Throughout the school year, Greene Towne faculty and staff participate in Professional Development Days.

At Greene Towne Montessori School, we speak a lot about the prepared environment: 

• the carefully arranged shelves
• the thoughtfully chosen materials
• the aesthetics that give the feeling of warmth 
• the calm and purposeful atmosphere that welcomes children each morning… 

But there is another kind of preparation that happens behind the scenes, one that is considered the most essential: the ongoing growth and development of the adults who guide your children every day. 

Maria Montessori calls this:  the spiritual preparation of the adult. 

What Exactly Is Professional Development?

Professional development (PD) refers to any structured learning experience that helps educators:

• deepen their knowledge
• sharpen their skills
• grow in their practice

It is a continuous, intentional practice and for us, it is a core part of what it means to be a Montessori educator. It is not remediation, it is inspiration. It honors the fact that teaching, like childhood itself, is never static. 

For our faculty and staff, this can take many forms:

• Observation and reflection: Regular observation, followed by thoughtful reflection, allows guides to respond to the real needs of the children in front of them rather than assumptions about where they “should” be or guesses about where they “might” be.
  • One of the most powerful tools in the Montessori classroom is the trained eye of the observer, asking questions like:
    • What is this child drawn to? 
    • What is the child’s learning style? What is their approach to a specific work?
    • Where are they struggling? 
    • How does this child handle conflict?  

• Montessori philosophy and methodology: Our educators return to Dr. Montessori’s writings, engage with current Montessori research, and participate in training led by experienced practitioners to ensure their understanding of the method remains deep and alive, not just a set of procedures, but a living philosophy.
• Child development and brain science: The science of how children grow, learn, attach, and regulate their emotions has expanded enormously in recent decades. 
• Keeping up with this research helps our educators better understand what children need at each stage:
  • from the sensory-rich work of our Toddler community,
  • to the reasoning and abstraction emerging in Lower Elementary, 
  • to the unique dynamic of our Montessori & Me program, where caregivers and children explore the environment together

• Inclusive and responsive teaching: Every child arrives with a unique set of experiences, strengths, and needs.
  • PD equips our educators to support a wide range of learners with skill, sensitivity, and creativity.
• Mentorship and collaboration: our educators learn from one another whether it’s sharing observations, troubleshooting challenges, or celebrating breakthroughs together. This culture of collaboration strengthens our entire community.

Why Does It Matter for Your Child?

A question I would encourage every parent to ask is, “What professional development opportunities do my child’s guides receive to best support my child’s growth?”

When an educator is growing, the children in their care benefit.

• A guide who has recently deepened their understanding of the sensitive periods of early childhood will notice them playing out in real time. 
• A guide who recently reflected on approaches to lessons and extensions will be better prepared to guide children through lessons and onto more challenging work
• A guide who has reflected on how to use language that builds autonomy will choose their words more carefully in a moment of conflict. 
• A guide who has recently reviewed child development will be better equipped to support children through dysregulation in ways that keep the child’s dignity intact as well as build resiliency rather than dependency. 

Professional development, in short, is what keeps the Montessori promise alive. It is how we ensure that the philosophy Maria Montessori gave the world continues to be practiced with integrity, care, and skill; and not just in the materials on our shelves, but in every interaction that happens around them.

Our Commitment

We are committed to being a school where adults never stop learning because our children never do. We invest in the ongoing formation of our staff not as an obligation, but as an expression of how seriously we take the work of education and how deeply we believe in the children and families we serve.

The prepared adult is, and has always been, the heart of the Montessori classroom.

Written by Michelle Nowacky, Greene Towne Montessori Leadership Coach & ADM Support Specialist