Casting the Light, and Moving on
August 6, 2025As I step back into my role as Head of School at Baan Dek, I'm filled with both deep gratitude and quiet determination. In many ways, this return feels less like a "comeback" and more →
Non-Toy Gift Guide
November 20, 2023It's a pretty celebratory time of year! Around the world, religious and secular, national and intimate, there are so many reasons to celebrate. Children are often recipients of gifts, sometimes because it's a special occasion →
Montessori Rewards
March 29, 2023Baan Dek · Episode 130 - Montessori Rewards Montessori is known for encouraging intrinsic motivation, rather than external rewards. Studies have shown that external rewards decrease motivation -- if I can get a sticker or →
Setting Children Up For Success
March 14, 2023 Baan Dek · Episode 129 - Setting Children Up For Success There’s a scene from the show Schitt’s Creek that, if you’re familiar with the show, you’ll know from the following four words: fold →
Magic Words
November 21, 2022Baan Dek · Episode 128 - Magic Words Words are magic. Toddlers learn that when you combine sounds or gestures in a particular order, adults love it and you get what you want. We’re actually →
“What Did You Do Today?”
November 15, 2022 Baan Dek · Episode 127 - "What Did You Do Today?" “What did you do today?” This question has been asked by generations of adults at the end of their child’s day, and the →
Speaking For Children
September 28, 2022Baan Dek · Episode 126 - Speaking For Children As I’m writing this, there’s a baby fussing and I asked his mom, “does he know what he wants?” to which she replied, “no he has →
Toileting Doesn’t Have to be Tough
September 22, 2022Baan Dek · Episode 125 - Toileting Doesn't Have to be Tough Toileting doesn’t have to be tough. Any new experience is a learning process, sure, but there can be a monster-in-the-closet sense around toileting. →
Challenge is Essential
September 15, 2022Baan Dek · Episode 124 - Challenge is Essential If you’ve ever peeked into a Montessori classroom, you’ll see children working at various levels of intensity individually and in small groups. You’ll see children concentrating, →
Reactive to Responsive to Proactive
September 13, 2022 Baan Dek · Episode 123 - Reactive to Responsive to Proactive Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “respond rather than react.” There’s a lot of work being done in childcare, parenting, education, and other child-advocacy →
Montessori & The Olympics
January 21, 2022Baan Dek · Episode 122 - Montessori & The Olympics The Olympics are coming up, which is one of the few sporting events I watch. I look forward to them, have them set to record, →
Tearful Drop Offs
September 23, 2021Baan Dek · Episode 121 -- Tearful Drop Offs We’re a few weeks into the start of the school year, and the little moments of “I don’t want to go to school,” or tears at →
Approaching Challenges
March 1, 2021For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 120 - Approaching Challenges Isn’t it wonderful that we’ll experience challenges? Birth is a challenge. Whether you got here →
Asking Children for Consent, Permission, Their Opinion
February 1, 2021For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 119 - Asking Children for Consent, Permission, Their Opinion If you’ve known about Montessori for more than about three →
This Year Is Different
September 11, 2020For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 118 - This Year Is Different The start of the school year is always a bit bittersweet. Every →
What a Difference a Year Makes
August 31, 2020For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes Baan Dek · Episode 117 - What a Difference a Year Makes What a difference a year makes. This is the start of →
Interview with All Things Montessori
July 9, 2020This episode is an interview with Rachel and Jamie from the All Things Montessori Podcast Baan Dek · Episode 116 - Interview with All Things Montessori Instagram: @allthingsmontessori Twitter: @allthingsmonti Our theme music is by →
Spotlight All-Day Primary
June 22, 2020This interview is with Myesha Green, an educator at Arbor Montessori School and the genius behind All-Day Primary Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Your background, your interests, your dreams? Hello! My →
Montessori Dictionary: Maximum Effort
June 11, 2020You know that old joke, “Who’s on First?” If you don’t know, I’ll give you a second to google it. Surely you can come up with an example or two of your own in this →
Do As I Do
June 4, 2020For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 114 - Do As I Do The original title of this post was “how to get your child to →
The Benefits of Process Art
May 28, 2020For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. Baan Dek · Episode 113 - The Benefits of Process Art Handprints, circles with eyes and long long legs, scribbles and blobs with →
How much SHOULD I be doing at home?
April 22, 2020These days, life looks different, doesn’t it? Many of us are working and learning from home, and even those of us who are essential workers are coming to a very different workspace each day. It’s →
Things That Are Totally Montessori
March 20, 2020For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. It’s easy to think Montessori is a place, or a philosophy, or a set of materials. Montessori is a way of interacting with →
Things We Now Have Time For
March 19, 2020For a podcast of this post, listen here or subscribe on iTunes. In the midst of a crisis, or a setback, or a global pandemic, as we’re experiencing right now, it often helps to “look →
