Baan Dek Montessori

Behavior is communication. What is my behavior communicating? Mr. Chazz https://www.instagram.com/mrchazz/ conscious.hippie.mama https://www.instagram.com/conscious.hippie.mama/ Mindful Parenting from The Gottman Institute https://www.gottman.com/blog/mindful-parenting-how-to-respond-instead-of-react/ Read this on the blog baandek.org/blog/ Follow @baandek Get in touch hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

The Olympics are coming up, and there are surprising ways they're Montessori. Really?! Really. Read this on the blog https://baandek.org/blog/ Follow us @baandek Get in touch hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

I don't want to go to school. We've all been there! Spoiler: nothing's wrong. Read this on the blog https://baandek.org/blog/ Follow us @baandek Get in touch hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

Life is full of challenges! Isn't that wonderful?! How do we approach challenges when it's not my challenge, but my child's? Read this on the blog https://baandek.org/blog/ Follow us @baandek Get in touch hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

Respectful, clear communication sure is tricky, especially when we're sabotaging ourselves or sending unknown messages. Isn't it wonderful we'll always get to practice?! Read this on the blog https://baandek.org/blog/ Get in touch @baandek hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

Isn't this year like any other? Why are things particularly tough this year? Is it just me? Read this post on the blog https://baandek.org/blog/ Get in touch @baandek hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

Happy Birthday, Maria! It's been a wild 150 years, and we're ready for the next 150. Read this post on the blog https://baandek.org/blog/ Get in touch @baandek hello@baandek.org Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

This episode is an interview with Rachel and Jamie from the All Things Montessori Podcast https://www.allthingsmontessoripodcast.com/ Instagram: @allthingsmontessori Twitter: @allthingsmonti Send us a note at hello@baandek.org https://baandek.org/ Our theme music is by Lee Rosevere

You might not have heard the Montessori phrase, "Maximum Effort," but you've definitely seen it. It's not children doing things the hard way, or wasting time, or just not being efficient yet, it's a completely different reason for interacting with the world around them. Check out the blog post at https://baandek.org/blog Wiki for "Who's on First?" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who%27s_on_First%3F

Grace & Courtesy are the “what to do when” and “how to” lessons of the classroom. They’re direct instruction on rules, policy, how to be a human in this space and time. Children will learn anything as long as they’re provided with a clear model, reinforcement, and an opportunity to practice. https://baandek.org/posts/do-as-i-do/

For a text of this podcast, search the title at https://baandek.org/blog/ Process art is about the doing, not the end result. How do we emphasize process art, set logical limits, and give different outlets for creativity? What does process art have to do with developing a growth mindset? Check out a Buddha board here https://www.amazon.com/Original-Buddha-Board-Relaxing-Painting/dp/B0010TEFFQ Stanford researcher Carol Dweck on fixed and growth mindset https://youtu.be/hiiEeMN7vbQ

When we're at home with children, do we need special tools or training to do Montessori?

There's always a silver lining. Maybe one of the silver linings of social distancing is time! We never seem to have enough of it, what about all those things we put off or avoid due to a lack of time?

Some families choose to avoid technology altogether with children, but if you're interested in using this tool, here are a few resources we recommend.

Many of us are working from home these days. This can be tough, even when there aren't children around, only more so when there are other circumstances beyond our control! In this episode, we chat with the original Ms. Wood -- Mrs. Snyder's Mom! Jan Smith Wood is a former Montessori parent herself, and worked from home while her daughters were in school. She shares her experience here.

Montessori is known favor collaboration over competition. But there IS space in Montessori for competition. In fact, we rely on it!

If travel is in your plans, what small things, let's call them heroes, do you have laying around that might make the trip so much easier?

It's so easy to focus on the skills Montessori "teaches" children, the product, the results. What does Montessori teach?

Conferences are exciting, but they can sometimes feel a little stressful. Do they need to be? Spoiler: NO WAY!

You've maybe heard of sound games, or a child identifying their sound rather than their letter. Why?

The times, they are a changin! All around us are signs the weather is changing, whether it's bare trees and snow already, or maybe pulling out a sweatshirt or wearing shoes instead of socks. Here are five ways to celebrate fall with children of all ages!

How can we support the work our children do at school at home? We pulled together five common questions about Montessori at Home. If you have a question that's not covered here (there are about a million!!) be sure to send us a note at hello@baandek.org

We wish we could protect children from everything. Since we can't, what can we do?

Our One-Hundredth episode celebrates one of our favorite times of year -- back to school! What are you looking forward to this school year? (even if you're not in school!)

"No" is pretty unpleasant. We don't like to hear it, we don't enjoy saying it, it's just, no pun intended, pretty negative. Can we re-frame no? Is it even necessary?

Children ask about a zillion questions. How can we possibly answer them all?

Our task is to Observe without Judgement. We can't imagine judging a child, so can this really be so hard?

Summer is coming! Some of us are thrilled, some are anxious, some are, well, a bit of both. How can we make the most of these next three months?

Zoe Paul of Sage Montessori and Studio Montessori shares her story in this interview.

Earth Day is celebrated around the world on April 22nd. What's a Montessori way to participate in a joyful, learning-filled, relationship-building way?

Clothing is necessary, but also a moment for independence and for self-expression. How can we help our children be successful with dressing, and create a bit more ease in our day?

Montessori and Minimalism so naturally go together. Minimalism is becoming increasingly popular, with "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up" by Marie Kondo from a few years ago and her new Netflix show. Many of us want to have less and enjoy more. How do we get there? Is minimalism possible with children. Montessori parent and minimalist Cassie shares her story in this interview.

We live in a time when information is readily available. We can find the answer to any question, just as soon as we ask. But with all the noise of opinions, we still have to listen to the most important voice: our own.

We had a lovely conversation with parents who chose to keep their children in Montessori for Kindergarten, about what that decision-making process was like, some observations they've made since having their child in a Montessori setting, and if they had any thoughts they'd share with families considering Kindergarten year Montessori. Staying in your Primary classroom or starting your new Elementary school for Kindergarten is a huge choice, with so many factors. We hope this family's story helps clarify those questions, and maybe provide a few answers, for your own family's decision.

It's the time of year when we're wondering what to do about the upcoming year, an especially challenging question for parents whose children will be eligible for Kindergarten. How do you make that choice?

"Do as I say, not as I do" Never Works. We've all heard the phrase, "Do as I say, not as I do." The challenge is, while our intentions are good, this idea isn't helpful for children.

Here's an interview with Jesse McCarthy from the blog MontessoriEducation.com

Are you looking for a few new songs? This episode includes ideas for how we choose songs to sing with children, as well as five songs you might or might not be familiar with. Happy Listening!

Pamela Green of Ananda Montessori shares her story, experience, and an exciting upcoming project.

This time of year can be full of travel. Here are a few of our favorite tips for enjoying, rather than stressing, travel with children.

Over the next several months, there are so many holidays and special occasions. How do we help children through these joyful, and sometimes stressful events? Due to your feedback, this episode includes tips for all ages, not just those under six! Thanks for the notes, they help us be better! (Spoiler alert: the next episode will be about travel with young children, and will be live just a bit early.)

The Toddler Whisperer herself, Simone Davies of The Montessori Notebook and The Montessori Toddler, joins us in this episode about toddlers and specifically about tantrums and challenging behaviors.

This is the sequel to Episode 80 - Should in Montessori. How do we turn from "should be" to "could be?"

Even with training and patience and observation, our own judgement is a voice that is hard to quiet. It's instinct, and can be a helpful tool, but it means we also sometimes jump to conclusions, rather than leaving space for Following the Child.

It's easy to get stuck and thing some things definitively ARE Montessori, while other things patently are NOT. The truth, as with so many things, lies somewhere in the middle.

We're wrapping up this Montessori Summer series this week. It's been fantastic to hear stories of how Montessori has been implemented at home! Thanks for keeping us company.

Offering choice is so hard, but so important for developing confidence in yourself, logic, and decision-making skills. What kinds of choices do we offer? How do we phrase those choices?

While our first few episodes of the Montessori Summer Series were about routines and systems inside the home, this episode has a few activities and ideas for going outside, one of the best things about Summer!

In Episodes 73 & 74, we discussed Space and Time in our Montessori Summer series. In this episode, we bring them together, to address one difficult area of family life. We'll go over four areas where small changes can have a big impact, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. What's one challenging area in your family's life, where minor changes can make a tremendous difference, and really set you up for success?

What's the best way to use our time? Are we over-scheduled, or might things be a bit simpler if a schedule were implemented?

This week, we're kicking off summer. Learning and Montessori live outside of the school building. Let's look at ways we can Montessori at home, outside, whether or not school is in session.