Register Now!

REGISTRATION CLOSES MIDNIGHT ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2019.

All breakout sessions are approved for:

• 5 CEU's through Xavier University

• 5 CPD hours by the American Montessori Society.

• 5 Clock hours of Pofessional Development in Kentucky

Ohio has approved the Keynote speaker so far, workshops are pending approval

8 - 9 am Conference Registration and Exhibitors Open

9 - 10:30 am Dr. Leonard Sax, Why Gender Matters:

What teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences: with attention to children 3 to 13 years of age

 Recent research has demonstrated hardwired sex differences in vision, in hearing, in language acquisition, and in trajectories of brain development. In this presentation, Dr. Sax explains the relevance these sex differences to best practices for working with girls and boys age 3 through 13 years of age, sharing his experience from visits to more than 400 preschools, kindergartens, and schools over the past 17 years. In addition to reviewing research on differences between  girls and boys, Dr. Sax will also discuss some of the latest findings regarding variations among boys and among girls, with attention to gender-nonconforming children.

 An academic emphasis has infiltrated the pre-K, K, and early elementary curriculum over the past 30 years. Thirty years ago, kindergarten teachers did not expect their students to learn to read and write. Today, literacy and numeracy are emphasized in the kindergarten curriculum of most schools. Dr. Sax will describe how this acceleration of the curriculum has affected instruction for children 3 through 13 years of age, and how it has been harmful to both girls and boys – but harmful in different ways. He will share how other teachers, and parents, have responded to this acceleration. 

Dr. Sax, a physician, psychologist, author and lecturer has spoken on issues of child and adolescent development in the United States and worldwide. His books include Why Gender Matters, Boys Adrift, Girls on the Edge, and The Collapse of Parenting (a New York Times bestseller). Read his full biography at www.leonardsax.com.

10:45-12:30 Session B Workshops

1. Normalization in the First Plane, Lisa Dieso & Crystal Dahlmeier: I/T, 3-6.  What is normalization? How does it present itself during the years birth through age 6? Join us for a deep look into achieving and maintaining normalization in the Early Childhood environment. We will address how we can create an environment that prevents detours and deviations, and how our classroom practice affects the normalization process. A small-group activity and guided reflection will be used to examine classroom practice and set future goals. Lisa M. Dieso, MEd, is the program director for Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education. She has 20 years of experience working in Montessori schools as a classroom teacher, administrator, and consultant. Crystal Dahlmeier, MEd, is an instructor, field consultant, and program director emerita at the Greater Cincinnati Center for Montessori Education, in Covington, KY, and a former AMS Board member.

2. Phonemic Awareness, Carol Woods: 3-6, 6-9. This presentation will cover the importance of Phonemic awareness and how it can enhance children’s reading skills.  Practical applications will be provided as well as the research behind why PA is important. Carol has been a Montessori teacher for over 40 years and is a Fellow in the Academy of Orton Gillingham Practitioners.  Carol has been tutoring dyslexic children for over 15 years and absolutely loves the English language. 

3. Revitalize Your Reading Program and Make It Complete, Nancy Carolyn Whitton: 6-9. Looking for a complete reading program Montessori style? Here it is! My intention is to present a clear, easy, effective and enjoyable approach to reading using hands on activities, suggested workbook pages, sight word activities, beginning readers and contracts. This program is phonics based and sequential. I believe that having appropriate reading materials at your fingertips, for teachers and students, can make a positive difference in reading outcomes. Nancy holds a Bachelor's degree in Education from the University of KY and a M.Ed and AMS 3-6 Credential from Xavier University. Her mission is to use her artistry, insight and deep reverence for life to teach peace. One way she lives this mission is by creating a complete, Montessori style reading program. Her hope is that we not only inspire and support each other in the reading process but that it be highly effective and fun, too. 

4. Refreshing the Math Shelves, Adam Diamond & Laura Opfer: 6-9, 9-12. Let's share the fun of the Elementary Montessori math materials! This workshop will explore not only Montessori math, but also enticing ways to use materials to teach additional Common Core standards. Also, discover how to utilize favorite materials in new ways. Did you know you can use the Stamp Game to discover the square root? Adam Diamond is a lifelong Montessorian. Educated in the Montessori classroom from ages 3-12, Adam returned to the classroom as an Upper Elementary Teacher in 2007 and has been teaching 9-12-year-olds ever since. He currently serves as Elementary Director at Northern Kentucky Montessori Academy. Laura Opfer has been teaching elementary children in the Montessori environment for 18 years. As both a cooperating teacher for interns and  Clinical Faculty/Teaching Professor for the Xavier University Montessori Institute, Laura has played an integral role in the training and development of many Montessori teachers.

5. The Cosmic Curriculum, Claudia Mann: 6-9, 9-12, MS. Montessorians tout achievement of critical thinking through independent engagement, curiosity, and individualized learning. We also, and often, wonder how to manage the huge scope of our curriculum, while assuring rigorous academic achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. How can we be sure that every child leaves our classrooms with all these skills? Using Cosmic Education and hands-on activities, you’ll learn ways to approach the curriculum that assures strong skills and deep thinking. Claudia Mann began her Montessori journey in Cincinnati in 1982 when she enrolled her son at The New School. She has served as an elementary and secondary guide for more than 30 years, trained Montessori teachers, and has founded and lead several Montessori schools. She and her husband Doug are the founders of Fossilicous.com, an earth science materials company that grew out of their many materials produced for the study of Montessori Cosmic Education. In addition to the work with Cosmic Education and Fossilicious, the Manns' parent company of CND Enterprises, LLC now includes a group of consultants working to promote quality Montessori schools through consultation, education, and promotion services.

6. Language, Peace Education, and Practical Life, Iana Phillips: All. The relationship between the three groups of people (parents, students, and teachers) who contribute to the classroom environment is best fostered when a foundation of Montessori philosophy and practice are encouraged. Through diverse incorporation of the fundamentals of language, peace education, and practical life participants can learn to establish, develop, and continue to enhance the relationship among parents, students, and teachers. The components of peace education, language, and practical life are suited for exploration and use within many learning groups; therefore applying them to manage and strengthen relationships is vital to all educational environments. An AMS credentialed Elementary I and II teacher of nine years, Iana has worked in multiple Montessori environments and models. She has served students in the classroom and works with future Montessorians, as an instructor at the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies in Silver Spring, MD. Iana is currently employed at the Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) Public Charter school in Washington, D.C., as a lower elementary teacher. She holds degrees in History from Mary Baldwin College and New Mexico State University, a Master’s degree in Teaching from Trinity Washington University. Iana is a humble Montessori parent, supportive consultant, enthusiastic learner, and proud Montessorian of Colour.

7. School Leadership as a Self-Correcting Work, Charis Sharp: Administrators. For many of us, good Montessori school leadership is like that other thing that’s hard to define, but, “We know it when we see it.” Let’s look at it another way. The school can tell us if we are doing well, we just need to know what to examine. Come and explore the elements that provide the control of error in running a school so that you can better articulate your own success and challenges Dr. Sharp is a Montessori consultant with expertise in school administration, organization development, and instructional evaluation and improvement. She holds degrees in teaching, leadership, and organizational change. She currently serves on AMS and MACTE accreditation teams and as the board chair for the Montessori Public Policy Initiative, a collaboration between AMI/USA and AMS.

8. Wildflower 101, Empowering Montessori Teachers to be Leaders, Whitney Harrell & Clare Gervasi: All. Magnolia Montessori will share the vision and accomplishments of the Wildflower network featuring information about our Wildflower school and regional Wildflower schools in Ft. Wayne, Cincinnati, Asheville, Louisville, and Indianapolis. Learn how innovative, equity-minded, Montessori teachers with an entrepreneurial spirit are starting and leading small-scale Montessori schools. We are a network of micro-schools that serve racially and socioeconomically diverse communities. Come hear about Wildflower's nine principles including: Authentic Montessori Implementation, Teacher-Led, Shop-Front, Innovation, Blurring the Boundaries of Home and School, Equity, Beauty, Nature, and Autonomy with Support.Whitney holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from Naropa Unversity, state teaching credentials in Early Childhood Education, Special Education, and K-12 art from University of Colorado, Denver. She earned a birth - 3 credential from the North American Montessori Center as well as an AMI Assistants to Infancy credential from The Montessori Institute in Denver. She earned her M.A. Ed. in Montessori Education from Loyola University, Maryland, with her central studies on Special Education in Early Childhood.  She has 9 years experience with with infants and toddlers. Clare holds a master's degree in Spanish, and a B.A. in Spanish and Cultural Anthropology, with an academic background in cultural anthropoology, linguistics, and Spanish. In addition to 2 years of Montessori teaching, other professional experiences include: over 10 years of service as a DONA-trained birth doula; a Children's Services library assistant at the Louisville Free Public Library; research and advocacy for gender and sexual minorities as part of TSTAR; and six years of Spanish teaching at the University of Louisville and other area colleges.

12:30 - 1:45 Lunch and Shopping

A box lunch will be served on the Conference Level with plenty of comfortable seating areas to relax, enjoy your meal, and network with Montessori colleagues! While a vegetarian option is available, we are not able to accommodate other dietary needs and allergies.

Exhibitors are open during this time and are looking forward to sharing their beautiful resources with you - have fun shopping!

1:45 – 3:30 Session C Workshops

1. Crafting Your Classroom, Leah Walsh: 3-6. Handwork has been linked to stress relief, building confidence, better patience, and stronger problem solving. These are skills that we educators NEED! Come be inspired to create beautiful handmade works for your Children’s House classroom and learn about the added benefits of doing so. You will leave this workshop with ideas for specific projects and techniques to start creating for your classroom and for your well-being. Leah Walsh is the owner and head teacher of Bluebird Montessori in Delmar, NY. She holds her AMS certification from Northeast Montessori Institute and studied Dance and Design as an undergrad at Bennington College. Leah shares her teaching journey on Instagram @craftingyourclassroom and @bluebirdmontessori

2. Go Be Kind: Our Kindness Revolution, Krystal Perkins: 3-6, 6-9, 9-12. Come learn the anatomy of kindness, the history of our revolution, and immediate strategies to bring back to your own school. Be inspired by campus-wide systems such as Kindness Diaries, Acknowledgements, Brigade leaders to spread kindness on campus, a positive twist on behavior intervention through Kindness Ambassadors, a campus pledge, and more! Through case study review, participant self-reflection, and an interactive discussion of promising practices, leave prepared to join our revolution... or start your own! Wife, mother of six, and public school administrator, Krystal Perkins is an avid supporter of public Montessori education. With a BA in Psychology, a Master's in Education, and 19 years of experience in Montessori, she has spent the last 7 years as the Magnet Coordinator for Wilson Montessori, a public Montessori in Houston ISD serving over 600 students from Pre-K through 8th grade. She seeks to inspire every educator to be the hope ONE child needs to surmount any obstacle that stands in the way. Save one, then save another.

3. Come Play with Us! Cooperative Games for the Classroom, Hutchinson-Smyth & Tracy-Kaliski, 3-6, 6-9. Donna and Beth work together at Xavier University’s Montessori Lab School, their goal is to create “inclusive" communities. Cooperative games are fun ways to learn this perspective of community, not to mention, many life skills such as the value of participation, the joy of effort, cooperation, communication, sharing, and teamwork. In this workshop, teachers have the opportunity to ensure that the movement education that they provide in their schools is fun and inclusive regardless of age, size, or ability level. Too often children are put into a “win or lose” situation with discouraged children at the end. Our goal is to change the way educators approach playing in our shared efforts to establish cooperation and peace in all communities. Donna is currently an Early Childhood Head Teacher at XUMLS and a Teaching Professor of Xavier University Montessori Institute. Beth has been a Montessori teacher for over 30 years and has her initial and advanced Orton Gillingham training. She has presented at national and regional conferences as well as doing individual professional development for organizations. She is currently a Teaching Professor at Xavier University Montessori Institute and a Head Teacher at XUMLS.

4. How to Establish Positive, Collaborative Relationships with Families in the Montessori Classroom, Lindsey Miller: 3-6, 6-9, 9-12. Classroom teachers often need to engage in conversations with parents/caregivers about a child’s academic and behavioral needs. Children come to school with a wide variety of academic needs and behavioral challenges. Addressing these needs can be difficult, but can be done in a way that is respectful and productive. This presentation addresses ways to communicate difficult information while maintaining a positive relationship with the family and child. Lindsey Miller, M.Ed., is a teacher at Columbus Montessori Elementary Center. She earned her Master’s in Montessori Education from Xavier University; while at Xavier, she interned at the Xavier University Montessori Lab School in the 6-9 classroom. She has 14 years of teaching experience at the 3-6 and 6-9 levels. In her spare time, she owns and operates www.montessorimentor.org, a blog and materials website that is designed to connect teachers and families to better support the children they serve.

5. Strategies and Structures for Effective Teaming Practices, Krista Taylor: 6-9, 9-12, MS, Administration. Teaming requires time, effort, risk of error, vulnerability, and structures to support effective work. Every member of a team carries responsibility for the functioning of the whole. Whatever your role or position, you can help lead your team to be more nurturing, effective, and joyful than you ever imagined. Your skills, strengths, and perspective can be heightened through specific exercises and tools that will be provided in this session. Krista is the author of the book "Angels and Superheroes: Compassionate Educators in an Era of School Accountability," and has taught middle school language arts and math at Gamble Montessori high school for the past 9 years. Krista has served as a Lead Teacher and a Team Leader for 7 years, and as Positive School Culture Committee Chair and Montessori Committee Chair for 6 and 3 years respectively. She has developed and led a wide-range of professional development programs for the Gamble staff and is an instructor and field consultant for the Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teachers Education Program.  

6. Materials for a Secondary Setting, Tori Pinciotti & Erica Eicholz: MS. Adolescent learners can benefit from didactic materials to grasp concepts. You will gain the skills and confidence to develop materials for a spiral curriculum that builds upon the established materials and curricula of the Elementary levels. You will explore how the use of hands-on materials links to the development of the adolescent and the 3-period lesson. We hope to empower you to incorporate concrete learning experiences for your students in preparation for abstract learning. Tori has taught previously at Princeton Montessori School in Princeton New Jersey, as well at Gamble Montessori Jr. High School. She currently is the Head Teacher at Xavier University Montessori Lab School where she founded the program this past fall. She enjoys creating a rich curriculum using materials in a new way, creating community in classrooms and integrating arts in cultural and language courses. Tori also teaches for CMStep training program in the summers for the Curriculum Development course. Since 2012, Erika has taught 7th-8th grade for Montessori School of Westfield.  Previously she taught Upper Elementary (2005-2012) and Lower Elementary (2001-2005). Erika's strength is in her ability to entice students to look at materials in a new way while moving to abstraction. Erika also teaches for CMStep training program in the summers for the Curriculum Development course.

7. A Pathway to Peace - How Grace and Courtesy is More than Good Manners, Yvonne Froehlich: All. The Montessori pedagogy is, at its core, an education for peace. It is a social movement. Inherent in the pedagogy is the belief that the child is an agent for social change. Our framework for social change is through the lessons of Grace and Courtesy. Yvonne Froehlich, holds a BA in English and History from Anglia Ruskin University (UK), M.Ed from Loyola University, MD, and her 6-12 Montessori Certification. She has 12 years of teaching experience at the 6-12 level and is currently an Elementary Guide at the Montessori School of Dayton.

8. Filling in the Gaps, Anya Bartlett: 6-9, 9-12. How do we ensure students are exposed to areas not specifically addressed in the traditional Montessori curriculum while staying true to the Montessori philosophy and pedagogy? This workshop will break-down the Montessori Elementary curriculum, uncovering areas of need, and highlighting gaps in content. We will discuss ways to enhance your syllabus the essential elements of manipulative materials, auto education, and materialized abstraction will be discussed. Examples of materials and fully-formed lesson plans will be provided. Anya Bartlett spent 8 years as Lead Montessori Elementary teacher before transitioning into an administrative role as Head of School for another five years. Anya now resides in Glen Dale, Maryland where she has worked for the last four year as an Instructor, Practicum Advisor and Field Consultant with The Center for Guided Montessori Studies and serves on the board of Montessori Schools of Maryland. She received her Montessori certifications through Pan American Montessori Society and The International Montessori Council. As a former Montessori student herself she has had the opportunity to experience and learn about Montessori from all perspectives, as student, teacher, administrator, teacher trainer and parent of two Montessori children.

Register Now! 

Show your Montessori spirit - and humor - with the Cincinnati Montessori Society T-Shirt!  

   With "Cincinnati Montessori Society, EST. 1963" printed on the front, and "Montessori Teachers Do It On the Floor" on the back of this Sport Grey Gildan Ultra Cotton 100% Cotton T-Shirt, this shirt is bound to get some attention!

Only available through Pre-order when registering for the conference. T-shirts are non-refundable and non-exchangable. Please choose your size carefully.

Click Here to view the Ladies' Size Chart.  

Click Here to view the Men's Size Chart.