WMS Faculty Present at the AMS Conference

 For the last 50 years, at The Washington Market School, professional development has been integral to who we are. Prioritizing continued learning for our faculty further advances our mission to nurture young learners’ intellectual curiosity and build the foundational skills they will carry for life. Professional learning at WMS extends beyond the walls of our school, and each year, faculty are offered various professional development opportunities, such as workshops, classes, programs, and conferences, that align with our school’s blended approach to the Montessori and Reggio Emilia philosophies. These experiences allow teachers to learn from a wider community of educators while also sharing the unique way WMS brings these approaches together in practice.

This spring, three members of our faculty, Maria Henley, Linda Incantalupo, and Kayleigh McAllister, presented at the American Montessori Society (AMS) Regional Symposium, a conference intended for Montessori teachers, administrators, and parents to learn, grow, and connect with like-minded individuals. Their presentation, Eating the Rainbow: Implementing a Food Tasting and Cooking Curriculum with Young Children, explored how to plan and implement a year-long, comprehensive Food Tasting and Cooking curriculum that excites students' curiosity and enthusiasm through immersive learning. Drawing on their classroom experience at WMS, the teachers presented how this curriculum can engage students across all developmental areas, including social-emotional learning, sensorial, science, language and literacy, fine motor, practical life, grace and courtesy, and mathematics. 

 

 

 

Presenting at the conference opened the door for meaningful conversations with fellow educators and created an opportunity for WMS faculty to reflect on their own curriculum and teaching practices. These exchanges of ideas allow methodologies to evolve and strengthen, inspiring educators to bring fresh perspectives into the classroom that support a wide range of learners. The experience also affirmed the value of WMS’s blended Montessori and Reggio Emilia approach and the thoughtful, child-centered work happening every day at the school. 

 

 

Below is a reflection from the group about their presentation: 

“ It really hit home that what we do at WMS, this blend of Montessori and Reggio philosophies, is special. As practitioners of  the Reggio Emilia approach we often strive to make the children’s learning visible by documenting what we see in the classroom. By presenting our cooking curriculum, we were making the teaching methods and planning we do at WMS visible to other educators.”