the intellect. Movement is life, and our environments are full of life! Join me to explore how joyous and full of life our Montessori environments can be.

 

Leader of the band

In this practical session we will detail how to introduce instruments, songs, and rhythmic language to young children. Rather than give a child license to bang drums or pound instruments in the name of “creative expression”, we can show them the proper use of the tools of music. We support the development of respect for the materials, appreciation for tone and rhythm, an inner discipline that carries with a child through life.

 

Mary Navarro

When the Peace Table Fails

Has your peace area ever been destroyed? Has anger ever gotten ahold of a child and you were at a loss of what to do? This workshop will help guides and administration upgrade their skill sets and better equip themselves for children in anger.

 

“She hit me!”: Addressing Tattling in the Classroom

This workshop will deepen understanding of why a child tattles and how we can use tattling as an opportunity to teach new skill sets.

 

Shawn Edwards

Concept Teaching. Skill Building

Understanding how to balance these three components of classroom instruction: fostering the optimal development of each student.

Teaching with Emotional Intelligence

Learning how to empower and encourage your team. This workshop is interactive and experiential and designed to provide practical tools to participants.

 

Jorge Haro

Unboxing the Montessori

During this workshop we will discover new uses of the magnificent Montessori Math Materials to cover math concepts in a different and unique way.

 

Kick Your Class Up a Notch

Energize your classroom by creating exciting extensions that combine Bloom’s Taxonomy with our Montessori philosophy. During the presentation we will offer examples and suggest strategies to get your students involved in quality and meaningful extensions.

 

Angela Minahan

Cultivating Choice in a 6-9 Classroom

Montessorians will engage in a 6-9 learning environment journey that explicitly details a variety of lessons and activities for cultivating choice with new and experienced Montessori students. Participants will extend their learning by connecting to specific opportunities in their classrooms and/ or schools. Presenters will guide participants through daily, weekly, and annual rituals and routines and Montessori work that focus on developing independence, resilience, and self-awareness.

 

Cultivating Choice in a 9-12 Classroom

Montessorians will engage in a 9-12 learning environment journey that explicitly details a variety of lessons and activities for cultivating choice with new and experienced Montessori students. Participants will extend their learning by connecting to specific opportunities in their own classrooms and/ or schools. Presenters will guide participants through daily, weekly, and annual rituals and routines and Montessori work that focuses on developing independence, resilience, and self-awareness.

 

Claudia Mann

Cosmic Education and the Science of Reading

This workshop shows how you can merge practical applications of the current research in reading education along with the Cosmic Education themes students love!

 

Keeping Cosmic Education at the Heart of the Elementary Program

Cosmic Education is the centerpiece of the elementary curriculum, yet often it gets short-changed because of pressures to keep students progressing in math and reading. This workshop will show you simple ways you can make sure to keep Cosmic Education at the heart of your classroom, while making sure your students’ skills continue to develop well.

 

Letty Rising

Balancing Time, Space, and Direct Instruction

The Montessori philosophy places a premium on self-directed learning, yet many educators find a gap in their training when it comes to teaching writing skills. This workshop aims to bridge that divide, advocating for a more structured approach to teaching writing, akin to other areas of Cosmic Education. Participants will explore the critical need for both open-ended creative spaces and direct instruction in small group lessons to bolster writing skills among elementary-aged children. The urgency of this balanced approach is heightened by the proliferation of advanced AI writing tools like ChatGPT. These tools are redefining the future of writing, making it essential for children to master the fundamentals of writing at an early age. The elementary years are rapidly becoming the last frontier for teaching these skills; hence, it is imperative to equip Montessori educators with the tools and methods to effectively teach writing. In this interactive session, attendees will engage in hands-on activities, share best practices, and take away actionable strategies to implement in their classrooms. The goal is not only to teach children how to write but to prepare them for a future where they will collaborate with AI to elevate their writing to new levels.

 

The Art of Inquiry: Empowering the Next Generation through Question Formulation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In a world rapidly evolving due to technological advancements like ChatGPT and AI-driven platforms, the ability to ask the right questions is becoming a critical skill for the future. This keynote presentation explores the importance of equipping children with the skills they need to formulate effective questions, a process that begins not with finding the right answers, but in knowing what questions to ask. We delve into the transformative impact of question formulation, its significance in prompt engineering, and why it is crucial in a child’s holistic development. In particular, the talk will examine how Cosmic Education, a Montessori method focused on providing children with a holistic view of the world, can play a pivotal role in fostering these skills.

 

Tajali Tolan

I Open My Eyes to You

Participants will experience songs, movement and dances that cultivate peace within Peace in the classroom, community. This workshop can be for the inner Life of the Teacher to release tension and enhance their sense of peace, joy & connection. OR geared as an educational training to use songs, movement and dances in the classroom.

 

Happiness as a practice. The Inner Life of the Teacher / Parent the Child

Maria Montessori wrote about the inner life of the teacher as the foundation for observation and presenting skills necessary to foster the development of the whole child. Where does happiness come from? From internal states of gratitude, empathy, compassion, and wonder. Lecture and experience practice to develop greater happiness.

 

Stephanie Lapine

What’s your Story?

Uncovering one’s past. Discovering how past shapes present. Learning that the present can shape the future.

 

Storytelling for Children

Connecting children to their familial histories. Helping to guide children through storytelling so that they can become storytellers themselves.