Faculty and Staff Professional Development
WHMS faculty and staff members reported back to school on August 27. We opened the week with a vision and mission workshop, focusing on what we think is important about the work we do and the goals that we have for our work.
We had teacher safety training and new faculty orientation. Much of the week was devoted to preparing their beautiful classrooms.
On Friday, August 31, our faculty, along with teachers and administrators from four other local Montessori schools, attended a workshop at WHMS. The workshop was presented by Michael Duffy and was entitled
Supporting Intrinsic Motivation and Developing Independence.
Michael’s talk was a wonderful way to begin our year, as it was about the importance of helping our students develop independence, autonomy, and love of learning because of the educational environment we prepare for them. He especially focused on motivation and how this relates to the Montessori philosophy.
Michael and his wife D’Neil were recipients of the American Montessori Society Living Legacy award in 2018. Former school teachers and administrators, they are the authors of three books on Montessori education, all published by Parent Child Press/Montessori Services:
Children of the Universe: Cosmic Education in the Montessori Elementary Classroom; Math Works: Montessori Math and the Developing Brain; and
Love of Learning: Supporting Intrinsic Motivation in Montessori Students.
Children of the Universe is used in many elementary training programs as a reference on Cosmic Education.
D’Neil and Michael retired from their school, Blackstock Montessori, in 2001 to devote more of their time to teacher training, writing, and educational consulting.
The teachers came away feeling motivated and inspired to begin the school year. One remarked that it was the most inspiring workshop she had ever attended.
Also featured in the workshop was Gilda Brower, founder and director of Montessori School of the Finger Lakes. Gilda is a retired long serving administrator of a Montessori school and has been a primary teacher trainer affiliated with CMTE-CME since 1978.
Many of our teachers attended training programs over the summer.
Olga Febus and Heather Kostell completed their first summer of Lower Elementary Montessori teacher training at Montessori Elementary Teacher Training Collaborative (METTC) in Lexington, Mass. Ashley Campion finished her Toddler training at the Center for Montessori Education (CME). Sara Howard and Jackie Santilli completed the
Intro to Montessori course at METTC.
Julie Adams took the
Literacy through Multi-Sensory Teaching course this summer. Alisa Scapatici has begun the first online portion of her Montessori Adolescent training. Jennifer Graham, Nicole Lenihan, Jackie Santilli, Jessa Pelizari, Michelle Edwards, Toni Roland, Vinita Shekhar, Susan Kambrich and Susie Gordon took a
Mindfulness Fundamentals course. Jennifer Graham took a class through Trillium Montessori,
Musically Montessori - The First 12 Weeks: How to teach foundational music concepts to young children. Jennifer also led a workshop at WHMS through the Northeast Montessori Institute:
Montessori Early Childhood Overview for Advanced Assistant Teachers.
