Beyond Disney

This past weekend Mrs. Iyer, Ms. Hannan, Mrs. Mustard-Scott, and I traveled to warm, sunny Orlando to joined about 2,000 other Montessori teachers from all over the country for the American Montessori Society's 2013 Annual Conference.  Mickey and Minnie were an afterthought once we were immersed in the theme,"Sustaining the Light in Every Child" There was so much to see, hear, and learn--and bring back!!

We learned many things at the workshops, but were also fortunate to hear Dr. Steven Hughes from the Center for Research on Developmental Education talk about ways to support the development of both cognitive capabilities and the areas of executive function.  He places great emphasis on "soft skills'' like self-regulation, social skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in his equation of "success for life," quoting Sir Ken Robinson's The Element,  "children need motivation, passion, and purpose."

Dr. Edward Hallowell, child and adult psychiatrist, bestselling author, and leading authority on ADHD shared his wit and wisdom about helping children realize their full potential by developing a connected life. He stressed the importance of planting memories of love to help children develop optimism, resiliency, and problem solving.

Professional development is a wonderful thing. It's inspiration, information, collaboration, and confirmation!