As we closed out 2025, I found myself in a deeply reflective space. Looking back on the year felt natural, but my thoughts quickly moved beyond that and into reflection on my Montessori journey.
When I walk into Willow Classroom, it feels like a second home—natural, cozy, and inspiring. Over break, I spent time thinking about why that is. In truth, this reflection first began during the Montessori Up Close journey. I had the joy and honor of returning to a toddler classroom and following the path all the way through junior high. That experience transported me back to my very first visit to our Montessori school in Tennessee. As I walked through Annie’s Trillium classroom, vivid images came flooding back—Mollie at the washboard, Mollie in a baking hat at the baking table. I was instantly grounded in the emotions of being a brand-new Montessori parent 11 years ago.
As we moved into Chelsea’s Fern Classroom, memories of Primary years surfaced for both Mollie and Maxon—some from Tennessee and others from our arrival at The Children’s House in Traverse City seven years ago: Mollie working with the movable alphabet and the Pink Tower; Maxon deeply engaged with the Binomial Cube and puzzle maps. Countless moments like these reminded me just how rich and personal our Montessori journey has been.
From there, my thoughts drifted to my 11-year love and fascination with Montessori as an educational philosophy, and how so many small experiences and decisions eventually led me to become a Montessori guide. This school played a meaningful role in helping that dream become a reality.
I have long been inspired by Montessori’s emphasis on freedom and independence, a love of learning, critical thinking, and truly following the child. Respecting this process—and thoughtfully preparing an environment that supports it—requires an extraordinary level of care, intention, and passion. That passion can feel rare these days, yet I see it in abundance in my colleagues every day.
The work that happens daily in your child’s classroom compounds over time. While children don’t often remember their earliest years, walking through those environments reminded me exactly where they began. I was struck by how fundamental each stage was, how the foundation laid at every level built upon the last, and how it all contributes to the remarkable humans standing before us today.
Maria Montessori said, “To assist a child, we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.” While this development can appear almost magical, the true magic lies in the intentional effort, thought, and time invested by the guide, along with the careful, consistent work of the classroom team.
It is this dedication that leads parents—years later, as their children graduate from Compass Montessori Junior High—to pause and reflect: Wow. I remember their journey and all that went into supporting them as they constructed themselves into the incredible human beings they are today. This year, I find myself in that very place as my first child, Mollie, prepares to graduate from Compass. Perhaps another reason I am reflecting on this journey.
All these feelings are meaningful and deeply valuable, but at the heart of why we do this work is our shared desire to witness the growth and development of each child. You don’t have to look far to see that growth—it is present every day in small moments and big leaps alike. I invite you to pause and reflect on your own journey, to step back, and to truly admire where your children are today and how far they have come.
I am continually amazed by these children and grateful to hold a kind of mental time machine—one that allows me to see not just who they are now, but all that has gone into shaping them.
There is beauty, goodness, and harmony in the children.
There is beauty, goodness, and harmony in the environment.
And there is beauty, goodness, and harmony in the journey.
Here’s to 2026. 🌱