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Maria Montessori opened the first Montessori school on January 6, 1907 in Rome.

The first woman to become a physician in Italy, Montessori was also an educator who theorized that children have an innate ability to learn with certain sensitive periods yielding a higher aptitude for learning than others. Montessori maintained educators should cultivate this natural desire to learn by properly stimulating the child’s particular interests during these peak learning times, relying on all five senses instead of expecting the child to absorb an array of facts by just listening, watching and reading.

Immensely popular in Italy, within three years Montessori’s method spread outside of Europe; and in 1911, the first Montessori school in the United States opened in Scarborough, N.Y. The movement soon spread nationwide; and by 1916, the U.S. had Read the rest of article…

Here’s a look at some of Tuesday’s big games and the impact they will have on the final regular-season standings:

Girls

*Region 1-AAAA: Warner Robins escaped with a 73-68 victory in overtime against Hardaway to remain in the hunt for a share of first place in Division A. Kenyona Armstrong scored 25 points to lead Warner Robins, which can finish in a tie for first place with Northside-Warner Robins if it wins at home against Houston County on Friday. Warner Robins and Northside split their two meetings this season.

*Region 4-AAAA: Forest Park completed a 20-5 season and clinched the regular-season championship and a berth in the state tournament with a 70-42 victory against North Clayton. Ashlee Cole scored 22 points to lead Forest Park, which went 17-1 in the region and is 52-3 in region play over the past three seasons. The

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Pfleger has developed a close working relationship with a community homeless shelter for women and children where some of her students live, helping set up a learning center in the shelter to support her students’ out of school academic needs.  She also established the DREAM Team (Demonstrating Respect Every day to Achieve More) for at-risk male students to promote positive behavior and character development through small-group counseling and a mentor relationship.

And what was clear when Nicole Pfleger took the podium to speak is that she’s a leader in her profession, her school and her community.  What was even more heartening is that Nicole is a young woman who is still early in her professional life and has already demonstrated the qualities that show what’s possible for both educators and their students to achieve when appropriate care and leadership are exhibited.  In her remarks, Nicole gave credit to her school’s principal who mentored her and allowed her to try new things that were good for kids (conversely, her principal related how exciting it has been working with a talented, energetic counselor whose work focuses on what is best for kids).  And Nicole’s final accolades were for her mother, who she said provided support, encouragement and acted as a role model…in the same manner that Nicole does with the students at Nickajack Elementary.

So much of what I hear and read about public schools in my daily work is negative and disrespectful.  It’s professionals like Nicole Pfleger that remind me of the fabulous work that too often goes unrecognized in our public schools.  We’re lucky that in this instance, a positive role model got the attention and credit she deserves.

Early Tuesday morning as I perused the numerous work emails needing my attention, my department head came into the office and asked if I had heard about Brian Urlacher’s recent comments; that it was all over the radio.

Being a suburbanite of Chicago, one very interested in happenings in the sports world (at youth through elite levels), and one who has a vested interest in those happenings based on my forthcoming book Becoming a True Champion, needless to say, my department head certainly sparked my interest.

I said “no, not yet” in answer to his question if I had heard anything. He pr

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