Trillium Montessori Talks
Trillium Montessori Team
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Top 10 Trillium Montessori Talks Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Trillium Montessori Talks episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Trillium Montessori Talks for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Trillium Montessori Talks episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
001: Revisiting Routines, Procedures, & Agreements
Trillium Montessori Talks
02/01/22 • 23 min
As teachers, we all know the feeling: your students return to the classroom after a long break, and it seems like they’ve forgotten everything you’ve ever taught them. It can be frustrating to feel a loss of routine or a disregard for procedures in your classroom, but it’s not uncommon. Often, students just need a refresher on how to interact with one another and their learning environment.
In this episode, we’re talking about how to return from a long break and get your students back into the swing of things. We’ll explain why students might “forget” classroom procedures over the break and the best ways to gently remind them upon their return.
What’s in this episode:
- Why students might struggle with executive function and routines after a long break
- How Montessori environments differ from traditional classrooms during these adjustment periods
- Systems you should give extra attention after breaks
- How to gently remind students of classroom procedures they may have forgotten
- How to guide students through conflict resolution after a break
- Modeling courtesy for your students to inspire them to practice it as well
- Why you should revisit your classroom agreements after a long break
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit trilliummontessori.org/podcast
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Explore the Montessori Principles to Practice Webinar Libraries
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048: Beyond Early Childhood and Materials: Montessori Across the Planes of Development with Luz Casquejo Johnston
Trillium Montessori Talks
11/14/23 • 39 min
Maria Montessori’s theories of developmental psychology include her foundational observations of the planes of development for children. These planes outline various milestones physically and mentally as the child’s education progresses, and it’s so interesting to see common threads emerge when observing Montessori students in the classroom.
In today’s episode, I’m talking to Luz Casquejo Johnston, a parenting and life coach and a seasoned Montessori educator. Luz shares what she learned after experiencing all three planes of development in the span of one summer. She offers insights on the importance of reflection, observation, and the preparation of the Montessori teacher.
Luz also shares the importance of asking “why?” - not only to find out the answer to educational concepts, but because our students will also be asking “why?”. We are better teachers when we are well-informed.
What’s in this episode:
Luz shares about experiencing all 3 planes of development in one summer
The debate on the appropriateness of didactic materials in the Montessori classroom
Why observation is crucial for Montessori teachers
The common threads Luz noticed when going through the 3 planes of development
How self-reflection helps students and teachers
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:
https://www.trilliummontessori.org/podcast/
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Do Didactic Materials Belong in the Infant & Toddler Classroom? by David Shelton-Dodge (From the Spring 2023 Issue of Montessori Life Magazine)
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003: How Do We Know When Elementary Students Are Ready for Abstraction?
Trillium Montessori Talks
02/01/22 • 16 min
For parents and teachers alike, one of the biggest draws to the Montessori method is our use of materials. They’re beautiful, they’re engaging, and they help students learn abstract concepts in a concrete way. But how do you know when your students are ready for abstraction, and when they are ready, how do you make the transition?
In this episode, we’re explaining how to decide whether or not your students are ready for abstraction. We’ll share tips for transitioning from concrete to abstract learning and what to do if some of your students aren’t quite ready to make the leap. Plus, we’ll break down the steps for getting students to set down their materials and pick up their pencils.
What’s in this episode:
- Why so many parents are drawn to the material aspect of Montessori
- How materials make advanced concepts easier for students to grasp
- When to begin your students’ passage to abstraction
- In-classroom signs that your students are ready for abstraction
- How boredom can sometimes be a sign that students are ready to move on
- How to demonstrate the steps between concrete and abstract learning
- Why we should keep in mind that abstraction is the end goal
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit trilliummontessori.org/podcast
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Explore the Montessori Principles to Practice Webinar Libraries
Connect With Us
Visit our website
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025: Interview with Jess Gagne on New Students, Favorite Lessons, and More!
Trillium Montessori Talks
10/11/22 • 22 min
It’s incredible to see the growth of students when you allow them to take charge of their learning and progress at their own pace. Growth doesn’t happen on someone else’s timetable, it happens at the right moment. Giving students the space and independence to learn on their own timeline often leads to an explosion of growth that feels more meaningful because it’s natural, not forced upon them.
In this episode of Trillium Talks, I sat down with Jess Gagne, an elementary Montessori guide, to talk about everything Montessori. Jess shares her experiences with allowing students to get involved in their lessons, tips for working with students that are new to Montessori methodology, game-changing systems, and the value of patience and allowing your students to learn and grow at their own pace.
What’s in this episode:
- How Jess gets her students involved in their lessons
- The types of lessons her students enjoy
- Tips for helping children new to Montessori in the first few weeks
- Game-changing systems Jess has used in her Montessori classroom
- The value of patience and letting students go at their own pace
- The benefits of a mixed-age classroom
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit https://www.trilliummontessori.org/an-interview-with-jess-gagne/
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039: Co-Teaching, Organizing, and Managing a Large Upper Elementary Classroom with Tania Torres-Delgado and Gabriela Gonzalez
Trillium Montessori Talks
05/23/23 • 38 min
Co-teaching in a Montessori classroom can definitely be a challenge. And with so many differing opinions on how to best approach a co-teaching relationship, it can be confusing to know how to get started.
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Tania Torres-Delgado and Gabriela Gonzalez, co-teachers of a classroom of 48 students at Guidepost Montessori School in Hollywood Beach, FL. They’re sharing how they work together and manage such a large class, what works well for them when it comes to everything from transitions to lesson-planning, and their advice for other teachers on how to successfully build an environment where students can thrive.
What’s in this episode:
The benefits and challenges of having a large classroom, and how Tania and Gabriela navigate keeping the space cohesive and functional
The systems they have in place for keeping such a large classroom organized and authentic to the Montessori philosophy, including student conferences and lesson planning
How they use silent transitions to keep the flow going between lessons, lunch, and breaks
How they divide responsibilities as co-teachers, the importance of constant communication, and how identifying each other’s strengths and weaknesses has made them more efficient
Why they do all of their planning together, and why they chose to divide their responsibilities by subject areas
The variety of interest and creativity that they see in a large classroom, and their advice for teachers who also have a large classroom, and why procedures help the students to be more independent
How their mentorship student program works, and how they pair up students with similar interests and choose leaders with strong executive functioning skills
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:
https://www.trilliummontessori.org/
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
N/A
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004: Interrupting the Elementary Child at Work
Trillium Montessori Talks
02/01/22 • 23 min
The Montessori method thrives on letting children explore on their own and engage in activities of their choosing. While we don’t have a traditional model of lessons, our teachers still teach several lessons throughout the day to elementary aged children.
How do we accomplish the act of balancing presentations while still honoring independent work? In this episode, we are unveiling just how we reach this goal. You’ll hear about what concentration looks like for elementary aged kids (compared to their younger counterparts) and when it’s best to avoid interruptions. You’ll also learn the best method for supporting children who have difficulty with interruptions.
What’s in this episode:
- What we avoid in Montessori that happens in traditional schooling
- Why we allow children to self regulate
- How we aim to balance presentations with honoring independent work
- How concentration looks different for elementary aged kids
- Examples of when an interruption is NOT in a child’s best interest
- What to do when you’re met with resistance
- How to support children who have difficulty with interruptions
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit trilliummontessori.org/podcast
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Explore the Montessori Principles to Practice Webinar Libraries
Connect With Us
Visit our website
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Welcome to Trillium Montessori Talks
Trillium Montessori Talks
01/25/22 • 1 min
Welcome to Trillium Montessori Talks, the podcast where we dig into the theory and application of Montessori methodology in the classroom and beyond. Join us for candid conversation about the challenges us Montessori teachers face and how we can enhance the classroom experience for our students and ourselves. Ready to optimize your Montessori practice? Head to https://www.trilliummontessori.org/podcast to learn more.
002: What To Do When Your Lesson Falls Flat
Trillium Montessori Talks
02/01/22 • 23 min
No matter how skilled of a teacher you are, you’re bound to give a few lessons that just fall flat. This can happen for a multitude of reasons–from the structure of the lesson to your students’ attitudes that day. When it happens to you, don’t let it dictate your confidence in your teaching abilities. Instead, use it as an opportunity to understand your students better.
In this episode, we’re sharing my advice for what to do when a lesson inevitably falls flat. We’re explaining why our lessons sometimes don’t land with our students and how to recognize when they’re disengaging. We’re also sharing tips for creating an inspiring lesson and saving a failing lesson in the moment.
What’s in this episode:
- Why some lessons just won’t land with your students
- What it looks like when a lesson “falls flat”
- How to read students’ signals that they’re bored, confused, or disengaged
- How to activate prior knowledge to transition students into a new lesson
- Tips for “hooking” your students at the beginning of a lesson
- Why we strive to tell stories, not give lectures
- How to find the “just right” balance between a lesson that’s too easy or hard
- How student groupings can affect the success of your lesson
- Tips for problem solving in the moment and engaging with your students mid-lesson
- How to set behavior expectations at the beginning of a lesson
- Why you shouldn’t doubt your abilities if your lesson falls flat
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit trilliummontessori.org/podcast
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Explore the Montessori Principles to Practice Webinar Libraries
Connect With Us
Visit our website
Follow us on Instagram
Connect with us on Facebook
024: Scientific Learning in the Elementary Classroom with Zoe Rising
Trillium Montessori Talks
09/27/22 • 30 min
The hands-on quality of the Montessori method is what sets it apart, and that’s never more apparent than during science lessons. From demonstrating complex concepts in the classroom to encouraging students to conduct their own experiments at home, Montessori educators have the ability to inspire curiosity and imagination in their students every day.
In this episode, we sit down with cofounder of Learn Libre and former Montessori student Zoe Rising to talk about scientific learning. She shares some of her favorite science experiments and demonstrations for helping students understand abstract ideas. We also talk about the limits of Maria Montessori’s framework and how we can apply it to our new scientific concepts.
What’s in this episode:
- Zoe’s fondest memories of learning science in a Montessori classroom
- Her favorite Montessori science lessons to teach her students
- How we can use demonstrations to introduce students to abstract concepts
- Why science experiments are so engaging for elementary-aged children
- Challenges you might encounter when planning science lessons and experiments
- What makes the Montessori approach to scientific learning different
- What we wish Maria Montessori would have been able to develop a framework for
Note: As of February 2024, Montessori Laboratory is now known as Learn Libre. Any references made to Montessori Laboratory are still relevant under the new name.
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit https://www.trilliummontessori.org/scientific-exploration-in-the-elementary-years/
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman
Explore Learn Libre (formerly Montessori Laboratory) (Affiliate link)
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040: Debunking the 3 Hour Work Cycle with Jana Morgan Herman
Trillium Montessori Talks
06/06/23 • 40 min
Over time, as more interpretations are overlaid on top of older theories, sometimes we can lose track of the actual meaning behind the source material. And when it comes to the 3 hour work cycle as applied in a Montessori setting, this seems to be the case.
In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Jana Morgan Herman, national director for Endeavor Schools and former teacher trainer for the Center for Guided Montessori Studies. We talk about how Maria Montessori never actually implemented a strict 3 hour work cycle, and where that misunderstanding might stem from.
We also discuss how much of what we consider “work” has been narrowed, leaving out more physical and practical activities, how we might go about implementing a more faithful version of the schedule Maria Montessori originally envisioned, and why expanding our view of academic or intellectual work should include more outside time as well.
What’s in this episode:
How over time, interpretations of Maria Montessori’s work, have strayed from the source material
The actual schedule that Maria Montessori laid out in her work (and it’s not a stringent 3 hour work cycle)
How what is considered “work” has become more narrow over time, instead of including passive activities and movement as well, and how to expand our definitions again
How to gently progress from physical and practical life to intellectual activities and how those initial practical life activities are relevant even to older children
Why the focus should always be on enticing children into more intellectual activities, instead of forcing or coercing them into something they aren’t interested in
Why spending time in nature is one of the best ways for children to learn and develop intellectually and how to implement outdoor time even in more crowded urban areas
Why Montessori organizations might want to reconsider their program scheduling
For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:
https://www.trilliummontessori.org/debunking-the-three-hour-work-cycle/
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
1946 London Lectures by Maria Montessori
The Advanced Montessori Method
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FAQ
How many episodes does Trillium Montessori Talks have?
Trillium Montessori Talks currently has 55 episodes available.
What topics does Trillium Montessori Talks cover?
The podcast is about Montessori, How To, Podcasts and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Trillium Montessori Talks?
The episode title '001: Revisiting Routines, Procedures, & Agreements' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Trillium Montessori Talks?
The average episode length on Trillium Montessori Talks is 26 minutes.
How often are episodes of Trillium Montessori Talks released?
Episodes of Trillium Montessori Talks are typically released every 14 days.
When was the first episode of Trillium Montessori Talks?
The first episode of Trillium Montessori Talks was released on Jan 25, 2022.
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