Last weekend, 4 educators from our birth to 6 community headed off to Brisbane for the 2024 Early Childhood Best Practice Conference.
This was a wonderful opportunity for our staff to connect with Montessori colleagues, sharing their experience and expertise while learning best practice in early childhood from leading Montessori educators.
Our team was delighted to reconnect with past FMS staff members, Linda Strom and Natasha Williams, currently a Montessori Trainer in training, as well as AMI 3-6 Trainer and presenter at the event, Amy Kirkham, (all pictured below).
The event, Early Childhood Best Practice asked early educators to question: what is best practice? How can we do our best and why do we want to? Participants were invited to revisit Montessori principles, to reflect on their own practice/s and to consider how they might raise it to the next level.
An exceptional line up of Montessori speakers presented topics such as How to get children to listen, Leadership in Montessori Schools, Balancing the needs of all children, Mindful teaching, Building neural pathways and more.
Of course, it was not all work and no play, this is Montessori after all! Attendees were treated to a confidence and team building activity from the creative performance team at Flipside Circus. You can see in the image below how this challenged our staff’s focus and attention! By all reports it was loads of fun.
Our staff shared this of their personal experience from this event:
“The conference was very enlightening, offering new ideas and practical strategies for improving practices at both school and classroom levels. It was a gathering of passionate and likeminded people who are committed to give children the best opportunity possible to grow. Key takeaway for me was the vital role of the prepared adult and importance of building relationships and strong communities.”
Sun Mi Sim
Assistant Educator, 3-6 years
“Of all the wonderful speakers contributing to this conference I drew inspiration from the presentation by Amy Kirkham, (AMI 3-6 trainer) on Best Practice in the Montessori Environment. What resonated with me was how ambiguous and misleading this concept often can be and how Montessori teachers often see it as something that can be quantified easily. Instead, we really must avoid this and return to our core Montessori principles and ask ourselves consistently if we are reflecting on the child, for example, human tendency, sensitive periods and the absorbent mind. I was forced to return to my core beliefs where best outcomes are achieved when we observe and prepare ourselves, prepare the environment and respectfully follow the child. We need to build on these, and this process is continuous. Best practice is not seen as an end point but one that keeps evolving and something we are constantly working towards. In essence, better practice rather than best practice.”
Elma Sheldon
Director, 3-6 Environment
Here at FMS, we are committed to investing in our staff by providing opportunities that both inspire and motivate so we can continue to build on the quality of our Montessori programs. Our students benefit enormously as they learn from our passion and expertly qualified staff.
