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Follow the child, they will show you what they need to do, what they need to develop in themselves and what area they need to be challenged in. The aim of the children who persevere in their work with an object is certainly not to ‘learn’; they are drawn to it by the needs of their inner life, which must be recognized and developed by its means. —Maria Montessori In Montessori, we believe that the child is drawn to certain activities and that he instinctively knows what he needs. A child may try an activity and struggle with it initially. But he may return to it a little later with more success and then repeat it many times before mastering it. All of which may happen naturally without the interference of a teacher. Following The Child — Observing and Guiding Learning Montessori’s phrase “follow the child” does not mean you let the child do whatever she wants. Rather, it is an acknowledgment that the child has her own pattern. The key to understanding this idea is observation. As Monte...

— NAMC Staff

When my Montessori elementary class returns from winter break, we usually begin the new year by discussing the tradition of making resolutions. Together, we talk about what a New Year’s resolution is, what it means to set goals, and whether the students set goals with their families. As a group, we set resolutions for our classroom, determining the goals we should all work on. Students are also invited to set individual goals. Classroom Goals Respect the peacefulness of our classroom by working quietly Respect the orderliness and cleanliness of the classroom Include everyone during recess Encourage each other to try our best and use excellence Individual Goals Try to print more neatly Remember to organize the page properly and form letters correctly Use excellence in my work Practice patience and kindness with my friends Some years, we have focused our resolutions on developing leadership within the class and the school as a whole. We begin by brainstorming what it means to be a good l...

Listening is one of the greatest skills anyone can develop. As Montessori teachers, we are well aware of this. We know how important it is to listen to children and how often they tell us far more what their words are saying. Listening is equally important outside of the classroom – parents, colleagues, directors, mentors, new teachers; everyone has something to offer and a new perspective to share. We just have to be open to hearing them. 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

Cultural awareness means being aware of and appreciating the differences in people’s attitudes, beliefs, practices, customs, and social behavior. — NAMC, Five Great Lessons/Cosmic Education & Peace, p. 137. As Montessorians, we strongly believe in the importance of cosmic education, and we give students every opportunity to positively contribute to the world by being caring, considerate, and respectful of one another. We also understand the value of integrating cultural awareness and cultural appreciation into the classroom. Montessori Holiday Celebrations: A Wonderful Way to Explore and Celebrate Culture At our Montessori school, part of our cultural awareness involves celebrating the unique backgrounds of our varied student population by acknowledging and showing respect for our diverse cultures and religions. We have also chosen to move away from celebrating one or two particular holidays in our thematic work; instead, we celebrate the seasons. There are so many wonderful ac...

Over the past 20 years, I’ve learned that there is no escaping change. It’s an unavoidable part of life. Sometimes change can be worrying — scary even — but it doesn’t have to be. Experience has taught me that change can work to our advantage if we anticipate it instead of running from it. In fact, I’ve learned to not only be prepared for change but to welcome it. Even when change seems difficult, it can bring new opportunities and ideas if we are flexible and open to them. And when we take control and initiate change ourselves, the benefits can be remarkable. 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

In our previous blog, we looked the ways neurological and hormonal differences affect the learning and behavior of boys and girls. Knowing that these biological differences are central to children’s development, we must strive to prepare the Montessori environment to both foster equal opportunities for all children and to recognize the fundamental biological differences between boys and girls. Teaching Boys in the Montessori Environment: Part Two Recognizing Boys’ Learning Differences in the Montessori Environment Boys Are More Physical In general, young boys are much more physical than young girls. While it may seem counterintuitive to some teachers, boys actually need movement to help them focus and pay attention. Current research suggests that when a boy is at rest, as much as 70% of his brain shuts down. In contrast, 90% of the female brain remains active. (Morhard, 2015) This means that girls can pay attention when sitting still in a classroom, but when boys sit still, their brain...

Staying true to your values. What does that mean? To me, it means first and foremost to know what your values are, what remains essential to you no matter what. But it also means to respect the values of others through empathy and kindness. In my experience, success is always enhanced when you can say that you have acted with intention and integrity in all things. 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