What happens when a child who once asked to be homeschooled grows up to become a Montessori educator, and a Montessori parent? In this episode, Montessori teacher Cassandra Duggan traces her winding journey from anxious second grader to public-school teacher and autism interventionist, through a brief stop in Waldorf, and finally into Montessori, where follow the child, intrinsic motivation, and multi-age communities transformed her practice and her own daughter’s love of school.

Hosts Biff Maier and Nicole Coman talk with Cassandra about:

• Advocating for herself at eight, learning at her own pace, and why comfort and autonomy in the environment matter
• Nannying, teacher prep, and working as an Autism Interventionist in inclusion settings
• The pressures of standards-based education (pacing guides, rushing, one-size-fits-all) versus following the child
• A mid-career reset: Waldorf, Covid, and discovering Montessori through her daughter’s school
• Starting at a Montessori school with no prior training, then embracing Montessori materials, student freedom, and the multi-age model
• Why she’d choose Montessori for her younger self, and how her daughter thrives (yes, even with a classroom dog)
  
  

Warm, candid, and illuminating, Cassandra shows how purpose and practice align when we trust children, and redesign school around their developmental needs.

Contact Us: humanpotential@amshq.org

Educating the Human Potential is a podcast about optimizing education for a better society, through a Montessori lens. Hosts Nicole Coman, a licensed educational psychologist specializing in school psychology and child development -- and a "Montessori mom" -- and Biff Maier, an American Montessori Society Living Legacy with decades of experience as a Montessori educator and school leader, engage with experts, educators, parents, and students. Each episode explores strategies to unlock human potential, offering thought-provoking conversations on learning, child development, and the evolving landscape of education. This podcast is presented by AMS, the American Montessori Society.

For more information about Montessori education, visit https://amshq.org/about-montessori/

And consider this AMS course for families interested in incorporating the Montessori philosophy into their day-to-day lives and parenting approach:
https://learn.amshq.org/parent-course-early-childhood

Contact us: humanpotential@amshq.org