"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire."
- William Butler Yeats
Philosophy, Methodology, Guiding Principles
1. See the Child
I believe the greatest gift in life is to be seen, understood, and valued by others. I watch the children I work with and ask myself, Who are they? What excites them? How do they prefer to learn? What does the world look like through their eyes? I speak about what I appreciate and admire in them.
2. Live to Learn
I have found that children do not need to learn how to learn. Children have absorbent minds, they are expert students, naturally inquisitive. When I work with children I move through the world with them noticing, questioning, describing, imagining and exploring. Our learning is an integral part of their living. They absorb, with me, as we create fantastic adventures at the park, library, duck pond, museum or in our own backyard.
3. Be the Change
Everyone understands that our children will shape the future and change our world. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Children learn more quickly from actions than words. As I work on myself - to be honest, patient, kind, polite, helpful, moral, and peace-seeking, the children in my care naturally emulate these attitudes, behaviors, and values.
4. Let the Child Lead
I was raised in a Montessori family - my father was trained in Bergamo, Italy and worked with his two sisters to build a still-thriving Montessori school. Like him, I believe that children often hold the keys to their own healthy development. By watching them and following their lead, I use their interests, inclinations and impulses as a point of departure for our activities and outings, as a context for the stories I tell, the songs I sing, and the books I choose.
5. Optimism, Perseverance, and Emotional Intelligence: Three Keys to a Happy, Successful Life
In my own investigation about how and why certain individuals succeed more than others, I have identified the above three key factors as paramount to success in relationships, education, career, and the pursuit of a happy, healthy lifestyle. Recent academic studies substantiate the fact that successful presidential candidates, world-renowned artists and clergy, professional athletes, wealthy entrepreneurs, top salespeople, CEOs and winning members of every sector of society typically are optimistic, emotionally intelligent. Independent of IQ or level of intelligence, successful people are those who persevere in the face of obstacles and challenges.
Thus, working with a child's temperament, outlook, or principal areas of intelligence, I:
I believe the greatest gift in life is to be seen, understood, and valued by others. I watch the children I work with and ask myself, Who are they? What excites them? How do they prefer to learn? What does the world look like through their eyes? I speak about what I appreciate and admire in them.
2. Live to Learn
I have found that children do not need to learn how to learn. Children have absorbent minds, they are expert students, naturally inquisitive. When I work with children I move through the world with them noticing, questioning, describing, imagining and exploring. Our learning is an integral part of their living. They absorb, with me, as we create fantastic adventures at the park, library, duck pond, museum or in our own backyard.
3. Be the Change
Everyone understands that our children will shape the future and change our world. Mahatma Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." Children learn more quickly from actions than words. As I work on myself - to be honest, patient, kind, polite, helpful, moral, and peace-seeking, the children in my care naturally emulate these attitudes, behaviors, and values.
4. Let the Child Lead
I was raised in a Montessori family - my father was trained in Bergamo, Italy and worked with his two sisters to build a still-thriving Montessori school. Like him, I believe that children often hold the keys to their own healthy development. By watching them and following their lead, I use their interests, inclinations and impulses as a point of departure for our activities and outings, as a context for the stories I tell, the songs I sing, and the books I choose.
5. Optimism, Perseverance, and Emotional Intelligence: Three Keys to a Happy, Successful Life
In my own investigation about how and why certain individuals succeed more than others, I have identified the above three key factors as paramount to success in relationships, education, career, and the pursuit of a happy, healthy lifestyle. Recent academic studies substantiate the fact that successful presidential candidates, world-renowned artists and clergy, professional athletes, wealthy entrepreneurs, top salespeople, CEOs and winning members of every sector of society typically are optimistic, emotionally intelligent. Independent of IQ or level of intelligence, successful people are those who persevere in the face of obstacles and challenges.
Thus, working with a child's temperament, outlook, or principal areas of intelligence, I:
- Look for and praise instances of perseverance and often tell stories with characters who persevere;
- Make sure my speech and outlook are definitively optimistic; and
- Foster emotional intelligence by teaching empathy, talking about and identifying emotions, and analyzing situations and actions from a range of social and cultural perspectives.