Montessori Canada Spring Conference 2025
May 16
Tickets on sale now! Click here to register.
Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
Location: Centennial College Event Centre, Toronto
This year’s theme, “The Gifts of Montessori: Neuroscience and Positive Learning Environments”, will empower educators with actionable insights to support every child’s success.
- Casa/Toddler Stream: Explore strategies for fostering emotional regulation, independence, and harmony in young learners.
- Elementary/Adolescent Stream: Learn practical tools to address behavioural challenges and nurture resilience, collaboration, and respect.
Tickets on sale now! Click here to register.
Session and Speaker Details
“Human Variability: Where Neuroscience and Montessori Meet”
Presented by Julia Volkman – Neuroscience educator, Harvard lecturer, and Montessori expert.
Humans are wonderfully unpredictable. Our behavior varies from day-to-day, year-to-year, and person-to-person. However, this variability is often viewed as a disability. The good news is that when we blend Dr. Montessori’s wisdom with modern neuroscience, we discover powerful ways to support every student in our care. Whether working with students with typical development, ADHD, dyslexia, autism, or other neurodiverse traits, Montessori educators have unique tools and insights at their disposal. In each of the two engaging sessions, participants in their respective age levels will explore how neuroscience and Montessori philosophy complement each other in practice.
Together we’ll develop strategies for:
• Honing our observation skills to spotlight student strengths
• Understanding the distinction between developmental needs and behavioural challenges
• Crafting open-ended questions that guide rather than teach
• Using individual interests as bridges to learning
• Building joyful, inclusive classroom communities
Come join us as we explore how to embrace human diversity while maintaining authentic Montessori principles. You’ll leave with specific, achievable goals that will enhance your practice as soon as you return to school.
About Julia
Julia Volkman has been teaching children and mentoring teachers in private and public schools since 1997. She is a Faculty Member of the Brain Health Initiative, guest lecturer for Harvard University’s Neuroscience of Learning course, an educational researcher, a teacher mentor, and the founder and president of the educational project Maitri Learning. Ms. Volkman earned her AMI 3 to 6+ diploma from the Montreal Montessori Training Centre and her master’s degree from Harvard. Julia first studied cognitive neuroscience at Harvard with Dr. Kurt Fisher, the founder of the field of Mind, Brain, and Education. Her graduate research on the Montessori movable alphabet won the Harvard Dean’s prize for outstanding research. Her work focuses on transforming education into a transdisciplinary, scientific pedagogy grounded in mind, brain, and education.
“From Struggles to Strengths: Embracing Challenges as Learning Moments”
Presented by Silvia Núñez Gutiérrez – Montessori educator and Positive Discipline expert.
Do you feel like managing classroom struggles has become a daily drain? Are you tired of trying strategies that bring no lasting change? Teaching is demanding, especially when challenges persist despite your best efforts. If you’re feeling frustrated and stuck, you’re not alone. This workshop offers a fresh perspective: instead of viewing struggles as problems to “fix” or “manage,” we’ll explore how they can become meaningful opportunities to nurture independence, resilience, and emotional intelligence in students. Through experiential dynamics, we’ll discover strategies to create a safe socio-emotional environment where children feel invited to blossom, develop self-regulation, and experience a sense of belonging and significance.
You’ll reconnect with Montessori’s core philosophy by embracing the prepared environment as a space for emotional and social learning. Rooted in respect, empathy, and freedom within limits—and enriched by Positive Discipline strategies—you’ll learn how to support children in building cooperation, responsibility, and thriving communities.
Casa/Toddler Workshop:
• Explore practical tools for guiding first plane children toward emotional regulation and harmonious peer interactions, preventing challenges before they escalate.
• Learn strategies for creating a prepared environment that minimizes disruptions and fosters independence, respect, and cooperation.
• Gain actionable methods to navigate power struggles, tantrums, and emotional outbursts with empathy and clarity.
Elementary/Adolescent Workshop:
• Discover effective strategies for addressing peer conflicts, disruptive behaviour, and power struggles while fostering respect and collaboration.
• Learn tools to support students in managing emotional outbursts and building self-regulation skills within a safe, prepared socio-emotional environment.
• Gain insight into motivating students, creating a sense of belonging and significance, and promoting responsibility and accountability.
By the end of each session, participants will feel better equipped to foster thriving school communities tailored to the developmental needs of their students, ensuring growth for both children and educators alike.
About Silvia
Silvia is a Mexican woman, wife, mom and Montessori educator who has guided children, teachers, and parents through the Montessori Philosophy for over 15 years. By being a teacher, school administrator, and Head of School of several multicultural Institutions, Silvia has widened her understanding of the development of young minds, acknowledging the importance of establishing loving and caring relationships to help children thrive. Silvia’s biggest passion relies on inspiring parents, teachers and school administrators to establish communities based on respect and trust for the child. In addition to her Montessori Training for Infants, Toddlers, and Casa, Silvia holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education, a B.A. in Industrial Design, a M. in ED. in Educational Leadership, a M.A. in Second Language Learning from McGill University, and is an active member of the Positive Discipline Association at the Trainer Candidate Level.