Schedule
Welcome to the second day of our virtual conference.
Saturday, November 7, 2020
All times are given in Eastern Standard Time (USA)
11:00 am – 11:30 am
Kitty Bravo, Jonathan Wolff, Kathy Leitch or Andrew Kutt
Back to Center: Finding Peace and Joy – Together
Join us for 30 minutes of mind-quieting, energy-boosting activities and exercises. Share your favorite mind-body practices: creative movement, songs, affirmations, poems, breath work, visualizations – any activity that brings you peace and positivity.
Noon -1:00 pm
Dr. Cindy Acker &
Dr. Valaida Wise
Keynote: Interrupting Racism in Montessori Schools | The Real Work is in the Details
“Take a long, hard look down the road you will have to travel once you have made a commitment to work for change. Know that this transformation will not happen right away. Change often takes time. It rarely happens all at once. In the movement, we didn’t know how history would play itself out. We used to say that ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part. And if we believe in the change we seek, then it is easy to commit to doing all we can, because the responsi-bility is ours alone to build a better society and a more peaceful world.” ― John Lewis
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Our world has experienced the understanding of the effects of racism over an age-long period. Montessorians have been among those to examine the effects of racism on individual and systemic levels, and have embarked on a journey to work and walk alongside others to dismantle racism. But are we really done, or is this part of the trajectory of peace education work? Researchers Dr. Val Wise and Dr. Cindy Acker will use psychology to unpack broaching and mental models to uncover the fine details of racism that affect our practice, and what lies ahead for us to become anti-racist educators of peace.
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Circle Time
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Dr. Cindy Acker
3A | Creating Anti-racist Classrooms: Curriculum and Intention
The actual work of anti-racism includes the addition of materials and information for children and a new mindset for adults. Join Dr. Cindy Acker to work out the details of the inclusion and infusion of new ideas, concepts, and intentions to enhance the classroom and way of thinking for children and teachers.
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Frank Leto
3B | Music and Movement for Healing
There are many benefits to physical activity for young children. Movement and exercise are beneficial to a young child’s physical and emotional development. Daily circle time presentations can improve children’s breath, strength, and balance. Discover fun, interactive dances and exercises designed to allow the child to express them selves freely through movement. Use the power of movement to unify, heal, and help children achieve inner peace.
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Tanya Ryskind, J.D. and
Andrew Kutt
3C | Our Unique Leadership Challenge: Guiding Our Schools to Safe Harbor
This panel discussion will focus on: how we can be calm and centered leaders, seek the support of trusted colleagues, find the financial, legal, and human resources expertise we need, prioritize transparency and clarity, draw upon the strength of our community, and pay attention to what is emergent for the future. What are the opportunities that might be happening that we didn’t see while in the midst of the crisis? Tanya Ryskind and Andrew Kutt will guide this conversation to support and empower Montessori leaders at this time of unprecedented challenge, stress, and complexity.
1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Ellen Glier and
Cathie Perolman
3D | Roundtable: Focus on Infant Toddler and Early Childhood Guides
Providing children with an authentic Montessori experience in a non-traditional “prepared environment.” Join Montessori guides of your program level as they share how they present lessons, support social-emotional wellbeing, encourage independence and collaboration – via small cohorts, online instruction, and creative use of campus space.
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Circle Time
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Yogesh Rajkotia, M.D.
Keynote: Educating Leaders in an Era of Change | A Call for Resiliency
We are in the midst of one of the greatest periods of change in modern history. The global need for self-led leaders is urgent . The role of educators in growing self-led leaders is paramount. This discussion focuses on the core elements of educating self-led leaders, and the urgent need for education systems need to be as agile and resilient as the leaders it aims to produce.
4:15 pm – 4:45 pm
Circle Time
4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
Dr. Valaida Wise
4A | Supporting and Facilitating Conversations About Race at Your School: Using the Continuum of Broaching Behavior
Explore the Continuum of Broaching Behavior framework, which helps schools consider their orientations toward broaching or engaging in difficult conversations about the way that issues of race and representation impact policies practices and norms within school settings.
4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
Sheila Linville
4B | Good Grief
A support guide for classroom teaching instructors and guides : how you can support a grieving child and their parent from your class In this workshop Sheila will cover the following topics: * Types of parental death * Phases of Grief * Learning tips of self care in the midst of grief & sadness * Learn how to talk with the impacted child and all the children in the classroom. * Gain knowledge of a “Grief Circle” and how to implement * Gain knowledge of how to use a Grief Jar Resources: * Working with a school psychologist and / or social worker * Roles of Head of School / Lead teachers / assistants * local grief organizations in your community, i.e., Orlando’s Center for Grieving Children in mine * Hospice
4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
Tim Seldin
4C | Recontextualizing Montessori for a Partnership World
Montessori is an educational approach that helps children not only better navigate through challenges while also creating individual relationships and self-perceptions. This is what my friend Riane Eisler calls the “partnership way.”
It is far more than our traditional peace education. It goes beyond the Montessori curriculum to empower students to become our partners, discover and express their own voices, sharpen their understanding of human history and today’s global community. Partnering builds ever-stronger relationships while helping our schools and families develop and celebrate traditions and organizational structures that nurture and support equitable, democratic, nonviolent, and caring relationships.
Montessori is far more than the materials and far more than an educational method; it is a way of life that can, and must, be consciously woven into every aspect of our classrooms and schools. Montessori can help us build a better world, based on partnership, using practical strategies to enrich what we teach, how we teach, and how we work together as learners, guides, school leaders, and parent partners.
4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
Greg Hicks and
David Rotberg
4D| Roundtable: Elementary Guide
Providing children with an authentic Montessori experience in a non-traditional “prepared environment.” Join Montessori guides of your program level as they share how they present lessons, support social-emotional well-being, encourage independence and collaboration – via small cohorts, online instruction, and creative use of campus space.