Earlier this year, I began looking for opportunities to make more of a personal connection with people. Maybe it was a result of the lost social dynamics we experienced due to the pandemic, maybe it was because social media has become such a pay-to-play platform — but I had a yearning to create a small group experience with other Montessori parents that I could mentor and discuss everything Montessori parenting & homeschooling… so I created one!

I began my first small group coaching community in September with 12 women who wanted to learn from each other and share our lives as Montessori parents, and it has been such a fulfilling experience. Every Monday, I publish a post asking for their questions, and then I spend the rest of the week creating a new thread for each topic so everyone in the group can chime in with their suggestions as well. In just October, we covered the following topics:

• Breakfast Independence
• Books that Break Gender Stereotypes
• Calming Corner & Sharing
• Fitting In
• 2nd Period (of the 3 Period Lesson) Extension for Sounds
• Twisting for Toddlers
• Self-Dressing
• Reluctant Jacketers
• Ripping
• Kids Are Nosy
• Screentime and Alternatives
• Halloween Costumes
• Modeling Empathy & Other Emotions
• Snacktime
• Dress-Up Clothes in a Montessori Environment?! [Gasp!]
• Self-Care Throughout the House
• Activities Outside the House
• Movement for Toddlers
• Letter Introduction
• 3-Part Cards
• Mouthing
• Handwriting
• Table Manners
• Book Making
• Taking Time Off for Big Life Events
• Mindfulness with Kids
• Dumping
• Rotating Works

Those topics were completely tailored to the members of the group — I don’t plan topics ahead of time, it’s just based on what the group members want to talk about. This means that being part of the group requires a certain commitment. If you don’t ask any questions, you won’t get your answers! Once a month, we spend the week looking at photographs of group member’s problem areas in their homes and suggest ways to rearrange or add something new to allow for more independence.

We also have one group call each month. We usually begin the call with a short presentation by me, then we can discuss anything that comes up! For November, we talked about Science at the Montessori Preschool Level, and December’s group call was about Following the Child.

Finally, the group receives one printable material made by me each month, chosen by voting on different topics. For September, they chose a printable version of my Scope & Sequence. For October, they asked for some mindfulness printables, so I created my Mindfulness Mini Bundle for Families and sent it to each of them. For November, they asked for some winter sequencing work, so I sent them a few sets from my Winter Mini Bundle. And for December, they asked for one of my previously-made snowflake bundles, so I sent them my Snow & Snowflakes Pack.

There is the option within the group to sign up for more one-on-one support. This higher level receives all of the things I’ve already mentioned, plus they get a one-on-one call each month AND an extra printable designed just for them! Once you are in the group, you can move between the two levels whenever you want.

According to some surveys I sent out, this group has been just as fulfilling for the other members as it has been for me! Here’s what some of them had to say:

“This group is AMAZING – just like anything else that Angela organizes and shares! I joined because I wanted to learn ways to incorporate the Montessori Method in our home and plan for homeschooling my toddler. This group has helped me even more than I thought it would! I love the weekly check-in where I can post any questions that I have. I get Angela’s expert advice and also a chance to collaborate with other Montessori families. I would recommend this to anyone who wants support with having a ‘Montessori Home.’ It’s information and fun!”

~Michelle S.

“Angela has set up this very special and unique little community of Montessori parents and I’m just loving being in it. Each week we are able to ask Angela specific questions and she guides us along in her responses, always respectful, always a wealth of knowledge. We have made changes in our home set up both in our daughter’s activities and in our interactions. I love that Angela always makes a point that Montessori is not just materials but also a way of respectful, child focused interactions.”

~Amanda G.

“I joined Angela’s small group coaching program for guidance, support, and community with like-minded parents. The group coaching has been highly personalized, responsive, and fun. I look forward to getting notifications of activity within the group and feel supported in my goals. I know Angela or others in the group can help me when struggles arise. It’s definitely been a worthwhile investment so far and something I anticipate continuing on with.”

~Sharlyn T.

“I highly recommend Angela’s small group coaching! I had general knowledge of the Montessori method and put into practice some of the philosophies at home, but I didn’t know how to fully embrace it enough to homeschool my child. That changed in just a few weeks of being in the group. Her thoughtful and thorough responses to our weekly questions and the genuine support from other members in the group have helped me gain the confidence I needed to kickstart my homeschooling journey with my three-year-old!”

~Z. W.

“Having a trusted Montessori coach to answer my detailed questions has provided me with peace of mind. I know that I’m providing my child with the best Montessori experience without having to second guess myself.”

~Tara Castellano

“I am continually blown away by all Angela provides to her community. She provides an astounding amount for free – truly invaluable material that I have used and referred to many times. I am honestly grateful for the opportunity to pay her for the group coaching. She’s put so much into educating and assisting her community and I am happy to be giving a little back to her for all of her hard work.”

~Corie W.

It was very important to me that I provide this small group opportunity as inexpensively as possible — so this whole experience costs about $1/day for the lowest tier. My new group is open now!

This is best for parents of children in the first plane of development (ages 0 to 6). My first group contains parents of children between 1 and 5.5 years old, some of whom are homeschooling and some of whom are not — it’s a nice mix!

I want to stress that this is not just another social media page — it’s meant to be a community of parents supported by me and one another in our Montessori lifestyles and home education. If you just want to consume information without putting anything into the group, you won’t get much out of it. I can’t do my job if you don’t tell me what you need in the group, so participation is necessary.

Space is extremely limited to make sure each person is able to participate (and feels comfortable doing so) and to form a close-knit community, so this may sell out at times. If this is something that sounds like it would be a good fit for you, you can sign up HERE to join!