The Practitioner’s Class is based on the book, Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom, by Jane Nelsen and Chip DeLorenzo.  The class is designed to help participants learn how to implement respectful, effective and time-tested methods of classroom management that reflect our deepest values as Montessori educators: mutual respect, cooperation, responsibility, empathy and independence. 

 During this experiential training, new and veteran educators and administrators will learn how to:

• Create a classroom community and social/emotional environment that will reduce misbehavior and foster normalization;
• Develop clear and consistent practices amongst the adults in their classrooms to meet behavioral challenges respectfully and effectively;
• Understand the roots of misbehavior in children;
• Empower children to be respectful, cooperative, and responsible members of the classroom community;
• Help children find a sense of belonging and significance in their classroom community;
• Effectively train assistants in classroom management;
• Develop school-wide practices that will help parents as well as teachers.

“I have been working with Positive Discipline for over 25 years, in the capacity of teacher, head of school, and trainer.  As a young teacher, learning the skills to manage classroom behavior saved me from burnout.  More importantly, it helped remove the biggest roadblock to normalization, misbehavior.  As a veteran teacher these tools and principles helped me to effectively coach and train assistants, specialists and other teachers.  As a head of school, Positive Discipline enabled me to empower staff members to find consistent and effective solutions to common misbehaviors in the classroom, and to create a support system to help resolve the most difficult behavioral challenges.” ~ Chip DeLorenzo

While there is no magic bullet for managing behavioral challenges, there are concrete principles and skills that can be learned by adults that will help develop respect and cooperation in the classroom, and effectively respond to misbehavior in a manner that helps children for the long-term.  We hope you will join us for this workshop.