As a teacher, building relationships with your students is one of the most important things you can do to create a positive and productive learning environment. Whether you’re playing games in the classroom, board games, or outside games, these activities can be a fun and effective way to build relationships with your students. Follow […]
Podcast Episodes
Guiding a Classroom with Fewer Older Students
Whether you are teaching a lower elementary class, an upper elementary class, or the full span that includes both lower and upper elementary, it can often be the case that there is only a small group (or even maybe just one or two!) of older children in your class. Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Parents […]
Technology and Brain Development
How does technology affect brain development in children? How can we mindfully incorporate technology into Montessori classrooms? Is social media inherently bad for adolescents? In todayâs episode, Letty is joined by Dr. Luz Casquejo Johnston to discuss technology in relation to Montessori education, particularly for upper elementary and adolescent students. Luz shares insights into child […]
From Dyslexia to Dyscalculia: Insights on Learning Disabilities
Serving our students with learning disabilities can seem intimidating – but it doesn’t need to be. The Montessori methodâs inherent adaptability is perfectly suited for working with children of varying ranges of abilities. This week’s podcast episode focuses on disabilities like dyslexia and dyscalculia, and how Montessori educators can meet the needs of the diverse […]
Executive Functioning Skills in Elementary
As Montessori guides, we know that executive functioning skills like planning, focus, and emotional regulation donât just happen automatically. In fact, they need thoughtful nurturing to fully develop. When we speak of executive functioning skills, weâre talking about the set of abilities that help us manage our thoughts, emotions, and actions effectively. This episode explores […]
Beyond Early Childhood and Materials: Montessori Across the Planes of Development
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Dr. Luz Casquejo Johnston is a seasoned Montessori advocate, with over 20 years experience in education. Having immersed herself in the movement since the 1970s as a primary student, she later returned as an adult to earn her AMS Lower Elementary I Credential. Dr. Casquejo […]
Montessori Literacy and the Science of Reading: Insights from Zil Jaeger
There is a whole world of research available to educators about the science of reading, and ideas on how to apply it to Montessori literacy principles. This week on the podcast, we are talking about ways to reframe our thinking when it comes to literacy, how to help our students who don’t have a strong […]
Bringing Joy and Levity to Montessori Spaces
In this week’s episode of the podcast, Letty is talking to Lisa Thauvette about why we should bring joy and levity into Montessori education, how itâs linked to student learning, how to incorporate play in the classroom, and how joy can be felt among the adults in the community as well. Lisa is a former […]
Why Planning and Record Keeping are Essential for Montessori Schools
In this week’s podcast episode, Letty is talking to Elizabeth Slade of Public Montessori in Action, which aims to ensure fully-implemented Montessori education for children, families, and educators of the global majority. They are discussing how planning and record keeping tools help increase a program’s fidelity to high quality Montessori implementation. Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast […]
The Inspiring Journey of New Montessori School Owners in Atlanta
In this episode of Montessori Talks, we discuss the inspiring story of Najee and Sesealy Owens, the new owners of Decatur Montessori School in Atlanta. They share their experience transitioning from other work to embracing the Montessori world and the challenges they faced during the pandemic. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast […]
Embracing Bilingual Education in Montessori Schools: Challenges, Successes, and the Future
In this week’s podcast episode, we delve into bilingual Montessori education, exploring its challenges, successes, and future. Our special guest is Marikay McCabe, an educational leader and researcher from Spain working with a team on an exciting bilingual project focusing on building bilingual programs in elementary schools. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks […]
The Journey of Dahlia Montessori and the Power of Multilingual Education
Today, we are joined by two proponents of multilingual education from The Dahlia School of San Francisco, a Wildflower School. For those unfamiliar, Wildflower is a network of small micro-schools located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and other regions. Our guests today are Lindsey Barnes, the founder of Dahlia Montessori, and David Hernandez, the school’s […]
Debunking the Montessori Three-Hour Work Cycle
In this episode of Montessori Talks, Letty Rising interviews Jana Morgan Herman, an experienced Montessori educator and the National Director of a teacher training center for Endeavor Schools. Jana’s recent article in Montessori Life, titled “Mandate or Myth: The Uninterrupted Three-Hour Work Cycle,” challenges a commonly accepted Montessori concept and has sparked a debate within […]
Co-Teaching in a Large Upper Elementary Classroom
In this interview, we learn from a pair of insightful Montessori educators who skillfully manage co-teaching in their sizable classroom. Contrary to the widespread belief that co-teaching can be as demanding as a marriage, these teachers have successfully honed their approach to foster collaboration and prioritize student-focused instruction. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks […]
A Guide to Montessori Homeschooling
Parents who embark on a homeschooling journey often find that they need the wisdom and support of mentors who can help guide them so that they can in turn guide their own children. Join us this week on the podcast for a guide to Montessori homeschooling. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast […]
A Journey to Virtual Montessori Homeschooling
The future of education is constantly shifting. Hybrid models that split the students’ time between the Montessori classroom and homeschooling are giving way to entirely virtual homeschooling models utilizing the Montessori method. Christine Sithichai, a veteran Montessori guide with 20 years of classroom experience, is sharing all about her journey from a brick-and-mortar school to […]
Creating Confident and Competent Writers
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Writing opportunities present themselves in the elementary classroom in a variety of ways. Some students are naturally inclined writers, and others might lack the confidence to write. In our newest podcast episode, Letty Rising is chatting with Madeline Walk, Elementary Content Editor at Trillium Montessori. Weâre […]
The Fundamental Needs of Humans: Ideas for Deeper Exploration
The Fundamental Needs of Humans lesson sparks great interest in children because, even though many of the other elementary lessons and materials may seem unfamiliar to a child who has never been exposed to them, we can all relate to and identify our own personal and individual needs. The Fundamental Needs of Humans chart provides […]
When Less is More: A Case for Giving Fewer Lessons
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast One of the unique challenges of being a Montessori guide is deciding how many lessons to present on any given day. What is the ideal number? 4? 7? 10? And what constitutes a âlessonâ to be included in this number? And what about how many lessons […]
Handling Classroom Transitions
Anyone who has been a teacher knows that classroom transitions can be tough. Children often find it challenging to transition between physical places, activities, and objects of attention. Having to stop one thing and start another can lead to the manifestation of unwanted behaviors. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Thanks to […]
ChatGPT for Teachers in Montessori Elementary Classrooms
ChatGPT for Teachers – Montessori elementary teachers can use ChatGPT as a resource for their classrooms to support student learning and development. From generating sentences and paragraphs to creating word problems and lists of procedures, ChatGPT offers a wide range of possibilities, making it a valuable assistant teacher. With some practice, teachers can learn to […]
Montessori and Visual Thinking Strategies
Today we’re talking about Montessori in the public sector and Visual Thinking Strategies. Our guest is Katie Brown, the Director of Research and Professional Development at The National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Katie Brown is the Director of Research and Professional Learning […]
Interview with Rachel Kimboko, Executive Director of DC Wildflower Public Charter School
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Rachel Kimboko is the Executive Director of Stakeholder Engagement at DC Wildflower Public Charter School. She holds an AMI elementary diploma and has worked in Montessori public and private settings, both as a teacher and as a school leader. Letty: Tell me about your role at […]
Fostering a Connected Community: Helping Your Students Branch Out from their Preferred Work Partners
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Once when I was a school administrator, there was an elementary classroom that I observed as being slightly âoff.â A new teacher had taken over the class, and the energy in the community felt differentâŠboth inside the classroom and out at recess. I noticed that there […]
Flexibility without Compromise: How to be a Responsive Teacher While Adhering to Montessori Essentials
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast The notion of flexibility without compromise seems, at first glance, contradictory. Like many terms used in Montessori circles that are joined together and also seemingly paradoxical, such as freedom and responsibility, structure and choice, and follow the child vs order and procedure, there is an endless […]
The Pencil Problem
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast There are very few topics in the elementary classroom that I hear more about than the continuous struggle about how to manage pencils. Never mind the colored pencils, thatâs a whole other topic! Today we will just stick to regular lead pencils that the children use, […]
Leadership in the Montessori Elementary Classroom with Peter Piché
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Peter PichĂ© is MACTE-credentialed (Primary, Elementary IâII,) Montessori educator who founded and designed the Secondary I Montessori program at Montessori Community School in Durham, North Carolina, after attending Great Work’s Orientation to Montessori Adolescent program. In addition to getting his professional leadership coaching certification from the […]
An Interview with Jess Gagne on Favorite Lessons, New Students, and More!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Jess is an Elementary Lead Guide and poet in Brooklyn, NY. She has worked with children of almost all ages in a variety of settings to facilitate holistic growth and the building of a strong and supportive school community, and has also consulted for the WNYC […]
Scientific Exploration in the Elementary Years: An Interview with Zoe Rising
Affiliate links may be used in this post at no cost to you. Learn Libre (formerly known as Montessori Laboratory) is a Montessori science program designed to help educators and caregivers nurture and encourage their studentsâ interest in the magnificence of the universe. Learn Libre was founded by Zoe Rising and Rich Worley who […]
Working With What You Have: Tips on Guiding an Under-Resourced Classroom
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast The world is rapidly changing all around us. When I think of the Timeline of Humans, and just how long it took for change to take place from the beginning of human life until now, itâs easy to see that the amount of transformation the […]
Exuding an Air of ConfidenceâŠEven if You Arenât Feeling It!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Confidence is considered an essential trait that we hope for all children to develop. When we think of a confident child, we can imagine a child who throws up a hand and takes a risk to answer a question they may not have the answer to, […]
How to Be a Strong Elementary Guide
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” â William Arthur Ward I came across this quote recently, and it prompted me to think about the variety of methods we use to teach children. Sometimes itâs […]
The Elementary Classroom Planning Bootcamp is Right Around the Corner!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Itâs feeling like summertime across much of the northern hemisphere, and while some of you might be in the throes of lazy summer days, sipping iced tea on a lounge chair by the pool, many of you are starting to break into a sweat […]
Time to Reflect: Questions to Ask Yourself to Improve Your Craft
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 youâre on the right track or might need to make some adjustments. The other is self-reflection. The great thing […]
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 […]
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 Reluctant 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 doesnât necessarily mean that youâre […]
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 pedagogies […]
How to Spark Further Interest in Writing in the Montessori Elementary Classroom
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast While many teacher training programs do a brilliant job at introducing the Montessori materials, it can often be the case that whatever is offered as the approach to writing with elementary children isnât as robust or comprehensive. As a result, teachers often enter the class not […]
The Montessori Elementary Environment is Different from the Early Childhood EnvironmentâŠand There Are Reasons For That!
by Letty Rising When the topic of Montessori education comes up with people who know a little bit about it, often what is described is a 3-6 classroom. After all, this is the age of development where Maria Montessori started her work with the children in Rome when she was fresh out of medical […]
Going Beyond the Montessori Elementary Albums
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When fresh out of Montessori teacher training, you have at your handy disposal at least two armfuls of curriculum binders, often called âalbumsâ which hold the entirety of the Cosmic Curriculum for you to present to your students. Whether you wrote your own albums composed of […]
Get Ready to Dust Off Those History Question Charts!
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Do you have History Question Charts on your shelf in your elementary environment? If so, are they being taken out and used regularly by students in your class? Do you not know where to begin, or how to keep the interest in this valuable tool alive? […]
How Do We Know When It’s Time to Present the Next Lesson?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast Most Montessori elementary training programs offer a plethora of information and resources to equip the emerging teacher with lessons to deliver, the philosophy behind âwhyâ we do as we do. After all, this isnât called Cosmic Education for nothing! We are introducing our students […]
Is it Okay to Interrupt an Elementary Child at Work?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast This is a question that comes up all the time with elementary teachers! It is a Montessori truism that we protect the childâs work cycle from interruptions. We talk with our colleagues about resisting the urge to do the following: Pulling children out of […]
How Do We Know When Elementary Students are Ready for Abstraction?
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast One of the most inviting aspects of the Montessori approach is our beautiful materials. Other than the idea of following the child, the enticing materials are one of the main reasons why people are drawn to Montessori environments. And, how could anyone refuse these beautiful, […]
What to Do When Your Lesson Falls Flat
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast If youâve been teaching in a classroom for any length of time, you will know that even the best laid plans sometimes yield cringeworthy results. In Montessori training, we see our teacher trainers modeling how to present these interesting and fascinating lessons that […]
Time for a Reset! Revisiting Systems, Routines, and Agreements
by Letty Rising Follow the Trillium Montessori Talks podcast When coming back from a long school break, it is often the case that any progress that has been made to normalize has gone out the window. It might in fact be the case that a part or all of the classroom community […]