The Center for Guided Montessori Studies

Professional Development: Elementary Level
2021-10-11, 2021-09-13, 2021-08-09, 2021-07-12
After much anticipation, CGMS has launched our new Elementary Fundamentals professional development course. This 10 week program is designed to introduce the wonders of Montessori at the elementary level to assistant teachers, support staff, and Montessori administrators who are new to Montessori or Montessori for the elementary years.
Topics will include:

Key Montessori principles
Classroom leadership for elementary classrooms
Classroom roles and supporting the work of the elementary child
Positive Discipline
An introduction to the Montessori Elementary Curriculum for children 6-12 with a focus on the Cosmic Curriculum as the heart of the classroom.

Those who complete the entire 10 weeks and all assignments will be awarded a CGMS Professional Development Certificate.

Virtual Information Session: Leadership Program
2021-10-07 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-09-23 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
This Leadership Virtual Question and Answer Session is designed for those interested in the School Leadership Certification Program and is hosted by our Director of Education, Kitty Bravo and Leadership Course Director, Martha Carver! During this information session, you will learn about the training program for school administrators, which is designed to give school heads everything they need to manage successful, authentic, and long-lived Montessori schools. As with our other programs, the Leadership Credential is a blend of the best of online learning with a single, short on-site residency.
The Leadership program is taught by leading Montessorians with decades of experience in Montessori school administration, teaching, finance, marketing, community building, and more. For more information on the leadership faculty, click here.
This session will take place on our Zoom video conference platform. Email info@cgms.edu for a reservation and the link, or save the link: https://zoom.us/j/4227351717

Virtual Information Session: Certification Programs
2021-10-05 20:00 - 21:00, 2021-09-28 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-09-21 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-09-14 20:00 - 21:00, 2021-08-24 13:00 - 14:00, 2021-08-10 20:00 - 21:00
Want to learn more about how CGMS teacher certification programs work? Join us for a Virtual Information Session about our CGMS Teacher Education Programs.
Find out about:

How our interactive online course structure provides more opportunity for reflection and deep discussion of Montessori theory and practice.
The advantage of continual online study during the practicum phase, enabling learners to observe and practice course topics and lessons as they learn them and then get quick feedback from instructors and fellow learners in weekly live video classes.
Our commitment to continuous support for adult learners and schools to assure success.
Our unique approach to our residential seminars with an emphasis on providing a Montessori Experience for adult learners and preparing them for their practicum classrooms.

This will take place on our Zoom video conference platform. Email info@cgms.edu for a reservation and the link or save the link: https://zoom.us/j/4227351717

Kick it Up a Notch-Extending the Cosmic Curriculum
2021-09-28 19:00 - 20:30
This webinar will present a different and exciting approach to extension works that will ignite your Cosmic curriculum. Come and be inspired to engage your elementary students in meaningful extension work to the Cosmic Curriculum based on their own interests and passions. Students will enhance their critical thinking skills by applying the concepts learned in each lesson and connecting them to all areas in the classroom. Learn how to integrate Bloom’s Taxonomy and Depth of Knowledge to the Cosmic Curriculum.
Jorge Haro was born in Zargoza, Spain and graduated with Bachelor’s of Arts in Economy and Sociology. I worked in market research for 10 years directing my own company and participating as a guest teacher in several colleges in Madrid, Spain.
General registration, $45, one session, please enroll here: General Registration
CGMS Alumni and Faculty, $35, one session, please enroll here: CGMS Registration

Starting the School Year by Fine-Tuning the Delicate Dance of a Montessori Teaching Team- Choreographing an Effective and Empowering Partnership
2021-09-21 19:00 - 20:30
Begin your year by developing a cohesive and resilient teaching team. Effective teams exhibit certain partnership behaviors that are the underpinnings of their success. Foundational to everything is trust, respect, and empowerment. Team members feel heard and appreciated. There are ample opportunities for professional growth and making contributions to the children’s learning experience. It is the role of the Montessori Guide to create a prepared environment of inquiry, learning, and support for their classroom team. How this can be accomplished on a daily basis, through guided observation, guided practice, guided experimentation, and supportive feedback will be the focus of this workshop.
Jonathan Wolff is a Montessori school consultant, leadership coach, teacher educator, and author, who brings to his work 40 years of experience in Montessori education as a classroom teacher and school administrator.
He is the author of numerous educational publications, including, The Self-Awakened Child – Character Education Program.
Jonathan holds a Bachelor of Science in Secondary English Education from Temple University and a certification as a Primary guide from the Association Montessori Internationale. He studied with Mother Isabelle Eugenie, an early student of Maria Montessori.
General registration, $45, one session, please enroll here: General Registration
CGMS Alumni and Faculty, $35, one session, please enroll here: CGMS Registration

Have a Quick and Easy Science Lesson to Implement at the Beginning of School
2021-09-14 19:00 - 20:30
Learn how to create a scientific notebook, include an activity outside, start collaborative work, and implement guided inquiry. Perfect alongside the Great Lessons.
Jackie Grundberg holds a Montessori EL I-II AMS credential with 11 years of Montessori classroom experience and 23 years in the education field. She earned her Bachelor’s in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a Masters of Ed in Instructional Technology. Her teaching credentials from Washington and Maryland are at the secondary biology and middle level. Since 2018, she has worked with CGMS as an Instructional Guide, Field Consultant, and Practicum Advisor.
Prior to her teaching career, she worked as a wildlife biologist in Colorado, New York, Cameroon, and Kenya. She is the creator of Backpack Sciences©, a monthly Montessori science curriculum membership to help elementary educators implement ready-to-go, hands-on, inquiry-based science lessons. Backpack Sciences© combine her experience as a wildlife biologist, Montessori classroom teacher, and teacher educator all in one place.

General registration, $65, one session, please enroll here: General Registration
CGMS Alumni and Faculty, $45, one session, please enroll here: CGMS Registration

Professional Development: Infant-Toddler Level
2021-09-13, 2021-08-09, 2021-07-12
Montessori Beginnings is an introduction to supporting development during the earliest years of life. This course will provide information that can be useful to assistants, administrators, parents, and anyone interested in learning about how to apply Montessori philosophy, principles, and practices to caring for the youngest members of our human family.
Topics will include:

Montessori Principles and Practices at the Infant Toddler Level
Caregiving the Montessori way
Child is the Curriculum
The Importance of Responsive Care (Empathetic Gestures and Nonverbal Communication)
Supporting Transitions
Creating Healthy Rhythms and Routines
Matching the Timeline of Development with Environmental Design and Supports
Preparing Ourselves to Work With Young Children
Being Part of a Montessori Faculty

Those who complete the entire 10 weeks and all assignments will be awarded a CGMS Professional Development Certificate.
To register for a course, please download our application file and email it to us. For questions about our professional development program, or to inquire about group discounts, please contact us.

Professional Development: Early Childhood Level
2021-09-13, 2021-08-09, 2021-07-12
This program is designed for Montessori assistants, volunteers, substitutes and support staff, plus it makes a reinvigorating refresher for an experienced certified teacher. Combining our extremely popular Classroom Leadership course with our new Early Childhood Overview course, the combined 10 week course includes:

An introduction to Montessori philosophy and key concepts
Qualities of the Prepared Environment
How to start the school year
Positive discipline
Classroom roles
An introduction to each Early Childhood curriculum area (Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Math, Cultural and Science) with video lectures about the purpose of the area, best practices, and many lesson videos

Course content includes: an introduction to Montessori key philosophical concepts, classroom roles and working in partnership with co-workers, designing and maintaining the prepared environment, establishing daily routines, lesson strategies, as well as techniques for positive discipline and problem solving in implementing effective classroom strategies. This course primarily focuses on 3-6 classrooms, but many of the topics relate to all age groups.
Those who complete the entire 10 weeks and all assignments will be awarded a CGMS Professional Development Certificate.

Virtual Information Session: Secondary (12-18) Program
2021-09-09 20:00 - 21:00
Interested in the Secondary I-II Certification Program?
Becoming a Montessori Secondary Guide is a transformation, not just a certification. It means you are on a Montessori journey, an ongoing voyage where you are ever-growing as a practicing Montessori Secondary Guide. CGMS invites you to take this journey with us.
This session is specifically for those interested in the Secondary Certification Program and will take place on our Zoom video conference platform.
Email info@cgms.edu for a reservation and the link or save the link: https://zoom.us/j/4227351717

¿Porqué la Vida Práctica es tan importante para el niño de 18 meses a 3 años? (Parte 2/2)
2021-08-24 19:30 - 21:00
CGMS ofrece un seminario virtual en 2 partes, sobre la importancia del área de Vida Práctica para los niños de 18 meses a 3 años de edad. Hablaremos de las principales lecciones que se presentan, el objetivo de cada lección y cómo presentarlas.
¿Qué vas a aprender?
– Entenderás la importancia del área de Vida Práctica para la los 18 meses – 3 años
– Aprenderás las principales lecciones de Vida Práctica que se presentan, con sugerencias para adaptaciones
– Sabrás identificar el objetivo de cada lección, como prepararla y presentarla
– Descubrirás para cuáles actividades está preparado el niño
– Te mostraremos varios tips para preparar un ambiente de vida práctica

El costo para estudiantes nuevos es de $85, registrese aqui.
El costo para estudiantes existentes es de $65, registrese aqui.
Te invitamos a participar el 23 y 24 de agosto a las 7:30 pm horario del Este.

¿Porqué la Vida Práctica es tan importante para el niño de 18 meses a 3 años? (Parte 1/2)
2021-08-23 19:30 - 21:00

Educación para la vida: Apoyando el desarrollo natural del niño (Parte 2/2)
2021-08-18 19:30 - 21:00
Un seminario virtual en dos partes, 17 y 18 de agosto, a las 7:30 p.m. hora del Este.

Hablaremos sobre la importancia del adulto en el proceso de adaptación del niño de 3 a 6 años de edad, reconociendo su potencial en su auto-formación.
Consideraremos la necesidad de expandir nuestros conceptos habituales sobre la educación del niño.
Aprenderemos cómo asistir al niño extendiendo nuestra capacidad para establecer las condiciones apropiadas que necesita para su desarrollo.
Nos enfocaremos en una visión holística del rol del adulto.

Presentados por María A. García y Rosario Toward. Guías Montessori con más de 40 años de experiencia.
Para mayor información comúnicate a: espanol@cgms.edu

Educación para la vida: Apoyando el desarrollo natural del niño (Parte 1/2)
2021-08-17 19:30 - 21:00
Un seminario virtual en dos partes, 17 y 18 de agosto, a las 7:30 p.m. hora del Este.

Hablaremos sobre la importancia del adulto en el proceso de adaptación del niño de 3 a 6 años de edad, reconociendo su potencial en su auto-formación.
Consideraremos la necesidad de expandir nuestros conceptos habituales sobre la educación del niño.
Aprenderemos cómo asistir al niño extendiendo nuestra capacidad para establecer las condiciones apropiadas que necesita para su desarrollo.
Nos enfocaremos en una visión holística del rol del adulto.

Presentados por María A. García y Rosario Toward. Guías Montessori con más de 40 años de experiencia.
El costo para estudiantes nuevos es de $85, regístrese:
https://forms.guidedstudies.com/mseldin/form/EducacinparalaVidaApoyandoelDesarrolloNaturaldeNio/formperma/F_7wHBFzSOExMQJuvEjTtMBLef_ZJNwlHLdikWp8aXs
El costo para estudiantes existentes es de $65, regístrese:
https://forms.guidedstudies.com/mseldin/form/EducacinparalaVidaApoyandoelDesarrolloNaturaldeNio1/formperma/HiZJ6tEl68JSOvjcjokBCP_J5uciyNGpwCj_0p-ApJw
Para mayor información comúnicate a: espanol@cgms.edu

Professional Development: Special Needs
2021-08-09
Most of us have asked and been asked this question many times: Is Montessori for every child? In this 5 week course we will explore that topic while we look at practical ideas for how to adapt to, and meet the needs of children with challenges. The course will survey a variety of issues in special education including emotional and behavioral, academic, developmental, speech and language challenges, and children with multiple concerns. Video lectures and discussion forums will explore characteristics of children with learning differences with an emphasis on how to more effectively guide them to success. Topics also include school policies to address issues of children with special needs, communicating with parents, and working in partnership with specialists.
Participants will receive two manuals, one on Supporting Children with Special Needs in the Montessori Environment and another focusing on Movement and Motor Development. This manual is filled with activities to help active children with attention and motor challenges. Many of the ideas and movement activities presented in this course and the manual are also great for typically developing children and provide many opportunities to support the growth and development of the whole child. Participants who complete the entire 5 weeks and all assignments will be awarded a CGMS Professional Development Certificate.

Caregiving is the Curriculum: Care as an Educational Pedagogy
2021-07-29 19:00 - 20:30
Caregiving routines, when practiced by highly skilled caregivers who are educated in child development and pedagogy, are educational. Not simply custodial duties to rush through each day to get to the “real teaching”. This webinar will focus on the caregiving routines in the Montessori infant and toddler classroom, and how infants and toddlers build skills by experiencing and participating in caregiving routines. We say “caregiving is the curriculum”, and these routines and interactions are the most important interactions infant and toddler caregivers have with children each day. Participants will understand the importance of the respectful model of caregiving routines practiced in the Montessori infant and toddler classroom. Participants will also be skilled in these caregiving routines through demonstration and practice. And develop a new perspective on the developmental impacts of the caregiving routines. We will cover the diapering and toilet learning process for infants- age 3. Participants will also learn the process of development from bottle feeding the infant to self feeding at the weaning table. We will discuss how these caregiving routines aid in the development and satisfaction of sensitive periods and developmental domains. Participants will understand the importance of the first 3 years of life. And how undervalued practices such as caregiving have a profound impact on the development of a child.
My name is Skye Dodson, I am AMS I/T credentialed (2007), RIE Foundations trained (2009), hold my M.Ed in education (2010), Positive Discipline certified trainer (2013), and DONA International birth doula certified (2020). I have 16 years of experience working with infants and toddlers and have been training for the infant toddler level in the US, Vietnam, the Philippines, China and Taiwan for the past 7 years. I also teach a course, Culture and Theory of Learning, for UNC Greensboro for the past 3 years. I work as a doula and assist mothers in pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum care. I am mother to 3 Montessori daughters, Huxley (19), Harper (14), and Helen (8). I am passionate about supporting children, teachers and families.
General registration, $45, one session, please enroll here: General Registration
CGMS Alumni and Faculty, $35, one session, please enroll here: CGMS Registration

Unboxing the Math Materials
2021-07-20 19:00 - 20:30
During this workshop, we will discover out-of-the-box applications of our beloved math materials. These lessons will help our students understand concepts such as Money (with the Hundred Board), Metric System Conversion (with Golden Mat), Volume Conversion, and Phases of the Moon (with Fraction Box), Graphing and the Coordinate Plane (with Peg Board) and many more. Come and refill your math bag of tricks!
Jorge Haro was born in Zaragoza, Spain and graduated with Bachelor’s of Arts in Economy and Sociology. He worked in market research for 10 years directing his own company and participating as a guest teacher in several colleges in Madrid, Spain. He has been a Montessori Educator since 2010; first as an assistant and later co-teaching in the lower elementary classroom always in charter public schools. He received his CGMS Montessori Elementary Certification (6-12) in 2014. He also works as an instructor for CGMS and has presented on the IMC and MEPI Conferences.
General registration, $45, one session, please enroll here: General Registration
CGMS Alumni and Faculty, $35, one session, please enroll here: CGMS Registration

Montessori Secondary Bootcamp: Getting Ready for a New Year
2021-07-15 19:00 - 20:30
Whether your incoming adolescent learners are new to Montessori or new to the third plane, they need to reorient themselves for a successful year ahead. They want to know: What will it be like in Montessori Secondary and what’s expected of me? And they aren’t the only ones. Parents want to know too and need to understand how to support their young-adult’s social and academic development! Explore how to prepare as a guide to lead for a new year, how to prepare learners and parents, and how to strengthen the leadership of those learners who are returning.
According to Jocelyn Swanson, “The best part about being a Montessori secondary-level guide is the joy of helping students in their irresistible quest to discover their potential – a journey from discovery to exploration to the invention.” Her specialty is in language arts and history. As a Montessori parent, she watched her local school grow beyond its original primary level to add an elementary program. Eventually, she agreed to become Montessori secondary-certified and open a secondary program there, now thriving in the heart of Williamsburg, Virginia.
Her work in the Humanities has centered on the Socratic method of discussion, a key takeaway from her Montessori training, and a philosophy that she finds essential to feeding the curiosity and character of her learners. In addition to working with children and adolescents, now at a farm school she recently founded, she enjoys working with adult learners, serving as the Secondary-level Director for the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.
In her pre-teaching career, Jocelyn ran her own marketing business, starting out as a writer/editor. Jocelyn has an undergraduate degree in business/communications and a Master’s degree in education. She lives in Williamsburg, Virginia on a farm with her husband and children and a fun variety of animals. All of them fulfill a considerable role in Montessori Erdkinder experiences for children and adolescents in the community.
General registration, $45, one session, please enroll here: General Registration
CGMS Alumni and Faculty, $35, one session, please enroll here: CGMS Registration
