Supporting Montessori Programs

Supporting Montessori programs for over 20 years

We know that Montessori education has the power to be transformative for children’s lives, and we want that potential to be available to as many children as possible.

And yet, sometimes we think that for Montessori education to be truly ‘Montessori’, it must look a certain way, include very specific materials, be implemented according to very exact standards, have specifically trained adults. But many many children live in places where reaching all these ideals of Montessori education are simply not viable. And not many schools, even the most well-resourced ones, are able to meet all the ‘criteria’.

It was in trying to implement Montessori education for traumatized children in Afghanistan with minimal resources, no Montessori materials, and untrained adults who barely spoke English that forced me to distill the Montessori approach down to the barest essentials of principles. It was these principles that made all the difference, principles including Freedom, Respect, Work with the Hands, Grace and Courtesy, Beauty, Responsibility, and Community. Once this foundation of principles is solid, other specific elements of Montessori education can be incorporated and adapted.

This is what it means to compromise on details, not on principles.

In the programs below, I have used this approach to help programs to implement Montessori successfully in under-served AND well-served schools, in multi-lingual environments, in post-war contexts, in environments with minimal materials, in programs with untrained teachers, in schools facing strict government regulations, and more:

House of Flowers Montessori Orphanage
Garden of Flowers Montessori Preschool

Kabul, Afghanistan  (2002-Present)

Established and maintained two strong Montessori undertakings in Kabul, Afghanistan for over 20 years, up to the present.

Adapted the Montessori approach in an environment heavily impacted by post-war trauma, and molded by sharp cultural and religious boundaries.

I co-founded the House of Flowers Montessori Orphanage in 2002, a home and school for 25-30 orphanage children coming from trauma, poverty and adversity. The 24/7 environment was designed to operate on Montessori principles in order to support the recovery and healing of the children. This Montessori work required much flexibility, working within the religious and cultural context of Afghanistan and the emotional context of a society emerging from war.

But after a short time, it became very clear that the Montessori approach, even though adapted to the limited resources available, was highly effective in helping the children tap into their own resilience and recover and heal. The ‘children’ are now adults living productive and positive lives, and are still in close touch with each other.

I worked alongside the team on-site for the first four years until 2006 to fully integrate the Montessori principles and adapt the approach to the environment, and provided remote guidance after that for the next 14 years.

In 2020, I helped the team transform the orphanage program into a dayschool, the Garden of Flowers Montessori Preschool. I refreshed and retrained the teachers on Montessori approach for working with 3-6 year olds. We acquired donations of materials, and conducted weekly seminars, meetings and training sessions with the staff in Kabul to focus on adapting to the

This work is ongoing today with weekly video chats with the team to discuss Montessori practice, adaptation, and observations of the children.

      

Srijana Sansaar Montessori Preschool

Kathmandu, Nepal  (2006-2008)

Partnered in establishing and developing an authentic Montessori preschool for needy children in post-civil war Nepal

In Kathmandu I partnered with Bhola Hari Dhital, a Nepali educator who received his AMI Montessori Primary training from Chennai. Together we established the Srijana Sansaar Montessori Preschool, an authentic and strong Montessori program for needy children in Kathmandu, which Bhola led for several years. I also assisted him in giving workshops and guidance to other Montessori teachers in Nepal, and worked with him to coordinate with a factory that made high quality Montessori materials locally.

      

Moringa Foundation Early Childhood Center, Uryadi’s Village

Soddo, Ethiopia (2021-Present)

Provided technical and philosophical Montessori guidance, both remote and on-site, for establishing a Montessori preschool in a large orphanage in southern Ethiopia

The Moringa Foundation wished to establish a preschool within Uryadi’s Village, a large orphanage of over 100 children, in Soddo, Ethiopia. Having heard of the transformative power of the Montessori approach for children with traumatic backgrounds, they wished it to be a Montessori preschool and asked me to support them in this process. From giving input on building design and materials needed for Montessori environments, to providing guidance for organizational structure, to emphasizing the essential Montessori principles and how to implement them in that setting, I prepared them for common challenges faced when setting up a new Montessori environment in under-served settings.

During a short on-site visit a year later, after observing the classroom I offered a customized intensive training for the teachers. We focused on the Montessori essentials of work with the hands, freedom of choice, independence and grace and courtesy concrete in order to strengthen the quality of their Montessori practice. We role-played specific steps for classroom management and made materials together, and the guides practiced giving presentations. In addition, I offered feedback to the management on how the whole orphanage itself could incorporate elements of the Montessori approach, to the benefit of all the children.

I continue to offer technical guidance and feedback through remote support.

Reviews

In November 2020, our family fund, AEF-Moringa, agreed to sponsor a Montessori kindergarten for 3-to-6-year-olds in an Ethiopian orphanage.  We knew what we wanted to do but had many questions about how to do it.  Following introductions by a mutual friend, Allison generously agreed to guide us in the philosophy and practicalities of Montessori.  And what an inspiration she was!  Calm and soft-spoken, full of details, gentle in moving us down the adventurous path we’d chosen, generous with her time, checking the details as budgets were drawn up with our local partners.  The project developed rapidly thanks to Allison’s guidance and our local partner’s determination.  This happened during Covid times, so coaching took place via WhatsApp, Zoom and Skype.  Not an ideal system, but effective:  in September 2021, the Montessori-inspired kindergarten opened for 36 beaming children at Uryadi’s Village in Soddo, Ethiopia.  See for yourself at http://www.uryadisvillage.org .
(Patricia Wallace Costa, Moringa Foundation)

   

Oak Knoll Montessori School

Pasadena, California  (Fall 2023)

Refreshed a Montessori adolescent program by refocusing and re-orienting staff on Montessori principles and adolescent practices

The Montessori adolescent program of Oak Knoll Montessori School was in need of a ‘jump-start’ after some faltering years and new, mostly untrained staff. During my 2.5 months on-site with the team at the start of the school year, I helped reorganize the environment both physically and psychologically.

We refocused on the essentials for an adolescent program, training on the vital elements of the adolescent Montessori philosophy such as creative expression, practical work, production and exchange, structure, etc. This included recalibrating behavior expectations and how to communicate with adolescents, modeling how to design and implement a work and study cycle within an aligned curriculum, and lesson-planning. I also provided full staff training about the Third Plane and the needs of adolescents, to align awareness of the Montessori planes of development on the campus among the adults.

I simultaneously provided support to the elementary program, especially offering coaching on using the Orton-Gillingham approach to enhance reading instruction, and giving guidance on research processes for elementary children.

Review:

Throughout Allison’s time with us, her professionalism and commitment to excellence were evident in every aspect of her work. Allison’s ability to tailor her strategies to meet the unique needs of our students ensured that they received personalized support and guidance, fostering their academic growth and personal development.

Her innovative ideas and creative solutions brought a fresh perspective to our program, inspiring positive change and driving continuous improvement. Allison’s willingness to collaborate with our team, share her insights, and offer guidance was instrumental in achieving our goals and objectives.

She helped us with:

  • Curriculum building and alignment
  • Parent education
  • Frequent meetings with our adolescent team
  • Professional development with our entire staff and faculty
  • Observations of the Elementary program with clear feedback

Furthermore, her professionalism, reliability, and exceptional communication skills made it a pleasure to work with her. Allison’s ability to effectively convey complex concepts and ideas to both students and staff contributed to a positive and enriching learning environment.
(Martha Georgie, Head of School)

Dom Bjelave Primary School

Sarajevo, Bosnia   (April 2023 – Present)

Providing technical Montessori approach and organizational feedback to a new Montessori preschool program embedded in an orphanage.

For several months, the organization Montessori Origins, based in California, conferred with me regularly about the small Montessori preschool they had established within a state children’s home in Sarajevo. We discussed the structure of the program, the staffing challenges, the specific needs and issues of the children, and the important aspects of the Montessori approach that aid children’s recovery from trauma.

One year later, I spent one month on-site to determine the strengths of the program, support the organizational structure and the team, assess the effectiveness and strength of the Montessori program, and explore possibilities for expansion into other locations.

I also supported them with remote support for one month of follow-up after the on-site visit.

Other Teacher Trainings and Workshops Over the Years:

  • Ethiopia – Gave introductory training on Montessori education principles to the elementary teachers at a new school in Addis Ababa. (2007)
  • Lesotho – Introduced Montessori principles, methods and materials to rural preschool teachers. (2008)
  • Bhutan – Offered training to Education Ministry staff on creativity in education. (2012)
  • Nepal – Gave short workshops for teachers on ways to incorporate work with the hands and independence in crowded classrooms in Kathmandu. (2024)