Learning from and Building on Our Experiences during the Pandemic: An Appreciative Inquiry Approach

The past year was very difficult for educators, students, and families at all levels, and it posed particular challenges for Montessori schools. But at the same time, Montessori educators – and the Montessori community as a whole – did an incredible job responding to these challenges – finding and creating new ways to support each other, their students, and their families through these difficult times. This hands-on, interactive workshop will explore how Montessori educators can learn from and build on their experiences during the pandemic by using the principles and techniques of Appreciative Inquiry, a participatory, strength-based approach to individual and organizational development. The workshop will begin with a brief introduction to Appreciative Inquiry and will focus primarily on a small-group breakout session and follow-up group sharing, during which participants will practice using Appreciative Inquiry to explore: a) The positive adjustments they made during Covid. b) What they learned from making these adjustments. c) How they plan to incorporate these lessons into their future work.