The Montessori Notebook podcast :: a Montessori parenting podcast with Simone Davies

Hello there! I'm popping into your podcast feed with a catch up on what has been happening the last 2.5 years since the last podcast episode, including the launch of The Montessori Child book. The book picks up where The Montessori Toddler leaves off, covering how to bring Montessori into your home with 3-12 year olds, including a bonus chapter on adolescence. At the end of the epidsode, I also answer a listener question about talking to our children about war.

Links from the episode
The Montessori Child book - for 3-12 year olds (and into adolescence)Preorder by 4 March and claim your pre-order bonuses here

Film recommendations:Perfect days
Anatomy of a Fall

Book recommendations:Summer Fishing in Lapland by Juhani Karila
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer 

Talking to children about warErica Moretti's book, The Best Weapon for Peace: Maria Montessori, Education, and Children's Rights
Webinar: How to talk to children about what is happening
Newsletter: Talking to our children about war

Until next time:follow one of Simone's Montessori workshops here (from US$10)
sign up for Simone's regular e-newsletter filled with Montessori inspiration

Welcome to the last episode of Season 2. And it’s a good one. Today I get to chat to Montessori educator and a nationally recognised anti-bias educator in the US, Britt Hawthorne. She’s all about creating inclusive and equitable environments for all learners and understandably her work has been recognized by none other than PBS, Drew Barrymore, Google Edu, Association Montessori Internationale, and more.
I have learned so much from Britt over the last year and a half, yes, about being an anti-racist parent and educator but also just how you can raise critically thinking children, children who can advocate for themselves, recognise injustice, call it out and do something about it. We all need people like this that raise their children in a way that shows us what is possible.

Links from the show
Britt Hawthorne - website / instagram
Join Britt's Collective Liberation community
Dr Kira Banks
More about the fundamental needs in Montessori
Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves by Louise Derman-Sparks, Julie Olsen Edwards
Dr Rudine Sims Bishop on mirrors, windows and sliding doors
Britt's favourite books - bookshop.org/shop/britthawthorne
look out for Britt's book coming in 2022, "Raising Antiracist Children: A Practical Parenting Guide"
redistributes funds to Keres Children's Learning Center and Sankofa Learning Center
some of my favourite instagram posts from Britt:pyramid of accountability
“If you’re tired, rest don’t quit” by darling and illustrated bby minna_so 
8 ABAR goals to set for 2021

42 ways in Montessori we allow intrinsic motivation to express itself - insta post / blog post
more about the spindle box
tour of Kristina's space
follow one of Simone's Montessori workshops here (from US$10)
sign up for Simone's regular e-newsletter filled with Montessori inspiration
Listener question

Maeg asks
“I’m really having a hard time preparing work cycles for two daughters with totally #1 different interests. They are 3 & 1. Also my 3 year old is so focused and loves doing things all by herself (even when she was just a baby) however the 1 year old loves to join her older sister. Another factor is a very small apartment. We only have one low shelf that could fit the room so most of the time for the 1 year old were prepared in the shelf. What should I do. We’ll live in this apartment for the next five years before having our third baby."

I have not just one amazing guest but two for a conversation about Montessori at home. I invited Jeanne-Marie Paynel, Your Parenting Mentor, and Pilar Bewley from Mainly Montessori to look at how we can apply Montessori principles in our homes whether we are homeschooling our child, they go to a Montessori school or not and we want to apply Montessori at home. We cover children from 0 to 12 in this conversation, how Montessori can be done on a budget, Montessori and minimalism, Montessori training and a whole lot more. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Links from the show
Jeanne-Marie Paynel - website /  instagram / The Art of Parenting podcast
Pilar Bewley - website / instagram / Second Plane Montessori Facebook group
Idea of wonder wall from Julie Bogart's book "The Brave Learner"
“The Quality of your life depends on the quality of the questions you ask yourself” ― Bernardo Moya, The Question: Find Your True Purpose
Simone's Setting up your home Montessori-style 4-week online workshop
Listener question

"How should someone decorate their Montessori classroom? I like minimalist but just wanting to make sure I'm not decorating too much." - anonymous

Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of The Montessori Notebook podcast. Today I'm talking with Hannah Baynham  from Collaborative Montessori about some of the big picture principles in Montessori. Hannah is a teacher educator who is passionate about issues of social justice, sustainability and the spiritual preparation of the guide. Having worked in schools around the world, she has a unique view of the importance of Cosmic Education in our early years environments. 

Don’t know what cosmic education is? Then you’ve come to the right place as Hannah will guide us through it all and I hope you’ll leave feeling as inspired as I did.

Links from the show
Collaborative Montessori - website / instagram / facebook group
Montessori Movement Unites facebook group
Sustainable development goals nesting boxes - youtube
“In order to love others, all of us must first love ourselves. This self-love is not to be confused with selfishness which means over-concern with one’s self without regard to others. A healthy self-love tells a child that she is a worthy person, unique in the universe, with special attributes and talents to contribute to the world. It does not say that she is better than anyone else.” Aline D Wolf, Nurturing the Spirit
Art Engager podcast with Claire Bown - ep 4 about asking great questions; ep 2 about slow looking
Aubrey Hargis, Child of the Redwoods
Listener question
Ruth asks, "I'm a mother of a 9 month old baby. I knew about Montessori before becoming a mother but dove into learning more once our baby was born. I am passionate about the Montessori approach to development, especially the principles like follow the child, the prepared environment and prepared parent, building peace, and being in nature. Lately I find myself getting too focused on the "stuff", or materials. It feels like consumerism, waste, and endless activities are the visuals of Montessori that I see online all the time. Expensive wooden toys and materials, perfectly clean spaces.  I know this isn't what is about, but I still feel some pressure to meet all my baby's developmental needs with the right "thing" at the right time. I'd love to hear a discussion about this and how I can reset my focus on the bigger picture. I love following you and Aubrey from child the redwoods, you always help to keep it real and de-centre the stuff. I guess this isn't really a question, but maybe an idea for discussion. I feel Montessori must be accessible and inclusive and I don't want to lose sight of that. Thanks! "

Welcome to another episode of The Montessori Notebook podcast. Today’s conversation is a little different as we transport ourselves to Nigeria and get to see how Montessori looks there. This conversation is with Ochuko Prudence Daniels, the founder of Momahill Montessori who found Montessori through her children and, as you’ll hear, she didn’t choose to become a Montessori teacher. It just happened. You’ll learn so much from Pru as we talk about how they apply Montessori in their home and in her school. What I love most is how passionate she is about bringing Montessori to her country and to any and every child and when you listen to her talk, you’ll have little doubt that she will make it happen. She even says that she brought in friends to her school, to the training and she’d go up to people on the street to tell them to respect their child because she’s just that passionate and she does it all with a warm heart, a big smile and a lot of grace.

Links from the episode
Advanced Montessori Method Vol 1, Dr Montessori
Momahill Montessori - website / instagram
Listener question
"How can parents work with Montessori schools when kids who are hitting when upset? Do you give feedback on the spot and how to deal with consequences " -  Crystal