Healing can show up in unexpected places.

Sometimes it’s in therapy. Sometimes it’s in prayer.

And sometimes? It’s in a classroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor surrounded by golden beads and grammar symbols.

This season of my life has been filled with both pain and purpose—and somewhere in the middle of it all, Montessori found a way to help me heal.

As I walk the road of becoming an Elementary-certified Montessori guide, I’m realizing that this journey isn’t just professional—it’s deeply personal. It’s pulling me out of my comfort zone, challenging old wounds, and giving me a whole new way to look at growth—my students’ and my own.

Montessori as a Mirror for Healing

The more I study Maria Montessori’s philosophy, the more I realize that it hasn’t just shaped the way I teach—it’s shaped the way I heal.

Her work is rooted in observation, respect, stillness, and trust.

And what’s wild is how those same principles have carried me through some of the hardest seasons of my life.

Montessori teaches us to follow the child—to see their potential even when they’re struggling, to give them space to grow, and to honor their individual path. And through this journey, I’ve had to learn to do that for myself.

To follow my own rhythms.

To observe where I’m at—mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally—and not rush to fix or hide it.

To respect the parts of me that are still tender, still growing, still learning how to breathe again.

To be still enough to hear what God is teaching me in the quiet moments.

Montessori is about trusting the process.

And isn’t that what healing is, too?

There are days when I show up in the classroom with joy and energy, and there are days I show up holding back tears—but still, I show up. Because just like my students, I’m still learning. I’m still growing. And this philosophy gives me the freedom to do that without shame.

Stretching Beyond My Comfort Zone

This elementary journey? Whew. It’s been stretching me in ways I didn’t expect.

I knew going into it that this next step would be hard—I mean, I’ve been a Primary (3–6) guide for years. That’s my comfort zone. That’s my rhythm. But choosing to pursue my Elementary (6–12) credential hasn’t just been about expanding my knowledge—it’s been about stepping into discomfort on purpose.

Because the truth is, I’ve carried some educational trauma of my own.

And this program—this deep dive into the world of the older child—is giving me space to face that.

I’m starting to understand myself better through this process.

To unpack the experiences I had as a student—the pressure, the fear of failure, the shame of not knowing the answer fast enough.

And now, I get to rewrite the script.

I get to learn what this age group needs, not from a place of perfection, but from a place of empathy.

The 6–12 child is curious, opinionated, and often beautifully chaotic.

They ask why a hundred times a day. They need room to wrestle with big ideas and big emotions.

And in some strange and healing way… so do I.

This training is not just equipping me to guide them—it’s helping me reconnect with the little girl inside of me who didn’t always feel seen or safe in a classroom. It’s healing the part of me that thought being “too much” or “not enough” was something to be ashamed of.

Now I see it differently.

Now I see that healing comes when we create space to explore—when we follow curiosity, when we trust the unfolding.

A Healing Philosophy for Life

This isn’t just professional development.

This is soul work.

Montessori has taught me that growth doesn’t come from control—it comes from trust.

That stillness isn’t silence—it’s power.

That healing doesn’t always look like fixing—it looks like observing, holding space, and believing in potential.

And while this season is stretching me more than I ever imagined… I know it’s good.

Because healing should stretch us.

It should challenge the lies we’ve believed about ourselves.

It should make space for our inner child to exhale.

I don’t have it all figured out.

But I know this: I’m right where I need to be.

Learning. Healing. Growing. Becoming.

And every lesson—whether it’s about fractions, grace and courtesy, or the power of stillness—is shaping me not only into the educator I want to be… but into the whole human I’m becoming.

“The first essential for the child’s development is concentration. The child who concentrates is immensely happy.”

— Maria Montessori