Part 2: Maintaining Equilibrium while Managing Everything!
Part 2: Maintaining Equilibrium while Managing Everything!
The Time is Now: Montessori Advocacy
The Time is Now Montessori Advocacy November 11, 2015
Christine Lowry, Michael Dorer, and Kathy Leitch
Creating a Collaborative Learning Community
Jonathan Wolff November 18th, 2015 Getting everyone on the same page to support the school’s mission.
Give Your School an Online Marketing Tune Up
This was shared from the US Small Business Administration. It is applicable and good advice for any school.
https://www.sba.gov/blogs/how-give-your-local-business-online-marketing-tune
How to Give Your Local Business an Online Marketing Tune-up
By smallbiztrends, Guest Blogger
Published: February 19, 2016
If you operate a “local business” (meaning one that gets most of its customers from your local area), don’t overlook the Internet as an important way to attract new customers and stay top of mind with existing customers or past customers.
According to Google research, having good online information gets more people to shop in brick-and-mortar stores and businesses.
For local businesses, there are some specific steps to take to make sure that your business can be found by searchers in your geographical area. Because after all, you want local shoppers. So being found by local searchers is the name of the game for you — not just Web visibility in general.
Here’s a checklist of important steps to take for local SEO:
1. Address the basics of standard SEO
Every website owner should pay attention to some standard types of search engine optimization (called SEO).
Think of a well optimized website as the foundation for good local search visibility.
At a minimum, this includes making sure you use relevant keywords (i.e., terms that people might search for) in your content. Your site should have enough relevant content so that you draw in visitors with informational articles, product descriptions and other types of content that prospective customers might be searching for. Also, you need to keep that content fresh by updating it and adding to it from time to time. Good content not only helps attract visitors but it helps your site rank higher in search results for related searches.
Also pay attention to the technical fundamentals of your site. Search engine spiders need to be able to find and index all your relevant content. Speed of your site pages is also important to search engines these days.
2. Include information about your business on your website
Check your website. Is it easy to find your address for each of your locations? Is all information accurate? Are there phone numbers and email addresses?
Are your products and services listed? Do you have hours of operation on your site?
Information that is easy to find not only helps website visitors find you, but this information gets picked up by search engines. Address information in particular helps make sure geographically local searchers can find your business.
3. Make your website mobile friendly
Many local users are looking for places on the go using a smartphone. That’s why it’s important to make your site mobile friendly.
If someone wants to know your address and hours, they should be able to access that information effortlessly. If your site is not easily readable on a phone, or if the links or buttons are too small to navigate with fingers, you could miss out on a sale.
4. Claim and complete your Google listing
For local businesses, Google has a powerful free feature called “Google My Business.” This is a place where you can list your business. This listing helps your business show up for geographically relevant Google searches, on Google Maps and in mobile search results. Claim your listing, or if you already have done so, verify accuracy and complete any additional information.
5. Leverage Facebook’s “local” features
Facebook is a hugely popular site with 1 billion monthly users. And Facebook has been adding to its features to enable consumers to connect with local businesses.
Make sure to set up a Facebook Page. Complete your address information to enable your Page to be found for nearby locations.
Keep your Page updated from time to time. Facebook business Pages typically have places for consumers to review a business, so be sure to monitor reviews.
6. Check and claim all online listings
Use the free checker tool at Moz Local to see how your business appears in other places online where business listings appear. Claim and update any incomplete or inaccurate listings. Most
7. Set up profiles on social sites
Social media is the online equivalent to word of mouth in person. If you set up profiles on social media sites, there’s more likelihood that prospective customers will find your business. Stay active there, too. Social mentions help you stay on people’s radars and provides great free advertising for your business.
Follow these approaches to make sure your local business gets as much online visibility as possible.
Public Policy? What does it have to do with me?
This was a participatory conversation about the impacts of current and trending policy that impacts our Montessori community. We spoke about how each of us can support our classroom work, our school work, and our Montessori community.
Christine Lowry, M.Ed. has been involved in Montessori education as an early childhood teacher, school founder and director, parent educator, teacher educator, and consultant on public policy as it impacts high quality Montessori education.
The IMC Seal of Recognition
The IMC Seal of Recognition
The purpose of the International Montessori Council Seal of Recognition Program is to offer schools a reasonably simple and inexpensive method of providing prospective parents and the general public with assurance that they offer educational programs that are effective and consistent with the essential characteristics of Montessori best practice at each age level offered. In addition, these schools follow the Code of Ethics of the International Montessori Council.
The Seal of Recognition Program is not IMC school accreditation, but rather recognition that the school meets specific standards associated with best practice in Montessori education.
It anticipates a shorter period of self-study and less intensive one day on-site visit by a small IMC validating team.
Rationale For A Program For The Recognition Of Excellent Montessori Schools
Although most schools try to remain faithful to their understanding of Dr. Montessori’s insights and research, they have been influenced by the evolution of the culture in which they live. Despite the impression held by many parents that the name Montessori refers to a universally held and practiced educational method and philosophy, the name Montessori is not protected by copyright, nor is there one central body with the power to authorize a schools’ use of the name.
Within the Montessori movement, there is considerable discussion and debate about what is, and what is not, Montessori best practice. Around the world we find Montessori schools that differ dramatically from one another in terms of practice and philosophy. While at times the elements of practice over which Montessori educators have differed have been silly, in more recent decades the variations have increased. At the same time, the Internet has made it simple for parents to glean reliable information about what Montessori is supposed to look like. Every year the number of parents who contact the Montessori Foundation about the inconsistencies between theory and practice in their children’s schools has grown.
As a result, many Montessori educators are concerned about these differing interpretations of Montessori. Today this issue has become a question of truth in advertising. We believe that the Montessori community needs to articulate essential criteria of best practice in Montessori education.
While Montessori may have come to mean different things to different people, underlying its many faces are essential elements of Montessori best practices. These core principles have resulted in a model which is highly effective, replicable, adaptable to different settings, and sustainable. These characteristics led to its world-wide dissemination and caused it to stand the test of time.
The IMC attempts to walk a razor’s edge by encouraging ongoing dialogue among Montessori educators who come from many different perspectives, while at the same time attempting to define and promote the legacy of essential Montessori principles and best practice.
This new program is designed to grant a IMC Seal of Recognition to Montessori schools which offer excellent Montessori programs but cannot afford the time and expense of completing full IMC school accreditation. It provides a means by which excellent Montessori schools can be officially recognized at reasonable cost by focusing only on those aspects that are essential to Montessori best practice.
Successful Strategic Planning
Montessori leadership specialist, Dane Peters, spoke with us about Successful Strategic Planning
Strategic planning is essential to effective school leadership, and the whole school community should be part of the process—yet schools can be hesitant to involve all constituencies. This workshop will offer an overview and the inspiration to launch a successful strategic plan at your school that includes the feedback and input of all, while keeping the planning process on track.
How to increase student enrollment using your website
On May 11,2016 Jono Landon, President of Hubbli.com, spoke about How to increase student enrolment using your website.
Hubbli describes itself as a Centralized School Communication & Information Management System. Jono has been a guest on the webcasts before, and he has great insights into marketing, parent engagement and communication, and simplifying the school office.
Here is how Jono describes the topic of Wednesday’s webcast. “Let’s be honest, people that run Montessori schools are experts in education, teaching, parenting etc. but are they experts in using the latest technology to connect with prospective families? generally not. This webinar will focus on standard website best practices while focusing on the needs of a Montessori school. “
Top Five Ways to Improve Parent Communication
Our guest was Jono Landon, the Founder and CEO of Hubbli.com which is an all-in-one school communication management system. After helping thousands of schools their communication systems he has compiled a number of easy and effective strategies for any school leader.
What makes a great Montessori Leader?
On May 18th, 2016, Tim Seldin, Kathy Leitch, and Michael Dorer explored a topic that we will be exploring for the next few weeks: What does it take to be a great school leader?
We discussed a wide-range of topics that you will find interesting, including the nature of Montessori leadership, issues of ethics in hiring and recruiting, and building community.
How and Why Montessori Schools Should Blog Part 2
June 15, 2016 This week, Jono Landon continued the discussed How and Why your school needs to use a blog.
Learn how to develop a blog that parents can’t wait to check out every week. If done correctly, parents will share what you post with their friends, which is awesome for increasing your school’s exposure and enrollment.
How and Why your school needs to use a Blog Part 1
June 8th, 2016 This week, Jono Landon discussed How and Why your school needs to use a blog with hosts, Tim Seldin and Michael Dorer “Learn how to develop a blog that parents can’t wait to check out every week. If done correctly, parents will share what you post with their friends, which is awesome for increasing your school’s exposure and enrollment.”
We offer free participation in our live webinars to up to 1,000 registrants.
The recordings of the webinars are archived in the IMC member’s resource center. The International Montessori Council is the professional membership organization established by the Montessori Foundation for Montessori schools and educators formed in partnership with the Montessori Foundation. Membership is affordable, and the support and benefits are outstanding. Like the Montessori Foundation, the IMC is here to help, and if you do not already belong, we invite you to join. The IMC provides comprehensive support.
Fundamentals of Fundraising Part 1
September 14, 2016 This week we began a series of three webcasts about fundraising in Montessori schools.
Some schools have been running very successful campaigns for years, some are just in the early stages, and some would like to begin.
This week we discussed:
- the nature of fundraising
- the importance of fundraising for all nonprofits
- the psychology of why people give
- the types of basic fundraising programs that are commonly found in independent schools: annual funds, special events, raffles, bake sales, golf tournaments, etc.
- major fundraising efforts; capital campaigns, planned giving, and endowment funds
- how to avoid fundraisers that consume time and energy and produce little result
- how fundraising can build community rather than creating aggravation
In coming webcasts, we will go into greater depth, discuss specific strategies and systems to support your efforts, and explore the ways to cultivate ongoing support from a broader audience than your current families
What should be included in a Montessori classroom
What should be included in a Montessori classroom pdf
This week we continued our discussion about what should be included in an early childhood Montessori classroom, and went beyond to discuss the issues of whether non-Montessori activities can, and should, be added as well.
Montessori Town Hall Meeting, September 1st, 2021
Ideas for the Sensorial curriculum.
Our Role in Ending Systemic and Internal Racism…Guided study and Dialogue Led by Dr. Cindy Acker
Our Role in Ending Systemic and Internal Racism…Guided study and Dialogue Led by Dr. Cindy Acker
Maintaining Equilibrium while Managing Everything!
Managing The Elementary Montessori Curriculum Part 1
July 13th, 2016 This week Dr. Michael Dorer continued to explore an important topic for elementary teachers, How Can You Teach it All?
Many Montessorians struggle with the immensity of the whole curriculum, especially at the elementary level. There just seems to be so much. At the same time, they may grapple with how lessons should be planned, presented, completed, and followed up. These issues can actually be approached with a careful planning procedure, along with a healthy serving of gumption.
Join Michael as we explore lesson planning, curriculum and managing follow-up work. This is the beginning of a new direction in your school.
In this and the next webinar, we will explore the basics of lesson and curriculum management. This will serve as an introduction.
Part 2| Vaccines, Masks, & Social Distancing…Where do we go from here?
Just when we are feeling a bit more comfortable about getting out, hugging, and gathering together, we are faced with a new challenge. We have spent the last year learning about public health, reading medical data, and exercising adaptive leadership. Now the new Delta variant has proved more contagious and potentially more severe than previous variants. What do we need to consider as we plan for the new school year? We’ll look at the most recent data and CDC as well as local recommendations. This will be an interactive discussion with the Montessori Foundation Panel and our participants.
Featured
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Montessori Family Alliance School Group Membership (Print & Digital 2026 1/2 year pricing)
Original price was: $30.00.$15.00Current price is: $15.00.
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The Montessori Way, Revised and Expanded: An Education for Life; A Comprehensive Guide for Parents and Teachers
$25.00
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The Montessori Child: A Parent's Guide to Raising Capable Children with Creative Minds and Compassionate Hearts (The Parents' Guide to Montessori)
$20.00
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The Montessori Toddler: A Parent's Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being (The Parents' Guide to Montessori)
$20.00
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Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Montessori Schools 1st Edition
$29.95
