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Where Montessori Meets Wellbeing
Welcome!
If you are a Montessori educator looking to bring more joy, balance, and inspiration to your life and work, for yourself and for the children in your care, you are in the right place.
At Montessori Wellness, our focus is on fostering joy and wellbeing for all, the Montessori way.
Guided by the values of harmony, connection, and authenticity, we blend Montessori principles with the science of happiness and wellbeing to create transformative learning experiences, helping you flourish as an educator and nurture student wellness through movement.
Our Formula:
Montessori Principles + Wellbeing Science = Happier Teachers and Students
"The unhappiness of humanity is the most fearful feature of the reality of our times."
• Maria Montessori •
The Story Behind
Hello, I’m Barbara, the heart behind Montessori Wellness.
My journey into education began with a love for learning and a PhD from Northwestern University, followed by a Montessori certificate from CGMS.
The Montessori spark ignited when I became a mother in Milan, Italy. It was there that I first discovered the Montessori philosophy and instantly fell in love with it.
When my family and I moved to Miami, Florida, I decided to turn my passion into a mission. Montessori Wellness was born from my desire to blend Montessori principles with the science of happiness and wellbeing. I wanted to bring more joy to schools, helping create environments where both teachers and students can flourish in a truly holistic way.
Maria Montessori's emphasis on preparing the whole child for life resonates deeply with me. I believe that a strong foundation in self-care and wellbeing is crucial for everyone. That is why I have dedicated myself to studying how Montessori education and wellness intersect, creating learning experiences that support holistic wellbeing for teachers, students, and the whole school community.
You might have seen me speaking at Montessori conferences across the USA and around the world. Here are some of the places where I have had the pleasure of sharing my message: AMS The Montessori Event, AMI-USA Montessori Experience, Montessori Foundation/IMC, Cincinnati Montessori Society, Montessori Florida Coalition, Virginia Montessori Association, Montessori Association of North Carolina, Wisconsin Montessori Association, University of Wisconsin La Crosse, Montessori Schools of Massachusetts, Association of Illinois Montessori Schools, Utah Montessori Council, New York State Montessori Association, Montessori Alliance of Tennessee, South Carolina Montessori Alliance, Michigan Montessori Society, Southeast Montessori Collective, Hope Montessori Educational Institute, New Jersey Montessori Association Corporation, Children Change the World Montessori Conference, Childhood Potential and Montessori Canada.
What Other Montessorians Are Saying About Our Work
“I attended your presentation at the AMI Refresher and was thoroughly impressed. It struck me deeply and I want to share your work with my staff and parents. Another participant commented on her desire to share this information, connecting Montessori pedagogy to wellbeing, with her school district administrators. When I arrived last night to this conference I was feeling emotionally drained. There has been a plethora of negative energy surrounding me in the past few weeks and your presentation lifted me up and gave me a new focus. The cultural phrases you introduced are inspiring, a reminder to consider the bigger picture and get out of the microcosm we find ourselves so often stuck in. Your presentation was so fantastic.”
• Tracy T., Head of School •
“Exceptional in content and delivery. Should be required training for those in education."
• Elizabeth R., Lead Toddler Teacher •
"I enjoyed this seminar so much! It was so well done and I learned so much. The graphics were beautiful and the information was well organized. The lessons from this seminar reminded me of how proud I am to be a Montessori teacher. Thank you, thank you!!”
• McNeal S., Montessori Reading Teacher •
“I attended an in-person session at a local conference and then took the full course. Both experiences were valuable and presented with knowledge and care. This course reminded me, a non-athletic person, that wellness is beyond sports. I gained a new interest in equipment, movement philosophy, and integrating movement into my work with students. I highly recommend this course for PE Coaches as well as classroom guides. Also, I appreciated the convenience of the platform, which made it easy to access from my phone and my computer."
• Angela S., 6-9 Guide •
"There is so much value in the Montessori Movement course. I found myself rewatching sections to gather even more information and have a notebook full of notes.
I have provided PE & Outdoor Education as well as assisting in a classroom for over 10 years and have learned so much from the amazing AMI trained guides at the school. I did not go through training myself though and this course added so much to my understanding of the "how" and "why" lessons are completed the way that they are and increased my admiration of Dr. Montessori's genius.
I have tried over the years to create a physical education environment that mirrors the classroom environment, and this course was just what I needed to continue that work - it was both inspirational and informative.
I truly appreciated the final module on assisting students who may have blocks to learning and the accompanying resources as we navigate an increasing number of students who require an even more prepared adult. So grateful!"
• Cheryl M., PE Coordinator and Elementary Assistant •
“The Montessori Wellness training has been very helpful for our AMI teachers in understanding the importance of movement in the first years of life. This well-structured training consists of two parts: a theoretical and a practical component. In the theoretical part, the training effectively conveys the significance of movement within the Montessori method for children's motor development. In practical terms, we truly enjoyed putting concepts into practice. All in all, it is a very comprehensive, high-quality, and recommendable training for Montessori centers. Thank you!"
• Isis L., AMI 3-6 Guide •
“This curriculum is terrific! I think you truly captured the essence of Montessori and movement. Here are a few components that stood out for me:
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Your graphics are very clear - good idea to use a minimalist approach with full text of your narrative.
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I appreciate your on-going connection with Practical Life, as well as some references to language and cognitive development.
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Great to see such a clear explanation of Montessori's use of the term "gymnastics", particularly from a functional perspective.
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I love that you brought in both community and nature.
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Really wonderful to see Barbara Luborsky (occupational therapist and frequent Montessori conference presenter) in your module addressing children who have disabilities.
It is a powerful curriculum that could support all Montessorians (regardless of how long they have been teaching) learn more about movement. I am so glad you are sharing it!”
• Ann Epstein, Ph.D., Professor and EC Program Director, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse •
"Barbara was a guest speaker in our Mentoring program. Our mentees are still talking about movement and what they learned from their time with her. I really appreciate the deep research Barbara offered on the history of Dr. Montessori's work in this area. It put everything into such a rich context. May her teachings reach far and wide.”
• Julia Volkman, ALM (Harvard), AMI, Founder of Maitri Learning; Faculty at Brain Health Initiative •