The head of Aidan Montessori School in Washington, D.C., for the past 17 years, Kathy Minardi is preparing to launch a consulting service for schools and educators known as Whole School Leadership, LLC. Professionally, Kathy Minardi maintains membership in organizations such as the North American Montessori Teachers Association.
An organization dedicated to upholding the Montessori tradition and leading innovation in education, the North American Montessori Teachers Association (NAMTA) offers a variety of professional development opportunities. These opportunities include conferences held throughout the year in locations ranging from California to Sweden. In 2016, NAMTA will offer a conference on Finding the “Hook”: Montessori Strategies to Support Concentration October 6-9 in Columbia, Maryland; and a conference titled Loving Literacy: Truth and Beauty Through Words in San Jose, California, November 10-13. Conferences in 2017 include Children on the Edge: Creating a Path for Happy, Healthy Development in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 12-15; and from February 17-20, the organization will host an Adolescent Event at the AMI/USA Refresher Course in Austin, Texas. For further details about upcoming NAMTA conferences or to register for any of these events, visit www.montessori-namta.org.
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Head of Aidan Montessori School in Washington, D.C., Kathy Minardi brings more than 40 years of experience in wholehearted leadership to her work. Kathy Minardi also consults with schools to help build healthy communities, teaching emotional intelligence skills to teachers and students. Montessori schools are named for Italian educator Dr. Maria Montessori, whose methodology and philosophy was characterized by child-led learning. Montessori teachers serve as facilitators who encourage students’ growth in social responsibility, independence, inclusiveness, curiosity, self-esteem, and confidence. Montessori education by nature features a respect for different modalities of learning. Instead of solely focusing on reading and writing as a way to learn new information, a Montessori lesson emphasizes many ways in which students can absorb their lessons. For example, using concepts from Howard Gardener’s theory of multiple intelligences, a Montessori lesson on geometric solids will include many different modalities, as the student: • Feels the forms of the solids. (Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence) • Examines the solids by sight. (Visual/Spatial Intelligence) • Estimates relationships between solids. (Logical/Mathematical Intelligence) • Observes and classifies the solids. (Naturalistic Intelligence) • Labels the solids. (Linguistic Intelligence) • Works together with other students. (Interpersonal Intelligence) This method helps to ensure the success of students, no matter which learning styles come most easily to them. |
AuthorSince 1999, Kathy Minardi has served as the head of school at Aidan Montessori School in Washington, D.C. Utilizing her 37 years of experience in independent schools. Archives
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