She took a moment from her preparations to answer a few questions about the organization and her Montessori work at the international level. We are an affiliate of AMI and solely represent elementary guides. We produce newsletters for this community three times a year with a focus on providing information and tips for guides in both private and public Montessori schools.
I found my tribe in other Montessori elementary guides. We talked about solving the real problems: how to deal with pencils in the classroom you have no idea! However, I had a lot of contributions to make to the elementary community and to the AMI-EAA board, so they allowed me to create a new board position, Outreach Coordinator.
My role has been to reach out to both the domestic and the international community in the form of training center support for new graduates, organizing registration for our conferences, and improving communication between AMI Global and its affiliates in the US. Through my board position, I have also been asked to work on finding ways to consolidate the four US Affiliates into a cohesive group with better outreach, communication, and effectiveness for the US Montessori community.
It can be isolating to be one of a few teachers in an area doing work that others think is avant-garde, or weird, or simply different. But more importantly, it serves as a place to celebrate the amazing things going on in our classrooms. It serves as a source of hope for me about all the great things going on in the world.
So many countries around the world are embracing Montessori education as we see the positive outcomes of children who are allowed to be independent, to make mistakes, and who are nurtured to be the best selves they can be. There is tremendous growth happening in primary communities. Soon, parents will be chomping at the bit about Montessori elementary, and my work and experience is being sought as a resource for those countries and communities. So, I will be traveling to Amsterdam next month to speak to these societies.
