Our Guest: Jonathan Wolff
Show Notes
Jonathan Wolff joins the Voices in Montessori podcast to discuss creating effective teaching partnerships with your co-guide or classroom associate. Jonathan describes this relationship as a “delicate dance” that involves “choreographing a partnership built on trust and understanding, humility and honesty.” Jonathan first defines what a well-functioning classroom team looks like. Jonathan then dives into how successful teams overcome common challenges to achieve harmony, cohesiveness, and sustained joy.
Jonathan describes specific strategies to build a successful teaching partnership. We all know it’s important to clarify roles and responsibilities of each member of the team. But Jonathan encourages us to first get to know the “whole” teammate. (What brought you here? How do you best learn? What are signals that you are feeling stressed?) He advises engaging early and often in “alignment conversations” (for example, “What do we do when…?”) to create consistency among the classroom team. Jonathan also explains how to employ the Montessori “Three Period Lesson” model to orient and educate team members. Jonathan shares these strategies – and so much more – in this inspiring episode of Voices in Montessori!
About our Guest
Jonathan Wolff
Montessori school consultant, leadership coach, teacher educator, and author
Jonathan is a consultant, trainer, speaker and author who infuses his work in leadership development with 30 years experience as an educator and administrator.
Jonathan provides retreats, workshops, and consultations, along with coaching for parents, educators, leaders, Boards of Directors, community organizations, and learning communities around the globe.
The best-practice leadership retreats and workshops he leads facilitate community building, strategic planning and improved organizational effectiveness.
After earning his B.A. degree in Secondary Education from Temple University, Jonathan began teaching at-risk youth in Philadelphia. Early in his career, he read several books on the Montessori philosophy and quickly recognized the power her work in human development had to effect transformation not only within the young child, but within adults as well. He went on to study with Mother Isabelle Eugenie, one of Dr. Montessori’s first students, earned his Early Childhood Credential through the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI), and began his career as a Montessori educator at one of the first Head Start Montessori Centers in the United States.
Jonathan’s incisive ability to apply Dr. Montessori’s educational constructs to training adults led him to positions as a teacher trainer, as the director of education and training for various education and business organizations, and as the administrator for several nationally recognized schools. Thirty years in the field have provided him with solid first-hand experience in leading and managing rapidly growing for-profit and not-for-profit schools, education institutions and business organizations.
Today, the primary focus of his consulting practice is on leadership development – designing best practices and writing books and articles that enhance individual and organizational performance. His creative, interactive programs, his humorous and inspiring teaching style, and his deep insight into the needs of people and organizations are in demand by organizations around the world.
Resources
Jonathan’s website: http://jonathanwolff.org/
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