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Thousands of bright, energetic boys are spending the better part of each day unhappy and coming home to report to their parents that they feel ‘stupid’ or that they ‘don’t fit in’. Beth Hering, “Help boys get more out of elementary education” Girls do better than boys in school at all ages and subjects Maggie Fox, NBC News, 4/29/14 A link between fidgety boys and a sputtering economy David Leonhardt, The Upshot, New York Times, 4/29/14 In this day of standardized, one-size-fits-all education, these findings should amaze and astonish us. Yet, as you read, I know that many of you are nodding your heads in agreement. Boys are, for the majority, unhappy in school. They are falling behind, being expelled, and dropping out at staggering rates. Teaching Boys in the Montessori Environment: Part One Understanding Neuroscience and Hormonal Learning Differences A 2014 report from the Third Way, a US centrist think tank, states that: by kindergarten, girls are more attentive, better behaved, more ...

As part of NAMC’s anniversary celebration, I have been asked to share 20 lessons that stand out in my experience of providing Montessori teacher training programs worldwide over the past 20 years. We are happy to share the next tip in our series that we are presenting over the next few weeks. I hope you find some of these ideas helpful in your own Montessori journey! — Dale Gausman, NAMC Program Director / Founder

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version (NIV) Love, Montessori says, is not something that is learned. It is part of our heritage as human beings. We watch animals nurture and care for their young until they are old enough to survive on their own. Then, that relationship is gone; parent and young are like strangers, competing for survival. Studying Montessori – The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 28: Love and Its Source – The Child Not so with humans. “Love does not disappear when the children are grown up, and not only that, but it extends beyond the confines of the family.” (p. 294). Love, Montessori says, is permanent. And at the center of this deep and abiding love, ...

As part of NAMC’s anniversary celebration, I have been asked to share 20 lessons that stand out in my experience of providing Montessori teacher training programs worldwide over the past 20 years. We are happy to share the next tip in our series that we are presenting over the next few weeks. I hope you find some of these ideas helpful in your own Montessori journey! — Dale Gausman, NAMC Program Director / Founder

The child's development follows a path of successive stages of independence, and our knowledge of this must guide us in our behavior towards him. —Maria Montessori The Absorbent Mind, p. 281. One of the big buzz terms in American education today is “Response to Intervention” (RTI). RTI is a multi-tier approach “to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs.” (RTI Action Network) Beginning at the classroom instructional level, struggling learners are identified and screened for learning and behavioral challenges. Learning objectives are stated and modifications to both instruction and the environment are put into place. Students are closely monitored to asses the individual response to these interventions. The essential components of implementing RTI are: High-quality, scientifically based instruction Ongoing student assessment Tiered, differentiated instruction Parent involvement Montessori and Response to Intervention (RTI): We’re already doi...

 Permit me to repeat … some words which have helped us to keep in mind all the thing of which I have been speaking. It is not a prayer, but rather a reminder, and for our teachers, an invocation, a kind of syllabus, our only syllabus: Help us, O God, to enter into the secret of childhood, so that we may know, love, and serve the child in accordance with the laws of Thy justice and following Thy holy will. —Maria Montessori The Absorbent Mind, p. 286. What is the role of the Montessori teacher? We use the term guide, but what does that really mean? To Maria Montessori, being a guide involved a spiritual quest, one on which the adult observes and prepares for the child who is not yet ready. We watch and wait for that one material that so captures the attention that the child’s entire focus and concentration is devoted only to it. The teacher must spend her time preparing for this moment. The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 27: The Teacher's Preparation — Studying Montessori The Three Stages ...

As part of NAMC’s anniversary celebration, I have been asked to share 20 lessons that stand out in my experience of providing Montessori teacher training programs worldwide over the past 20 years. We are happy to share the next tip in our series that we are presenting over the next few weeks. I hope you find some of these ideas helpful in your own Montessori journey! — Dale Gausman, NAMC Program Director / Founder

Throughout the year, Montessori teachers introduce themes that can guide the learning and exploration of the students. When possible, they work to integrate the theme across the curriculum. One of my favourite themes in the Montessori elementary classroom focuses on peacemakers and influential leaders. I introduce the theme to the students through books. We begin by reading inspirational books and stories together as a class and in small groups. We read the stories of Terry Fox, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Maria Montessori, Craig Kielburger, and others. Because lower elementary students are in a developmental stage of understanding and relating to justice, these stories are very meaningful to them. They ignite a spark of curiosity in the students that center on justice and compassion. They feel empathy for these amazing people, many of whom had to deal with harsh circumstances and injustice. The students are even inspired to make changes in their own lives based on thes...

When I founded NAMC 20 years ago, I simply had one idea that I thought could work. Two decades later, NAMC has grown to include Montessorians around the world and I have had the benefit of numerous life lessons. As part of NAMC’s anniversary celebration, I have been asked to share 20 lessons that stand out in my experience of providing Montessori teacher training programs worldwide over the past 20 years. This is the first of our series. I hope you find some of these ideas helpful in your own Montessori journey! — Dale Gausman, NAMC Program Director / Founder

Free choice is one of the highest of all mental processes. —Maria Montessori The Absorbent Mind, p. 271. As a NAMC tutor, I regularly get emails from new Montessori teachers who are struggling, even though they entered the classroom with every good intention. They believe in allowing students free choice in their work, and they have worked diligently in preparing the environment to support student learning. They have modified their ‘inside’ voice, and they move slowly and purposefully in the classroom. They are full of wonder and a sense of frustration then, when despite all their efforts, their Montessori environment is not peaceful. The children, having no sense of purpose, wander aimlessly. In short, the ordered environment is full of disorder. Discipline and the Teacher — Studying the Works of Montessori: The Absorbent Mind, Chapter 26 This scenario is nothing new. In fact, Dr. Montessori herself encountered it with her teachers over 100 years ago. Like all good theory, what is lac...