Simone Davies from the Montessori Notebook

Simone is a Montessori teacher and mother of 2 children who have attended Montessori right up through primary school. She trained through the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI).

She has been working in Montessori education for nearly 15 years and I’m passionate about working with both children and their parents. In Amsterdam, she runs parent-child classes at Jacaranda Tree Montessori.  She works  1-on-1 with families to answer their questions and help them get ideas to set up their homes too.

She is also the author of the Montessori toddler book.

Watch her interview for the conference here!

Aubrey Hargis from Child of the Redwood, founder and Admin of Montessori 101

Aubrey Hargis, M.Ed. is a parent coach and educational consultant best known for her empathetic approach and appreciation for the magic of childhood.

She is the author of two parenting books: Baby’s First Year Milestones and Toddler Discipline for Every Age and Stage.

As a life-long Montessori advocate and certified former classroom guide, her passion has always been to bring Montessori into the mainstream.

As the founder of the Child Development Institute of the Redwoods, she creates online courses and coaches parents in compassionate discipline techniques and Montessori education. Aubrey lives with her husband and two children under a blanket of San Francisco fog, where the coastal cliffs and nearby redwood trails are always beckoning for another adventure. Visit her online at www.childoftheredwoods.com

Jeanne-Marie Paynel from Voila Montessori

A parent of two children, Jeanne-Marie launched Voila Montessori in response to the overwhelming demand from parents for advice and guidance for raising children in a gentle, peaceful, and supportive environment that’s conducive to their full development – psychological, academic, artistic, spiritual, physical, cultural, etc.

Families who work with Jeanne-Marie reap the benefit of her two AMI Montessori certifications covering childhood development from birth through age 6, extensive classroom experience, and first-hand parenting knowledge. Jeanne-Marie describes herself as “genuine, passionate, and straightforward”. She’s honest and direct because she realizes that clear and precise information is what will help parents cut through the overwhelming amount of advice that engulfs them.

Her mission is to help parents appreciate the true importance of their role – not as servants or teachers, but as supporters and guides of their children’s natural development.

“Montessori is not the only truth,” Jeanne-Marie explains. “but I do believe in the Montessori philosophy as a way of life and know from first-hand experience that it can work for any family that takes the time to understand it and apply it.” 

Learn more at Voila Montessori

Sarah Adams from the Prepared environment

The Montessori philosophy has played a major role in my life.  My parents enrolled me in Montessori preschool at age 3 and I continued in a Montessori school until Grade 7. I completed my AMS Elementary I-II Credentials (2007) and a Montessori Approach to Education Post Baccalaureate Diploma at SFU (2008).  I have been teaching in a Public Montessori school since 2006.

When I had my daughter in 2016, I was so excited to use what I learned about Montessori and implement that philosophy in our home.  I wasn’t expecting such a learning curve.  I felt so overwhelmed.  There were so many things to think about and all I could really focus on was trying to keep her alive and getting sleep whenever I could!  I just wanted answers and quickly.  Whenever I thought I had a handle on things, she changed.  I wished there was some magical fairy godmother who could come and help (and who would help me to do it myself…that’s the Montessori child in me).

After I got out of the “newborn baby fog,” I started researching and making a plan.  I was determined to help others not feel the way I did.  I took a few courses geared towards younger children and completed a professional organization course.  I am still learning along the way, but feel so much more prepared.

I want to help other parents by eliminating some of the guess work giving guidance on how to prepare the home so it is a space that is beautiful, organized and supports the developmental needs of each child…this is what Montessori called the “Prepared Environment.”

Learn more at the Prepared Environment.

Watch her interview for the conference here.

Eloise Rickman from Friday be Mighty

Eloise has a background in anthropology and politics. She changed her career after the birth of her child, Frida. She trained and worked as an antenatal teacher and doula. She is now a peaceful parenting coach while home educating her 3 years old daughter in London.

She believes that peaceful parenting can be a truly radical act. More than that, she believes that changing the way we raise children is our only hope if we want a fairer and more just society. The way in which we raise our children can have a profound positive impact on our families, our communities, and our world. Peaceful parenting may be a quiet revolution, taking place in playgrounds rather than protests, but she has no doubt that it is a powerful one.

Learn more at Frida Be Mighty.

Watch her interview here

Pamela Green from Ananda Montessori

Jasmine Ong from 3 minutes Montessori

Isabel Arango from Unozweitutu

Isabel is the mother of two little girls. Her eldest attends a Montessori school. Isabel is raising her children trilingual: Spanish, English and German. She creates beautiful printable material and complements her daughter’s education at home.

Learn more at Uno Zwei Tutu.

Hannah Baynam, Montessori trainer at Montessori Centre International

Hannah Baynham has a BA in Sociology and received her International Montessori Diploma at MCI in 2009. She has worked in kindergartens and Montessori schools in India and Hong Kong and started a parent cooperative Montessori school in Istanbul which she ran for four years. She also was able to help promote Montessori in Turkey through teacher workshops for low income nurseries and early childhood education students. Her first book ‘Following the Child’ was translated and published in Turkish in 2015.

She joined MCI in August 2017 as a curriculum lecturer and is happy to be back with the people and the place where her Montessori journey began.

Learn more about Hannah here

Sonia Quinn from Red Door Montessori Childcare

Sonia is a qualified Montessori teacher based in London. After setting up her own Montessori setting and running it for many years, she is now a Montessori childminder and passionate about training other childminders. 

Find out more at Red door Childminding.

Watch the interview of Sonia here