What makes Montessori education unique?  It is the prepared adult for whom education is not the delivery of a curriculum but a means to support ALL children in the realization of their fullest potential.  It is these adults who transform classrooms into learning environments where children can engage in activities that support academic learning while fostering the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills.  In this session we will explore the foundational principles that provide us with a framework for our practice and analyze the continued relevance of the Montessori approach for transforming education, society, and the world.

A well-implemented Montessori classroom is child-centered and holistic, rooted in fostering human flourishing: the capacity to thrive socially, academically, and economically; to participate meaningfully in family, community, and civic life; and to live a life of curiosity, agency, and satisfaction. Fidelity to the implementation of Montessori philosophy and practice is, therefore, critical; in so doing a teacher is able to foster the development of the skills and attributes required of society, as well as the wide-scope developmental outcomes linked to long-term happiness and success. 

Assessment is the critical bookend to implementation; it allows a teacher to evaluate how well their intentions align with day-to-day practices, when to celebrate, and if and where adjustments need to be made. Daily observation and record keeping are the cornerstone practices that allow a Montessori teacher to assess how their children are progressing through multiple parameters of development: what they need next, and how and when to support them on their journeys. Likewise, regular classroom observations, coaching conversations, and ongoing pedagogical support are the essential building blocks of a strong professional culture in our schools.

Attendees in this session will receive an orientation to a suite of field-tested observation protocols, and explore strategies for implementation.

Observation is a vital part of the work of the Montessori guide. It is through observation that we build a relationship with the child and the child communicates with us in the purest form. This presentation is aimed at providing techniques and strategies to help refocus our observational practice on the power of possibility and how we use our observations to support developing the potential of each child. 

Public Montessori schools are asked to fulfill a special promise: to deliver a high-quality Montessori program, while meeting all of the performance expectations required of the neighboring schools in the district. The weight of external accountability, and fear of the consequences of students not performing well on year-end testing, can contribute to public Montessori schools focusing heavily on the metrics they will be reporting to their district or authorizer - metrics that likely don’t align with what public Montessori schools hold and treasure, including: independence, focus and concentration, passion and joy - in short, human flourishing.

Designing a quality Montessori program with these outcomes in mind, and sustaining the implementation of aligned best practices through the push and pull from external stakeholders, are critical factors in determining a school’s overall success. The revised and expanded Essential Elements Implementation Rubric supports public schools to succeed and thrive. The rubric is rooted in Montessori principles, and informed by years of refinement in the field. It considers five domains: Adults, Montessori Learning Environment, Family Partnership, Leadership and Organizational Development, and Assessment. The first two domains reflect the fidelity of Montessori implementation, while the latter three domains provide insight on the level of a public school’s sustainability.

Attendees in this session will receive an orientation to the Essential Elements Implementation Rubric, learn what public schools that have used the rubric are doing to maintain fidelity to Montessori pedagogy while also operating sustainably; and leave ready to use the rubric as a self-study tool in their own settings.

The Montessori + TEI Crosswalk explores the compatibility of Montessori principles with the TEI framework, aiming to highlight alignment and identify potential challenges in applying TEI to Montessori environments.

In October of 2023, Dr. Mallett completed a pilgrimage, traveling throughout Italy and The Netherlands to retrace the life path of Dr. Maria Montessori. The study trip included Montessori’s birthplace, schools, training centers, homes, and grave. In this presentation, you, too, will experience Montessori’s world including the people and places that prepared her environment and nurtured her genius.