IMS Workshop
Danbury, CT April 29-30, 2006
 On April 29-30, 2006, the Society conducted its Creating the New Education workshop in Danbury, CT. Attending were educators from the states of Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhome Island.
The workshop presented the IMS technology for Montessori teaching, offering many practical examples of its use in resolving misbehavior. Lee Havis, IMS executive director, led this event, showing how to use this technology to conduct scientific experiments to control the environment, not the child. He presented specific scenarios for role-play drama by participants, to help visualize how the technology works in actual real-life practice.
Havis especially emphasized the importance of controlling the adult personality in social conflict and power struggle scenarios. He said “In power struggle scenarios, you must usually keep silent and motionless, observing to assure the well-being of the total environment. However, even then you can use such light techniques as patient waiting, eye contact and reverse proximity to restrain any detrimental tendencies you may have towards excessive and destructive involvement due to feelings of stress and frustration.”
After the workshop, Havis consulted with local educator and IMS student Paul Posillo in planning for a new Montessori school in his area. He said “establishing a fully committed Montessori school is more a problem of psychology and inner preparation than physical concerns for location, space and equipment.
IMAC Accrediting News April 5,2006
 On April 5, 2006, the IMAC accreditation committee met in Silver Spring, MD to consider continuing accreditation for the IMS Montessori teacher education program. Attending this meeting were committee members Jerry Duval, Ph.D., Kent Baker, Ph.D. and Richard Matteson, Ed. D. (not attending, Linda Rusthoven) Following recommendation made by the IMS review committee, the members agreed to grant continuing accreditation to this program until May, 2011.
Lee Havis , IMAC board chairman, also attended the meeting to inform Accreditation Committee members of other IMAC activities. He noted the pending self-study report of the GEAR Foundation which is sponsoring a Montessori teacher education program in Chennai, India. Havis indicated this report is presently before the Generic Review Committee.
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