Professional Development
Maria Montessori knew the value of instilling a lifelong love of learning.
Our goal is to offer meaningful and accessible educational opportunities for further professional development.
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Building Bridges with Families: Neuroscience, Montessori Principles, and Anti-Bias Practice for Partnering with Today’s Parents
By Krithika Rangan
This interactive, in-person workshop equips infant/toddler teachers with practical, research-grounded strategies for communicating and partnering with families in an era of heightened parental anxiety.
Participants will explore the neuroscience of stress and trust
— how attachment and co-regulation apply not only to children but to the adults who love them
— and how Montessori’s model of home-school partnership positions parents as their child’s first teacher.
The session integrates cultural humility and Anti-Bias/Anti-Racist (ABAR) principles for recognizing and honoring diverse parenting values, communication styles, and family structures.
Teachers will practice concrete language for navigating hard conversations — from developmental concerns to differing views on discipline — while maintaining trust and respect.
Assistant Training
Montessori classrooms thrive with the support of well-prepared assistants. A trained assistant who understands Montessori philosophy is an asset to any program. This course offers assistants the opportunity to build meaningful skills.
Assistants will learn:
Montessori philosophy
The role of the assistant
How to respectfully and effectively support children, lead teachers, and co-workers in the Montessori environment in ways that reflect the values and principles of Montessori education.
Although not a materials course, participants will also deepen their understanding of some Montessori materials and the prepared environment.
This course is in a hybrid format with an introductory Zoom session, online Google Classroom assignments, and an on-site meeting for a well-rounded and impactful learning experience. 11 hours of STARS credit is available upon completion of online and in-person work.
2027 Dates
February 4 and 13 (Registration opens December 2026)
April 8 and 17
Schedule
The assistant training workshop starts with a half-hour live Zoom introductory session. This is followed by seven days to complete four hours of online learning at your own pace. Note: This Google Classroom portion requires a GMAIL account.
The workshop culminates in a seven-hour in–person class.
Registration opens six weeks before the workshop starts.
“The future generation must not only know how to do what we can teach them, they must be able to go a step further.”
— Maria Montessori, The 1946 London Lectures, page 140
“Learning the difference between praise and acknowledgement was helpful and something I was able to use right away in the classroom.”
– Assistant Training Participant