Episode 19: A Montessori Milestone: Forging friendships, building schools and watching our children grow. A conversation with my dear friend Danica Allen.

This week's episode is very dear to me and one that I truly cannot believe actually happened. This week I was able to sit down with a person who absolutely changed my life.  My friend Danica Allen, or Dani to those who know and love her, is one of those people you meet in life who not only change the entire trajectory of your life, give you wisdom and hope but also literal help. She hauled boxes, built furniture, polished floors, painted walls, taught children alongside me, enrolled families, chatted with inspectors and picked me up when I felt I just couldn’t keep going. Along with all of her physical and emotional support, I have been even more fortunate in my chance meeting of Dani. She has stuck with me for all of these years, even though we have lived thousands of miles, oceans and even continents apart. 

Dani has helped me build two schools, she has inspired me with her experience and knowledge in education, Montessori, parenting and now Special Education. This episode has everything: friendship, heart, advice on how to build a school, teaching in all kinds of schools, homeschooling,  military life, the GED, surviving trauma, loving and supporting your children through change and the challenges of diagnosis... and on and on… 

There is SO MUCH HERE! I just know you’ll be inspired! 

Oh, and this episode is extra special because Dani and her family are currently living in Germany and they were able to come and visit me in Idaho, and this summer is the ten year anniversary of our journey to build CHMS! 

As always, thank you for listening! Thank you for your support and thank you for helping me to build this community. Please reach out to me via email at learningtakesflightmontessori@gmail.com if you have any questions for myself or Dani. 

Here are just a few of the things Dani mentions:

“Giving a child choice and voice does not take away your power… it makes you a better human.”

“Neuro divergent children should be supported to exist within the society...but not forced to change who they are in order to fit in.”

Podcast: Bright and Quirky