“This is the hope we have—a hope in a new humanity that will come from this new education, an education that is collaboration of man and the universe….” Dr. Maria Montessori, The Theosophist
About Jess Davis
Jess Davis was a Montessori student, Montessori parent to two now-grown boys, and taught lower elementary for over a decade. She has also taught upper elementary and is now Assistant Head of School at an AMS-accredited private non-profit school serving over 200 students ages 3-12.
Jess regularly presents at conferences including MECR, AIMS, and UMSI. She speaks on a variety of curricular, philosophical, and classroom leadership topics and offers teacher and school coaching and professional development workshops.
Jess is a member of the American Montessori Society and serves as Secretary and Advancement Chair on the board of their Montessori legislative advocacy arm, the Montessori Public Policy Initiative (MPPI). She is also president of the United Montessori Schools of Indiana and serves as the Approval Coordinator on the School Validation Committee. Additionally, she serves as a mayoral appointment on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission for the City of Bloomington, Indiana and leads the One Community Curriculum which brings Anti-bias/Anti-Racism lessons to area schools.
My Personal Montessori Journey
I was raised in pretty extreme poverty. I had no electricity or running water for portions of my childhood and was raised by a loving, hard-working single mother. Statistically, I was not expected to thrive in school or go to college. However, my wonderful mother made one choice that I believe changed that destiny. She worked multiple jobs and long hours, in addition to applying for scholarships, to ensure that I attended a Montessori school.
This Montessori experience helped me to follow passions, think critically, and exercise creativity in ways other school settings could not have provided, which made all the difference. As I moved into public school experiences for middle and high school, I was able to juggle challenges and seek resources to succeed. I will never forget the teacher who looked at me, the poor girl from the “wrong side of the tracks” who had scored a 100% on her U.S. History final and required me to take it a second time, alone in a room with him, so that he could watch and make sure I didn’t cheat. This was a notable moment in my life, and made me very aware that I was walking in a world of high achievement in which I was an outsider.
However, the adaptive skills I learned in Montessori and my stubborn nature used these experienced to fuel forward momentum. I did very well in school, went to college, and began a path as a traditional public school teacher. I knew that I wanted to help even the most unlikely students show the world their potential.
I soon realized that a Montessori school was the best environment for this mission, and began my career as a Lower Elementary teacher. I became Elementary I-II certified and guided over a decade of students through the three-year cycle from 6 to 9. I love teaching, and I love working with children. However, I also noticed that I was a strong organizer and teacher of peers, able to guide others in developing systems for their own classrooms and unify groups around common goals. I moved into administration as the Director of Montessori Programs and later as Assistant Head of School.
As my Montessori circles expanded I engaged with groups regionally and nationally that shared my passion for equitable access to Montessori education for all children, no matter their backgrounds. This jumpstart in life is something every child deserves.
Through this work, I met so many wonderful Montessorians, and was invited to present to parents and teachers around the country regarding Montessori philosophy, teaching methodology, and classroom leadership. This work filled me with a sense of meaningful, positive impact. This led me to start my own business, Montessori Minds Consulting, offering Montessori consultation services. Now I consider myself so fortunate to balance two worlds-I have opportunities to be on the floor, working with children, and am also continuously growing the network of schools, administrators, and teachers I have had the privilege to work with in a consultation capacity.
As I look to the future, I think of Dr. Montessori’s vision of a “cosmic task”–a contribution we can each make as a small but important part of an interconnected Universe. I believe that I am on the right path for offering what skills I have to contribute to positive change through supporting Montessorians in their mission to create a better world through service to children.
Educational Philosophy
Maria Montessori was a genius in so many ways. She was a feminist pioneer, an engineer of brilliant didactic materials, an optimistic philosopher, and an avid scientist and academic. It is the scientist facet that I find most inspiring. When life is an experiment based on observation, there are no failures– only learning through new information. Every child, classroom, community, and situation is so unique. The guiding principles of Montessori encourage us not to believe we know what to do, but to open our minds to discovering what to do. I believe in the method, the materials, and the guiding philosophy of Montessori. While I believe there is a perfection in true alignment with Montessori’s intentions, I think that the most urgent need is access to Montessori for any child and family who wants it; this means creating the best Montessori experience we can in a given context and environment and continually striving for progress. This comfort with diversity in Montessori has allowed me to build relationships with many types of schools (public, private, small, large) and feel united in our common aim to guide the holistic development of children through Montessori education. There is no cookie-cutter “perfect” Montessori classroom. To me, Montessori is a verb, and a constant evolution of teaching in service to children guided by a belief that they are the key to a better tomorrow.
