The Institute for Educational Studies:
Sampling of Graduate Projects

“Since I was a child, I wondered what is the milieu of being and life. Now that I am in the “second half “ of my life, I realize it is humans shared history, which includes individuality, that brought such a subject from the Greeks as cosmos or cosmology. Yet, now that “self” has been identified and its self-reflective quality can be understood, perhaps humanity will awaken to its new characteristics of anthropological coherence in combining cosmos with humankind.”
– Rosemary Prosperi

“The elegant beauty of this integrated learning journey reminds me of a quote about quantum physics expressed by Capra and Luisi (2014) ‘…it is the whole that determines the behavior of the parts’ (p. 73). It seems that the program as a whole, the entire system, is the structure that allows the parts to grow, question, and explore. Gang (1982) calls for the active participation of students ‘To be an agent of her own self creation’ (p. 11).”
– Kristin Brimhall (Hale)

“My journey with TIES and Montessori education has been a journey of creation. A Children’s House classroom that is connected to the child could be considered to be naturally connected to the Universe. Through this connection, a universal curriculum might manifest so that the child is fully supported in his or her growth.”
– Lisa Miele

“The three most influential experiences I have from the TIES program are: learning about my assumptions and how to suspend them without suppressing them; learning about systems theory and how that applies to people’s way of bringing forth their unique worldview in addition to people’s close relations due to the connectedness of the networks of living systems; and learning about how many different ways one can explore one’s observations in order to achieve additional insights.”
– Liselotte Ruehlicke

“Our life in the Universe is coming to a critically dangerous stage. Now educators’ tasks are more clearly than ever to provide children with authentic experience from which they can learn this cosmological and wholistic view. There is no country that can survive without the others in today’s world.”
– Kiyo Matsumoto (Hale)

“I do not want my students to repeat memorized facts and information because they think it is what I want to receive. Instead, my goal is to create an environment that encourages students to understand they are learning and processing information for their benefit. This is the primary reason I chose Montessori education as my method of teacher training.”
– Marc Cobb

“The Systemic leadership that emerged from my graduate studies at Endicott College was achieved by learning about novel theories in an emotionally safe environment. Each participant in our program at TIES was able to learn about this approach through the integrative process.”
– Charlane Baccus

“As I leave this experience of the close online network which has been created through my Montessori training and my TIES coursework, it is a time of excitement to see what new adventures are waiting. Choosing peace is not always an easy option; it can be more challenging than using older, more familiar choices for solving conflicts. However, the more often the choice is made the easier it becomes. “
– Peggy Smith

“I feel as if I have affirmed and refined my philosophy, the core of it being to respect the child, help them respect others and help them become the best that they can be.”
– Helena Billington

“The integrative learning modeled in the structure for each of the seminars provided a context for autopoiesis to take place; as participants were encouraged to weave their thoughts into the comments of the other seminar responses.”
– Jason Griffis

“Humans make their own choices. There is an element of control, a beginning to understanding part of the human contribution to the world. With enough thought we can change our trajectory. How to transform the human consciousness – from microphase to macrophase? I believe that education plays a major role in such transformations.”
– Steven Arnold

“This program challenged me in the most meaningful way at the most divine time. I have been liberated by the process of examining my own relationship with how I have learned and how I aspire to teach. I have developed my own moral compass based on a system of values that I have a deep and meaningful understanding of. I have a new-found respect for science and spirituality. I am a lover of learning. I have an open mind and an open heart and I am armed with a plethora of means to higher consciousness and self-awareness.”
– Lindy Risinger

“This story acts as a reflection of my gratitude for the gift of teaching, learning, and sharing passion for life with one another. As my reflective culmination through my TIES and Montessori learning experience is near its conclusion, I cannot help but take a moment to reflect on the torch of learning that has been bestowed upon me.”
– Miles Canavello

“My Montessori teacher training and work in TIES have revealed that greater school sustainability can be accomplished by approaching a whole school prepared environment systemically – determining where one and one make two, who the ‘ands’ are. Identifying the ‘ands’ as part of the system, we recognize that relationship is the critical determiner of everything.”
– Sveta Pais

“The more I read and discover, the more I feel empowered by Montessori’s wisdom. She has put a voice to many of my own beliefs; has validated them in a way I did not know I needed them to be validated. Perhaps most powerfully, Montessori has helped me to look at the children I teach and to feel, above all, optimism for the future of humanity.”
– Ruby Cossairt

“The Montessori way of educating is one way to help children understand the world around them, the world within themselves and hopefully their place within the cosmos. Gaian education expands the Montessori Method and TIES is an example of this. Gaian education is made of the interconnected components that make up any ecological relationship.”
– Kat (JH) Gandeza

“I am ending this journey with a much deeper connection with Earth, the Universe, Gaia, and my higher power. I was able to look inwardly and look critically on my educational experience, evaluate how I was living my life, express openly about my alcoholism, and realize that I am on a journey of self-discovery.”
– Michelle Disbro Cooper