FREE WEBINAR | Want To Be A Better Observer?

Becoming a better observer

Observation is the skill to help you become more effective. Please join me for this free 20-minute instant webinar, How To Become A Better Observer…The Montessori Way. In this information-packed session you’ll find out… Also, you’ll receive a special bonus gift. Plus, you’ll be able to ask me questions for a personal reply. This instant […]


Is observation important with online learning?

Is observation still important?

Since opening my observation webinar this week, I have received several questions on how is it possible to observe children in this online learning environment. One question: Is observation still relevant in these times of online / distance learning? Observation of children is more important than ever because we are in unknown territory.  We don’t […]


The Art Of Observation

The Art Of Observation

One of the key principles of Montessori philosophy is observing the child involved in a self-selected activity, which Dr. Montessori referred to as “work.” To observe, we should make sure that the children we are observing have something interesting and meaningful to do.  Plus, we need to target specific behaviors.  Montessori teachers are trained to […]


When to Ask, When to Tell

when to ask when to tell

Fostering cooperation in our children can be a blood-pressure-altering event. With so many chores that need to be done during the day, we can feel like a drill sergeant, police officer and the Wicked Witch of the West, all rolled into one. To avoid appearing to our children as the triumvirate of meanness and control, […]


What Teachers Wish Parents Knew

what teachers wish parents knew

At a teachers’ conference a couple of years ago we broke into groups to answer the following question: What are the most important ideas you’d like to communicate to parents of the children you teach? Here are the thoughts from over one hundred teachers and school administrators. Respect the work of your child. Children are […]


The Metamorphosis Of Childhood

metamorphosis of childhood

Most ten-year-olds can tell you the stages of development for a butterfly or a frog. A butterfly begins as an egg, becoming a larva, a caterpillar, then a chrysalis emerging into a butterfly. A frog starts as an egg, hatching into a tadpole, turning into a polliwog, at last transforming into an adult frog. At […]


Do You Know Who Your Children Are?

know who your children are

Summer nights, years ago, right before the news there was a public service announcement: It’s 10 o’clock, do you know where your children are? What I’d like to hear today is this: Do you know who your children are? When parents or grandparents contact me asking for advice about how to handle a child who […]