My Montessori Life with Barbara Isaacs and David Gettman

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of drama, Barbara and David consider how dramatic role-play, which all young children naturally engage in, fits with Montessori’s ideas. While Montessori didn’t address drama per se, she did identify social relations as a Sensitive Period from ages two to five. And she did encourage practical social skills, interpersonal communications, grace and courtesy, and conflict resolution in the classroom — all of which help the child to navigate their social environment. But Montessori did not explicitly address role-playing as a learning activity, and she did not explain how the Absorbent Mind constructs an understanding of social relations. As a result, Montessori practitioners often go out of their way to suppress natural role-playing, especially where it tends towards pretend play, since Montessori emphasised ‘real life’ over fantasy. Practitioners also worry that social role-play might interfere with a child’s concentration on independent learning.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of motherhood, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Sabine Leitner, who trained as a musician in her native Austria, opened a music school and puppet theatre for young children in Vienna, and then changed careers, earning an MA in Philosophy and another MA in Psychosynthesis, which is a form of therapy she now practices in London; and Roxana Haloiu, a qualified and experienced Montessori practitioner, and mother of baby Theo. To combine the two vocations, she also now runs a Montessori-inspired playgroup for her north London community.

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of motherhood, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Roxana Haloiu, a qualified and experienced Montessori practitioner, and mother of baby Theo. To combine the two vocations, she also now runs a Montessori-inspired playgroup for her north London community; and Sabine Leitner, who trained as a musician in her native Austria, opened a music school and puppet theatre for young children in Vienna, and then changed careers, earning an MA in Philosophy and another MA in Psychosynthesis, which is a form of therapy she now practices in London.

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of motherhood, Barbara and David look at Maria Montessori’s view of the role of the mother in child development. Maria was a mother herself, but in difficult circumstances. She was one of the first women in Italy to qualify as a doctor. As she specialised in paediatrics, Maria was appointed co-director of a training institute in Rome for professionals working with mentally-disabled children. She and the institute’s other director, another young doctor called Giuseppe Montesano, happened to fall in love and have a baby together. Because Giuseppe’s high-born family would not allow them to marry, Maria had to give up the baby, named Mario, to the father’s family for them to raise. So Maria Montessori’s motherhood was a secret, even to her son, until they re-united when Mario was much older. Some think this experience of ‘motherhood denied’ may have influenced Maria Montessori’s decision to dedicate her life’s work to children.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of nature, Barbara and David are joined by three guests: Nicola Davies, who trained as a biologist, was an original presenter on the BBC’s The Really Wild Show, and is the acclaimed author of over 80 illustrated children’s books on animals, habitats, ecology and the sea; and Jonathan Preston, Conservation Manager for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, one a series of such posts he has held across the country over three decades, with current responsibility for wildlife conservation at 30 different sites in Norfolk. Nicola, as such a prolific children’s author, what effect do you hope your books have on children and the wider community?

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of nature, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Jonathan Preston, Conservation Manager for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, one a series of such posts he has held across the country over three decades, with current responsibility for wildlife conservation at 30 different sites in Norfolk; and Nicola Davies, who trained as a biologist, was an original presenter on the BBC’s The Really Wild Show, and is the acclaimed author of over 80 illustrated children’s books on animals, habitats, ecology and the sea. Jonathan, to begin, please can you introduce us to what nature conservation is for, and broadly how it’s done?

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of nature, Barbara and David explore Maria Montessori’s advocacy of all things natural. Montessori believed that modern children, who are effectively imprisoned in our urban, degenerate, artificial lifestyles, should be reconnected with Nature at large. By this she meant not just flower gardens, petting zoos, and parks with sandpits — but wild, scary and uncomfortable Nature, wet, windswept, scorched and frozen, ‘red in tooth and claw’. This reconnection with real Nature, she believed, frees the child’s expansive spirit, slows life to the pace of the seasons, engenders respect for all living things, and releases the child’s inner strength to thrive in adversity.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of activism, Barbara and David are joined by three guests: Blue Sandford, who is still only 18, but is already well known as a founding ‘youth’ member of Extinction Rebellion, a best-selling author, and a literally-underground protestor against over-development; Merlin Matthews, a lifelong activist and social entrepreneur, whose reputation as ‘Dr Bike’ at the London School of Economics grew into a pioneering inter-sectional charity called Re-Cycle; and Wendelien Bellinger, a seasoned Montessorian, academic lecturer, and now Board Member at Montessori Europe.

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of activism, Barbara and David are joined by three guests: Merlin Matthews, a lifelong activist and social entrepreneur, whose reputation as ‘Dr Bike’ at the London School of Economics grew into a pioneering inter-sectional charity called Re-Cycle, addressing both ecology and poverty; Blue Sandford, who is still only 18, but is already well known as a founding ‘youth’ member of Extinction Rebellion, a best-selling author, and a literally-underground protestor against over-development; and Wendelien Bellinger, a seasoned Montessorian, academic lecturer, and now Board Member at Montessori Europe.

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of activism, Barbara and David discuss Maria Montessori’s role as an activist — a leader who speaks up and disrupts the status quo to push forward urgent social change. Her best-known activist cause was about protecting the well-being of children. But she also catalysed advances towards women’s rights, world peace, nature conservation, and many other matters of social conscience. While remaining firmly apolitical, Montessori was far ahead of other educationalists in not only standing up to the established order, but also in creating a new, far-reaching alternative way forward — whose mission is to educate the human spirit.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of creativity, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Ambra Medda, a global expert in art and design, founder of the Design Miami fair, advisor to Christie’s, and much-in-demand as a curator of exhibitions; and Sophie Pretorius, art historian, and researcher and archivist for The Estate of Francis Bacon, one of the most important figures in 20th Century art.

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of creativity, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Sophie Pretorius, art historian, and researcher and archivist for The Estate of Francis Bacon, one of the most important figures in 20th Century art; and Ambra Medda, a global expert in art and design, founder of the Design Miami fair, advisor to the auction house Christie’s, and much-in-demand as a curator of exhibitions.

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of creativity, Barbara and David discuss Maria Montessori’s unique take on children and art. She did not focus on children’s naïve attempts at painting, colouring and Play-Doh, as is usually practised at nurseries. Instead she facilitated the young child’s desire to acquire grown-up skills — for example, seeing subtle differences in colours and shapes, and handling proper tools and materials — and she supported the child generally in discovering his or her authentic self. Montessori believed that together these early advances would foster, in due course, the child’s real creative potential.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of equality, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Zainab Shamis-Saleem, founder of ‘The Montessori Studio’, a consultancy that aims to make Montessori more accessible to those who see it as elitist and “not for people like us”. Much of her work addresses issues of diversity and representation. We also welcome back Liz Pemberton, director of ‘The Black Nursery Manager’, a company that offers training and consultancy on anti-racist practice in early years settings. Liz has become a leading media spokesperson on race, culture, ethnicity and inclusivity for under-fives.

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of equality, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Liz Pemberton, director of ‘The Black Nursery Manager’, a company that offers training and consultancy on anti-racist practice in early years settings. Liz has become a leading media spokesperson on race, culture, ethnicity and inclusivity for under-fives. We also welcome Zainab Shamis-Saleem, founder of The Montessori Studio, a consultancy that aims to make Montessori more accessible to those who see it as elitist and “not for people like us”. Much of her work addresses issues of diversity and representation.

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of equality, Barbara and David discuss Dr Montessori’s moral mission to bring autonomy and human dignity to every individual, starting with the very youngest in society, who hitherto had no advocate against, and no protection from, the manipulation and expectations of the adults around them.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of peace … Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Charlie Cavaliero, a young researcher on peace education and social justice, specifically in the favela communities in Brazil, who also has field experience in aid for victims of atrocities; and Hannah Baynham, a leading Montessori trainer and author, who has run nurseries for Tibetan refugees in India and for low-income families in Turkey.

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of peace, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Hannah Baynham, a leading Montessori trainer and author, who has set-up nurseries for Tibetan refugees in India and for low-income families in Turkey; and Charlie Cavaliero, a young researcher on peace education and social justice, specifically in the favela communities in Brazil, who also has field experience in aid for victims of atrocities.

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of peace, Barbara and David reflect on how Dr Montessori came to view her educational philosophy as having a key role to play in peace-making, and how her method actively fosters a collaborative, tolerant, environmentally-conscious mind-set in young children.

In this third of three podcasts on the theme of feminism, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Adelaide Waldrop, a young contemporary feminist working in the arts and co-founder of Maude, a feminist theatre company, and Sid Mohandas, whose doctoral thesis explores the materialisation of gender in learning environments.

In this second of three podcasts on the theme of feminism, Barbara and David are joined by two guests: Sid Mohandas, whose doctoral thesis explores the materialisation of gender in learning environments, and Adelaide Waldrop, a young contemporary feminist working in the arts, and co-founder of Maude, a feminist theatre company.

In this first of three podcasts on the theme of feminism, Barbara and David reflect on how Dr Montessori helped pioneer first-wave feminism in the early 20th Century, and how feminist ideals are realised in her educational method.