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.
When and Where
Saturday, October 31
8:30 - 11:30
Woodinville Montessori School, Bothell campus
Recommended for Infant & Toddler
Earn STARS!
M.B.A., IT Instructor and Field Consultant. Krithika holds a Primary Diploma in Early Childhood and the Assistants to Infancy Montessori (Infant-Toddler) credential, both from AMI. Krithika attended DNB Vaishnav College For Women, University of Madras, Chennai. Her degrees include a Master of Business Administration from SRM Institute of Management Studies, University of Madras, Chennai. She has experience working with children in both the EC and IT age groups. Krithika is the Infant-Toddler director at Bellevue Montessori School.
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.
Admin Brown Bag Lunch
Being an administrator at a Montessori school is full of ups and downs. Having a support network to navigate the unique challenges you encounter is a necessity. Bring your lunch and join to start building that network. We will share what’s keeping us up at night and what we have done to address it. It’s also a time to celebrate what has been working well. The goal is to build community and share resources. We hope to see you!
Dates & Location
Tuesday, November 10 @ Woodinville Montessori School, Bothell Campus (RSVP by 11/07)
Thursday, February 4 @TBD (RSVP by 1/28)
Thursday, April 1 @TBD (RSVP by 3/25)
All Admin Brown Bag Lunches are 11:30 - 1:00. If you’re interested in hosting a future connection, please let us know.
Beyond Behavior
Understanding regulation, neurodiversity, and mental health in the classroom
Challenging behaviors in the classroom are often the expression of underlying needs related to nervous system regulation, neurodiversity, and mental health. Drawing on decades of research and new understandings of neurobiology, this interactive workshop helps educators move beyond behavior management to a deeper understanding of what children may be communicating through their actions. Participants bring case examples and come away with a new understanding and practical strategies leading to fewer classroom disruptions, stronger teacher-child and teacher-parent relationships, and burnout prevention.
When and Where
Saturday, November 14
9:00 - 12:00
Woodinville Montessori School, Bothell campus
Recommended for IT and EC
Brecca Smith
Brecca Smith, LMHC, is an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health therapist, consultant, and former Montessori educator. They specialize in supporting young children, families, and educators through a relational, neurodiversity-affirming lens.
Before becoming a therapist, Brecca worked as an early childhood educator and brings together experience in education, attachment, trauma, child development, and mental health consultation. They see the support of children, families, and educators as the way and a better world.
Adult-Learners will show understanding of beat, rhythm and melody through movement, singing, and instrument playing
Adult-Learners will discuss strategies for leading the activities presented in this workshop, including how to facilitate movement activities with a class and how to incorporate different classroom instruments.
Adult-Learners will compose their own short pieces of music through participation in the workshop.
Adult-Learners will brainstorm music lessons inspired by art with their peers
When and Where
Saturday, January 30
9:00 - 12:00
Woodinville Montessori School, Bothell Campus
EL Music: Canvas to Sound
Step into a world of creativity as you sing, dance and play through some of the world’s most treasured works of art. Each painting becomes an opportunity to create a musical moment with your students; see how art can inspire songs, creative movement and music composition. Join us for this elementary-centered workshop and be inspired to find new ways to integrate the arts in your classroom.
Valerie Wheeler
Valerie Wheeler has 20 years of experience teaching music and building music programs, with 15 of those years spent at Montessori schools in Texas and Washington. Currently, she teaches music at Woodinville Montessori School.
Expressive Arts
Each one of us is creative and imaginative. This is our superpower as humans. Creativity helps with emotional regulation, brainstorming, and problem solving. Using the tools of Expressive Arts you will get ideas for how to support yourself, your students, and how to facilitate a classroom environment that encourages creative processing. The arts experiences will include writing, music, movement, and visual arts.
Amy Fujimoto
Amy Fujimoto has been involved in education for over thirty years. Her expertise includes both adult and child instruction. She has an M.Ed. along with AMS certificates in Early Childhood and Lower Elementary. She completed 200 hours of training with the Northwest Creative and Expressive Arts Institute for a certificate in Expressive Arts Facilitation. Nurturing creative confidence inspires Amy’s work with the children and adults in her Woodinville Montessori School community.
When and Where
Saturday, February 27
9:00 - 12:00
Woodinville Montessori School, Bothell Campus
Recommended for all levels
“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
