NJMAC 2023 Conference Workshops

Workshop A - 10:45am-11:45am

Peaceful team: Work, play, and connect

(All levels)

by Iryna Drozdovska and Jeff Frank

We are often asked how to work with a team and effectively build a community while maintaining connections. How to retain teachers and successfully bring in new and professional people. Other questions are how to motivate and prevent the team from burning out? How can we inspire our people to come to work every day and work passionately? In this workshop, we will share the instruments of nurturing a healthy work environment and synchronizing people’s work on each level between teachers, teaching teams, and leadership. Together we will discover the science behind the management and intrinsic motivation of the team members in your schools. We will share the structure of team-building events and role-play what some of them can look like. The differences between mentorship and coaching will be covered through interactive discussions while looking at the effectiveness of each leadership tool. In addition, we will provide the tools that are applicable not just to school administrators, but also to teams of educators.

Dual Language Montessori Program: Strategies for Success

(All Audiences)

by Margarita Diaz

As a bilingual Montessori educator and coach with more than 18 years of experience, I believe that, with passion and leadership, Montessori students are able to succeed not only academically but also to become peace ambassadors and citizens of the world. As a Montessori educator and speaker, I am able to inspire and motivate Montessori educators to continue their love for learning and their love for guiding our students through independence and self-discovery.

I have presented at many Montessori conferences, associations, and Montessori private and public schools, both in the United States and internationally. I am an AMS presenter and co-founder of AMS en Español. I am very excited to be part of a more diverse, inclusive movement within Montessori Education and I understand the need for and commitment to the expansion of Public Montessori and bilingual schools in our country.

Successful Montessori Inclusion for Today's Children

(All Audiences)

by Featured Guest Presenter, Christine Lowry

As we find ourselves working with a wider range of diversity of learning and behavior needs recognizing, we can discover that the Montessori system of education is an excellent model for serving and supporting all students in our classrooms at every level. This presentation will provide an overview of Montessori inclusive education- the what, the why, and the how with practical understandings and strategies for teaching and guiding all students in a classroom community of belonging. A Montessori Powerful Inclusive Practices checklist will be a take- away participants can use to assess their current level of inclusion and as a goal setting tool as they progress toward full inclusive practices. There will also be opportunities to explore learning with reflection exercises and interactions.

Reimagining Grace and Courtesy: A Look Through the Anti-Bias and Social Justice Lens

(Early Childhood)

by Sheba Kapur and Melissa Freeman

"Graceful living" as Margot Waltuch called it in her 1978 NAMTA article, "Classroom Management: The Practical Life Exercises," is something we present early on to both adult learners and children alike. The lessons of Grace and Courtesy set the foundation for the Montessori classroom. Children need to learn how to relate to each other as social beings. In our classrooms, they learn to be thoughtful of others, to listen and respond to others, to take turns when necessary, and to mirror the respect shown to them, modeled by their teachers and fellow students. But what responsibility do we have now to reimagine these foundational aspects of our classroom through an anti-bias anti-racist (ABAR) lens and consider alternatives to what we may perceive as a "cultural norm?" It is also critical that we examine what we model and teach as Peace Education.

Practical Life: Beyond the Album

(Early Childhood)

by Teresa Hartmann

Practical Life is an essential area in the Montessori classroom. It helps children master themselves and enables them to adapt to the culture to which they were born. Practical Life works need to be carefully structured to give the child purpose and responsibility within their environment, but what is the best way to create this in the classroom? In this workshop, you will learn how to elevate the lessons found in your album to create a more enticing and meaningful practical life area for your Primary classroom. Participants will explore the different areas within Practical Life with actual presentations, and will learn how to interconnect lessons to better empower the child. You will gain valuable resources that you will be able to immediately implement in your classroom.

Imaginative Play: Vehicle for the development of a liberatory consciousness

(Early Childhood)

by Lisanne Pinciotti and Robyn Mernick

Imaginative play is a type of activity in which children assign each other roles and act them out. Adults can harness the power of this social activity to encourage children to become more aware of the attitudes, language, and behaviors of the society in which they live. Adults who take the time to create scenarios for exploration and engage in this joyful, playful learning play an important role in disrupting patterns of behavior and working to establish equity and work toward social justice together.

Process Art Experience

(All Audiences)

by Danielle Casillo

I envision a space that is set up as a classroom, with art materials on shelves or tables that attendees can choose and use themselves, and make the art that my students make in the classroom. This is not intended to be a lecture, but a hands-on immersive experience - learning by doing! Join Danielle in some inspiration and create your own art to take home!

WORKSHOP B - 1:15pm-2:15pm

Neither Paper nor Plastic: Maximizing the Potential of Authentic Montessori Materials in the Sensorial Area

(Early Childhood)

by Yohko Yamawaki

Do you feel Sensorial materials are underused in your classroom? Do your Sensorial shelves house non-Montessori materials or worksheets in the guise of “extensions”? If you answered yes to either (or both) of these questions, join this workshop to discover simple solutions. In a world full of toys labeled as “Montessori” or “Sensorial”, we, as Montessori teachers, need to be aware of their effects in the classroom and return to the use of Maria’s authentic Sensorial materials. Yohko will guide you in bringing renewed interest and enthusiasm to this important classroom area.

Intentional Connections: A Conversation with Teachers for Parent Engagement

(All Audiences)

by Dorothy Harman

This workshop is based upon a collection of wisdom and suggestions gathered during 30+ years of working with children and parents, and candid conversations with more than 100 educators in public, private, Montessori, traditional and childcare settings.

It is intended to be a catalyst of thought, conversation, and action to bring together educators and parents in service to the child. This workshop will explore 9 big ideas, from 'trust' to 'play', and offer attendees tools for bringing these conversations to your settings.

The Storytelling Solution: Building Cultural Fluency Through Folktales

(All Levels)

by Aish Saminathan

Folktales have always played a vital role in building a sense of community and social cohesion. They evolve with each retelling, embedding the identity of every narrator and the listener. Stories from other cultures hold a strong pedagogical function. Analyzing ancestral stories and their symbolisms deepens the understanding and appreciation of myriad cultural values and build empathy. Using a reflective lens toward teacher learning, this workshop outlines how we can harness the power of folklore in the context of cultural studies.

The Tiny Chef- How to incorporate a cooking class with your curriculum

(Early Childhood)

by Madhavi Veerapaneni and Cindy Giannakopoulos

This workshop is to provide teachers ideas on how to incorporate a fun cooking class with your Montessori curriculum. This is without the use of any appliances. We will be showing few samples of simple snacks. Like for example the week you are teaching a color wheel you can make a fruit color wheel. The week you are teaching The Solar System you can make jello with planets. This is to give your students exposure to different snacks along with your lesson. Best of all every student in the class will have an opportunity to make their own and enjoy.

Successful Montessori Inclusion for Today's Children

(All Audiences)

Same as Session 1

by Featured Guest Presenter, Christine Lowry

Creating a Culture of Security- The importance of planning, training, and collaboration

(All Audiences)

by Kevin Craig

This presentation will provide participants with an overview of school safety and security with an emphasis on preparedness. It will provide a framework for effective school safety practices and collaboration between schools, law enforcement, and community stakeholders.

The content includes school safety best practices, emergency responses, and drills, culminating with a situational exercise that emphasizes crisis response and the need to embrace a culture of security.

Grammar Is Not Just For Grandmas!

(Early Childhood/Elementary)

by Ruth Pace

Yes. . . the traditional Montessori grammar work is still an endless source of intrigue, sparkle, excitement AND a comfortable connection to all other areas of study in our classrooms!

It was brilliantly designed to quietly help the child develop a passion for our English language through vocabulary building, comprehension practice, dictionary skills, writing, and reading application and development (in other words, literacy). Nurturing Curiosity, Developing Empathy, and Practicing Compassion: The Cosmic Approach in Early Childhood.

WORKSHOP C - 2:30pm-3:30pm

Sandpaper Letters and the Moveable Alphabet: Authentic Use in Today's Classroom

(Early Childhood)

by Judy Laidlaw

In this workshop, Judy explores ways to return to, and expand upon, the use of these basic and very fundamental Montessori Language materials. Sequential guidance through a typical 3-year cycle will be provided. She will introduce ways in which innovative use of Moveable Alphabet can lead the child, step by step, from just word building CVC words to expansive creative story and journal writing.

Same but Different- Multilingualism: How to Encourage Multiple Languages in the Classroom

(Early Childhood)

by Hetal Sampat

New, non-English speaker in your English-only classroom? In this presentation, you’ll explore the significance of multilingualism while uncovering multilingualism myths. Your hands-on workshop experiences will motivate you to describe the benefits of using another language and incorporate multi-language activities in your own classroom. Tapping into the unlimited language potential that lies in every youngster and adult will leave you and your students empowered with skills for incorporating new languages in their lives.

Movement in the Montessori Classroom

(Early Childhood)

by Kristin Hannon

Participants should come in clothes that they can move in! They will eave with tons of ways to bring movement into the Montessori classroom. Through stories, poems, songs, circle activities and movement games teachers and assistants should feel confident presenting movement after taking the workshop.

Cultivating a Rich Environment for Today's Child

(Infant/Toddler)

by Puja Panchal and Karen Deinzer

When designing an Infant/Toddler environment, we defer to our initial learning of what it can be, and how it can be set to meet the needs of the child. The environment we designed even as few as five years ago were brimming with engaging works, but a pandemic led us to question our learning and revamp our carefully designed environment.

"Put Your Oxygen Mask on First"

(All Audiences)

by Michelle Blake, Jessica Munoz, Adrienne Frautten, and Tara Villani

In this workshop we will explore stressors that can challenge our work/life balance and collaborate to identify manageable solutions. We will apply Dr. Montessori's Reflective Practice in today's environment, for personal reflection, improvement, harmony, and growth. In addition to a replenished, renewed, and empowered outlook, we will exit this workshop with concrete and usable tools to support our many roles in the classroom and beyond.

Spark Your Sensorial Classroom Area

(Early Childhood)

by Marie Conti

Are the wooden cubes, prisms and shapes and boxes of sensorial materials not calling to the children in your class as much as you would like? Do you need some new ideas to draw the children back to this rich area of the classroom or to enhance their sensorial experience? Come learn about extensions and variations of the old classics and discover new activities to enhance the various senses, especially the visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and stereognostic.

Successful Montessori Inclusion for Today's Children

(All Audiences)

by Featured Guest Presenter, Christine Lowry

Q&A session for attendees of Session 1 or Session 2