Adolescence, Decoded: What Netflix Gets Right About Teen Life
What can a Netflix drama teach us about the teenage years? In this conversation, we explore what Adolescence reveals—and what schools and parents can do better to support teens.
The Adolescent Brain: Risks, Rewards, and Resilience
What’s really happening inside the adolescent brain? Leading expert Laurence Steinberg joins Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori, to explore the science behind teenage risk-taking, learning, and resilience. Discover how Montessori education aligns with what research tells us about helping teens thrive.
Revolutionizing Education: Mastery, Montessori & What Works
Traditional education rewards compliance over curiosity—but what if we designed schools differently? Join Terry Dubow, Scott Looney, and Bill Sneed as they discuss mastery-based learning, Montessori’s vision, and the changing landscape of success in education.
Digital Natives: Parenting in a Connected World
How do we raise digital natives to navigate the online world with empathy, resilience, and self-awareness? In this episode of Grounded and Soaring, Sam Shapiro talks with Dr. Devorah Heitner about mentoring kids in a connected world. From setting boundaries to building trust and empathy, this conversation offers expert-backed strategies for parenting in a hyper-connected age.
Why Steve Jobs’ Motto Matters Even More Today
In an era of AI and rapid change, thinking differently is more important than ever for education. Explore four ways to break conventional assumptions and better serve our children’s futures: multi-age classrooms, viewpoint diversity, hands-on learning, and honoring individual potential. Discover how these approaches can combat student disengagement and support mental health while preparing kids for an evolving world.
Navigating the AI Frontier: A Dialogue on Education
Join Sam Shapiro and Dr. Alex Curtis in a critical exploration of artificial intelligence in education.
Beyond the Code: AI’s Impact on Education
Explore the dynamic intersection of artificial intelligence and education with Sam Shapiro and Noah Orgish who discuss the evolving role of AI in the classroom, highlighting the importance of critical thinking and creative teaching strategies.
Developing Readers and Writers in a Twitterized World
In an era of digital sound bites, where Twitter’s 280 characters often define the boundaries of expression, there’s a pressing concern about the evolving nature of communication. The onslaught of condensed digital communication modes has engendered an environment where the depth of language and profound conversations seem to be ebbing.
Real Fears. Real Hope: eBook on Social Media, Mental Health, and Our Children
This April, I sent a series of posts to the Marin Montessori community that wrestled with some of the pressing issues of the day. We’ve now collected the posts into a single document that you can read and share at your leisure.
Real Fear. Real Hope: A Conversation about Social Media
We all know it: something is not working for the youth in our society right now. Data, scholarship, and lived experience all tell us that social media and unimpeded technology have disrupted childhood profoundly and, often, destructively. In this episode, Sam Shapiro, head of Marin Montessori School, joins to reflect a bit on the series of blog posts he penned over spring break called Real Fear, Real Hope: Social Media, Mental Health, and Our Children.
Recent Posts
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Adolescence, Decoded: What Netflix Gets Right
April 2, 2025 -
The Adolescent Brain: Risks, Rewards, and
March 12, 2025 -
Teaching Safety: Empowering Kids Through Independence
February 13, 2025