For each of the past 19 years, the American Montessori Society has chosen to recognize one Montessorian as an AMS Living Legacy. Recipients are honored at the AMS annual conference for their salient work or volunteerism in the Montessori field and their dedication and leadership that has made an impact on the AMS community. It seems fitting that…

In this article, the author narrates her experience of meeting a Montessori kid for the first time and shares the characteristics she observed in Montessori students. The author was working as director of academic resources in university housing at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and met Jason, a pre-med sophomore who was the resident…

The early 1960s was a critical, albeit chaotic, period for the revival of the Montessori movement, which had been recently rekindled in the United States. The success or failure of the movement can arguably be said to have rested squarely upon the backs of those founding members and early supporters of the fledgling American Montessori Society,…

At the heart of Maria Montessori's philosophy is the idea of providing the child with the most supportive environment in which to develop one's potential, for the singular purpose of carrying out one's cosmic task. Montessori teachers everywhere dedicate their energies to participating in this endeavor. But do these same teachers take time to…

This article presents an interview with Montessorians, namely Judi Bauerlein, Jack Blessington, Dr. John Chattin-McNichols, Dr. Betsy Coe, Amy Henderson, Dr. Michele Monson, Anna P. Perry, and Bretta Weiss Wolff. In an interview, these Montessorians discuss their personal Montessori journeys and their insights on Montessori as a movement over the…

This article presents an interview with Montessorians, namely Chandra Fernando, Ellen Selvidge, Sonnie McFarland, and Donna Kaiser. In an interview, these Montessorians discuss how they become involved with Montessori education and describe their involvement in Montessori over the years. They also discuss the impact of their Montessori training on…

This article presents an interview with Montessorians, namely Vicki Dimmer, Dottie Feldman, and Patti Tepper-Rasmussen. In an interview, these Montessorians discuss how they become involved with Montessori education and describe their involvement in Montessori over the years. They also discuss the impact of their Montessori training on their…

The author relates an incident that she shared with her two children about a mean man who yelled awful racial slurs at her, and discussing with them how hatred and racism could drive a grown man to say such terrible things. They talked about how horrible prejudice and meanness are; how when the two of them are mean to each other, they are learning…

Maria Montessori's worldview, shaped at least in part by her extensive travels and her experiences during World War II, compelled her to speak of peace and cooperation among nations. Though in today's world people can communicate instantly via fax, e-mail, and cell phones, and have the ability to circumnavigate the globe in a matter of days, they…

In June of 1974 the author volunteered to lead a travel group--a mixed-aged group of 21 people--to Communist China. Back in her halcyon college days she stumbled upon a course "Group Dynamics." At the time, she could not know its impact on her in her future role as a leader of travel groups. "Group Dynamics" placed relationships in the context of…