by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When considering elevating your teaching practice, there are really two major paths towards self-improvement. One is external feedback from colleagues who can let you know if you’re on the right track or might need to make some adjustments. The other is self-reflection. The great thing about […]
Is it Ever Okay to Praise a Child?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast In Montessori training, most of us have been cautioned about offering praise to children. This flies in the face of what many of us grew up with, as it was implicitly communicated that praise was to be used as a measure of counteracting the previously […]
How to Respond to Questions from Elementary Children
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast I once gave a workshop to a group of parents, and when I talked about how elementary-aged children are knowledge-seekers who are interested in knowing about everything, I saw flickers of joy and delight on their faces as they imagined their children absorbing the totality of […]
Confessions of a Black Thumb Botanist
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast I remember the first month of my first year of teaching. I was at a school that was not only new to me but a new school altogether. We had two modest classrooms that were located in a church, with the hopes of one day being […]
The Tired Teacher
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast At the time of this writing, it is springtime in parts of the world, which often tends to be an extra-tired time for teachers. However, even if you are in the Southern Hemisphere and are entering into the fall months, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re less […]
Montessori Assistant Online Course for Elementary (6-12)
I have exciting news! Tammy Oesting has just released a Montessori Assistant Toolkit online course specifically geared for ages 6-12. Even better, she is offering it at 40% off through April 21st. If you’ve been looking for elementary assistant training, look no further! The Montessori Assistant Toolkit: Elementary (6-12) consists of a series of 7 modules designed […]
What Does Building Relationships with an Elementary-Aged Child Look Like?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Throughout the history of education, there are initiatives, movements, and even sayings that come and go. Some of them stick and become interwoven within the fabric of education, and some fizzle out after a while. Examples of recent buzzword terms and concepts that have been all […]
Human Tendencies as Witnessed in the Elementary Child
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Maria Montessori observed that human beings did not possess the same kind of instinctual behavior that other animals do. Instead, she observed in people from various cultures throughout the world what came to be referred to as Human Tendencies. These Human Tendencies are a driving force that […]
Balancing Freedom and Responsibility in the Elementary Classroom
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast One of the hardest aspects of guiding a Montessori classroom is helping the children understand how to balance freedom with responsibility. In fact, this very concept is often woefully misunderstood! It often is the tendency that beginning teachers will veer in one direction or another favoring […]
How to Ensure Students are Repeating Math Materials and Concepts to Attain Proficiency
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When considering both the hallmarks and benefits of the Montessori elementary classroom, one of the first things that generally comes to mind is the idea of freedom to choose work. This is one of the aspects of a Montessori environment that sets us apart from other […]