Trying to increase our happiness is not a new idea. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" can be found in the Declaration of Independence, and well-known Yale professor Laurie Santos has a series of episodes in her podcast, "The Happiness Lab," called Happiness Lessons of the Ancients, where she explores happiness…

Communication and relationship-building are vitally important to creating a school environment where everyone--families, staff, and students--feels like they truly belong. Having a plan and a process for communication can help support relationships with families when facing unpredicted events or uncertain times, leading to the entire school…

There are two aspects to photography: one is the eye that sees and composes the photo, and the other is the technical part of the camera. Due to the advanced technology in today's cameras, it's possible to take fantastic pictures without ever knowing anything about technical photographic concepts like depth of field or shutter speed. What you do…

The American Montessori Society (AMS) celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020. From its beginnings under the leadership of inspirational founder Dr. Nancy McCormick Rambusch through to the present day, AMS has built a rich history. The AMS Records are open and accessible to all, and provide a unique opportunity to understand the full impact and…

Science is the study of the world around us, and a scientist's job is to ask questions about the world and then experiment to find the answers. There is not a more natural scientist than the Elementary child, whose reasoning mind is eager to ask questions, investigate, and discuss and compare findings with their peers. In this article, the authors…

Have you ever wondered what Montessori looks like at the high school level? The author interviewed 17-year-old Violet Butler, a senior at Clark Montessori High School, in Cincinnati, OH, to get a sense of a typical day in her life. Her answers were inspiring, and the way she navigates the demands of school and life offered the author a sense of…

This annotated bibliography is the fifth in a series published in "Montessori Life," with the first review of articles published during the 10-year time span of 1996-2006 (Bagby, 2007); the second covering 2007-2009 (Bagby & Jones, 2010); the third, 2010-2013 (Bagby, Wells, Edmondson & Thompson, 2014); and the fourth, 2014--2017…

This annotated bibliography is the fifth in a series published in "Montessori Life," with the first review of articles published during the 10-year time span of 1996-2006 (Bagby, 2007); the second covering 2007-2009 (Bagby & Jones, 2010); the third, 2010-2013 (Bagby, Wells, Edmondson & Thompson, 2014); and the fourth, 2014-2017…

Dr. Montessori noted that imitating the work of adults was an important component of Practical Life activities. Modern Practical Life shelves can become limited to transferring lessons and crafts inspired by the current holiday season or Pinterest board, with limited space and time for activities like cleaning and preparing food. There is a place…

In this article, the author describes her personal Montessori experience. As welcome and in love with her primary Montessori school as she was and still is, there has always been the question of identity. The author says that each of us belongs to intersecting identities that affect how we conceptualize our place in the world. The spiritual…

This article describes the history of Ukraine's Montessori Movement and how the Russian invasion has put it in jeopardy. After Ukraine gained its independence in 1991, the Princeton Montessori School and Princeton Center for Teacher Education partnered with Ukrainian educators to set up the model Kyiv Montessori School--the first Montessori school…

Daisy Han reflects on the recent violent attacks against Asian people, who are being "blamed" for causing COVID-19. To her she feels this is part of a broader American tradition: hate crimes, and fear of hate crimes, are a fact of life for far too many Black, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, Muslim, and Jewish people, and people living without…

How do educators begin the journey of decolonizing--replacing solely Western interpretations of history with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) perspectives, and restoring BIPOC culture and traditional ways--when the entire educational system was built to support, affirm, and uphold white supremacy (Indigenous Corporate Training, Inc.,…

Multiage, child-size, and accessible, the Montessori classroom provides a prepared environment that maximizes self-regulated activity. Designed to be intuitive and conducive to children's development at multiple developmental planes, the classroom nurtures each child's growing independence. Ideally, the principles underlying the Montessori…

Africa is rich in natural resources and magnificent flora and fauna; it is also a place full of kind and hospitable people and as diverse in cultures and traditions as any other continent. The author was born in Uganda, in East Africa, and lived there until 2008, when she relocated to the United States to join her husband, a university professor.…