International Montessori Conference

Dr Michael Dorer

Dr Dorer is theProgram Director and an Associate Professor at the Center for Contemporary Montessori Programs, St. Catherine University. He is a Consultant to Montessori Schools, specializing in Best Practice, Parent Education, Workshops and In-service Education for Teachers. Dr Dorer has written Montessori textbooks, Journal publications and has been an International Montessori Conference speaker for many years.

His many professional affiliations include: American Montessori Society (Immediate Past President, Board Member, Life Member), International Montessori Council (Board member), International Association for Montessori Education (Past President), Association Montessori Internationale (Life Member)

Please read the following feedback from a participant of one of his previous workshops:

Michael Dorer presented my favorite workshop. Unfortunately, because I wanted to attend different workshops, I was only able to attend Part I of Impressionistic Geography. However, if you ever are presented with an opportunity to hear this man speak, take it. He is one of the most gifted educators I have ever had the pleasure to see. He embodies every quality a Montessorian should possess. He is organized, disciplined, unassuming, insightful, perceptive, creative and caring. He really mesmerizes the listener with his understanding of how Montessori materials were meant to be presented. Just listening to him speak, reminded me of why I decided to take Montessori training.

Carol Brands

Carol is a teacher with 40 years experience in the classroom. She has worked in the State School system, the Catholic system and the Independant system including 10 years as principal of one of the few Montessori schools in Australia that has an adolescent programme. Carol is the secretary of the Board of the MAC and has her own business as a writer and a consultant. As an educational consultant she works with government agencies, schools, teachers and parents to improve educational outcomes for students. She also acts as a media training specialist advising company executives, their staff and sports people on how to deal with the media.

Cate Crombie

Cate has been a facilitator of communication courses for over 20 years. Her workshops and training is offered in a variety of ways and settings, from corporate training, parenting workshops in community centres, university, to in-service training in the social sector. She also offers personal or private sessions in deep empathy, working with couples, individuals wanting to deepen the NVC process for personal healing, reconcilliation and mediation. As the mother of three young adult women, with whom she has close connected relationships; Cate enjoys opportunities to work with her daughters assisting her workshops. Since 2001, Cate has been learning and practicing Nonviolent Communication skills in both her personal and professional life, as she is committed to fully living the process. Being inspired to share this powerful yet natural model with others, Cate is now a Centre for Nonviolent Communication (CNVC) Certified trainer of Nonviolent Communication. Working in a gentle and empowered experimental style, Cate invites participants to work with examples from their own lives. Her workshops and private work involve a balance of support as well as challenge that people say they find both stimulating and enjoyable!

Emelisa Mudle

Emelisa Mudle is a Creative Play Coordinator. She lives on the Gold Coast and offers " Creative Play Workshops" combining creativity, intuition, connection and a safe place to explore your creative side. She has offered workshops in Australia and overseas.

Eva Nislev

During her lengthy teaching career, Eva has worked with many different age groups, from children as young as 2 1/2 to adults in their 70s in a variety of capacities ranging from Montessori centre director to workshop presenter, tutor and lecturer. She holds a M.Ed (Early Childhood), Dip. Teach (Infant/Primary), a certificate in special education and is Montessori certified for ages infant through Primary 6-9 years. Eva has worked in a wide variety of environments, including state schools, special education schools, tertiary institutions, Montessori early childhood programmes, Department of Sport and Recreation Programmes and Department of Aboriginal Affairs. She currently serves as Chair of the Montessori Australia Council (MAC), a non profit, national organisation which represents and promotes Montessori education in Australia, consultants to a variety of national and international organisations and lectures at Griffith University.

Sheryl Ridout

Sheryl Ridout began her teaching career in 1976 as a Pre-Primary teacher in mainstream education. A move to England saw her as Deputy-Officer-in-Charge of a children's home near Birmingham. Her introduction to Montessori education came in 1981 through a visit to a Montessori school attended by the daughter of a friend. Since then she has been involved in Montessori at many levels including playgroup coordinator, assistant, director 3-6, director 6-9, LOTE teacher, council member, Co-Principal and Principal. Currently Sheryl is a workshop presenter for MWEI. Both her daughters attended a Montessori School from age 3 to 12.

Sheryl is committed to ensuring that Montessori professionals and families are supported in a positive manner.

Eva Maria

Best selling author of the book “You Shut Up” international speaker and certified coach Eva Maria is living her dream: she is on a mission to help improve 10,000,000 relationships between adults and teenagers around the world. With recent achievements of being awarded the Most Inspirational Role Model at the Her Business Awards (2009) and her appointment of President of the Wellington Chapter of The National Speakers Association of NZ , constant media coverage and full support of groups and colleges, her mission is not only getting stronger but becoming a reality. Join Eva Maria on the journey to bridge the gap of misunderstanding between teenagers and adults around the globe!

Jack Rice

Jack holds a Bachelor of Science - University of Western Ontario (London , Ontario , Canada), Bachelor of Education – McGill University (Montreal , Quebec , Canada) Specialist, Science Education – University of Toronto (Toronto , Ontario , Canada), Masters of Business Administration – Schulich School of Business, York University (Toronto , Ontario , Canada)

His educational roles have included teaching at the Simcoe County District School Board 1992 – 2003 ( Barrie , Ontario , Canada ), Head of School at the Montessori Country School 2003 – 2009 (Nobleton , Ontario , Canada ) and his current position is Head of School at the Canberra Montessori School.

Jack joined the Canberra Montessori School in January 2010 and is married to Shannon, with daughter Mackenzie (15) and son Malcolm (12).

Bruce P Greene

Bruce is from Santa Barbara, USA. He has taught eighth grade and first grade, and has served four years as a private school Head Administrator. He is currently a trainer with The Center for Teacher Effectiveness   The Center for Teacher Effectiveness’ focus is redefining teaching and learning in schools and providing highly useful professional teacher staff development—and also that we proceed with a common sense, practical approach. For the last two decades, CTE has been producing and sponsoring high quality, in-depth training programs especially designed for education professionals.

Kimberley Stern

Kimberly has been a primary and secondary school educator for 20 years and is currently the Learning Resource Director at the Canberra Montessori School.  Kimberly has a Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Southern Mississippi, where she also worked in their widely renowned English as a Second Language Institute.  In addition, she spent 2 years as a teacher and counsellor at the Eckerd Family Youth Alternatives, an alternative education program for At-Risk youth.  On her arrival in Australia in 1996, she worked briefly for the Queanbeyan Youth Refuge as the Day Programme Coordinator, again managing and counselling At-Risk youth.  More recently, Kimberly received her Australian teaching qualifications by completing a Diploma in Education from the University of Canberra in 1998, specialising in Special Needs Education. She established the Endeavour Behaviour Support Program at Gold Creek High School and worked in the Learning Support Centre at Stromlo High School, both in Canberra. More recently, she received her Montessori qualification in 2008 from Montessori Centre International. She has extensive experience in working with children with learning disabilities and behavioural issues, and for the past 13 years has worked extensively with students with ASD or related spectrum concerns, in both the public and private education systems. She is also a trained ABA therapist and Irlen screener.

Penny Vos

Penelope Vos (BSc Dip Ed) is a teacher and author, a former student of Murdoch University and the Montessori World Education Institute, she has twenty five years of teaching experience in Science, Art and Languages, as well as Montessori teaching at Treetops Montessori, in Darlington, WA. Penny is the author of seven books including "Australian LOTE: Achieving Broad and Deep Competence in Languages at School" (2007) and "Talking to the Whole Wide World" (2009), a stand-alone resource to equip primary school generalists to teach a second language to fluency without prior training. Montessori materials have been developed to support and extend the “Talking to the Whole Wide World” program for seamless integration into Montessori classrooms. Penny learned Esperanto in 1996 and has used the language in 12 countries, on four continents, and taught it every year since then.

Meghan Hicks

Meghan Hicks is the founder of CHILD'SPACE - an Parent, Infant and Toddler Community in Busselton, Western Australia which takes its core philosophy and practices from the foundations of the Montessori Approach to Human Development, and the Suzuki Early Childhood Talent Education Method. The CHILD'SPACE Project offers a weekly Parent, Infant and Toddler session to families in the Busselton Area in which  they participate in a Suzuki based music program and spend time in a specially prepared Montessori Infant Toddler Environment. As well as offering learning opportunities for children from birth, the program also has a large component of parent education and support, welcoming adults with diverse parenting roles and children with a range of developmental and emotional needs.

More Exciting Presenters To Be Announced Soon!