the kids are not alright

And frankly, neither are the teachers. Between Covid precautions and closures, staffing shortages, triaging classrooms, safety concerns, and just getting through the day to day, it's been an especially tough time to be an educator.

Even our youngest students are not exempt from the mental health, self regulation, and social-emotional challenges facing students across the country, and teachers of all varieties are burnt out and at their brink. 

All of us have seen primary students coming in with under-developed fine motor skills, shorter attention spans, lack of confidence and increased anxiety these past two years.

We know it isn't sustainable to live, learn, or teach this way...so how do we do better?

While we can't change systemic, widespread problems overnight or with the blink of an eye, we can build sure and steady steps toward resiliency and inspiration using one of the greatest assets we already have - our creativity. And our classroom environment is the perfect place to start. 

Here's How
Fostering ​Creativity + Mindfulness in Montessori Primary Classrooms Training Works

staff members use our website to access training
​every registered user has lifetime access

each topic has an integrative
​powerpoint/slideshow style video,
along with audio + pdf of the lesson
for various learning styles

plus a printable eBook of short, SEL-based projects for the classroom

total training time about 2 hours self-paced

external training certificates are issued to school and individual staff members for 2 annual clock hours

STAFF TRAINING $37/PERSON

a valuable opportunity
​ for Montessori classroom educators to learn
​from an expert early childhood independent Art teacher
with experienced Montessori classroom background

- build + utilize integrative tools for practice in the Montessori classroom

-  develop empathy, awareness + inclusion in classroom creativity experiences

​- prepare students for lifelong social-emotional regulation through collaborative outcomes and peer support

​- deeply understand the purpose of open-ended creativity and how this builds emotional resiliency

- participate in creating a foundational space of exploratory safety + diverse problem solving

Practices + Purposes to Support
Creativity + Mindfulness in Emergent Learning
for Montessori Classroom Environments

Overcoming Our Implicit Bias as Classroom Guides

5 Pillars of Creativity + Mindfulness in Practice

Process-based Art Making Techniques
for Classroom Work Cycle + Art Area Integration
(can also be used in before/after care)

Case Studies + Demonstrations
from 20 years' teaching experience, 9 years in Montessori classrooms

Outcomes for Early Learners

Benefits of Whole Brain Thinking
​+ Creative Problem Solving

Who is Fostering Creativity + Mindfulness Training For?

classroom lead teachers
classroom assistant teachers
-
before + after care teachers
-
Art specials teachers
Mindfulness specials teachers
-
in-house substitute teachers
summer-only teachers

teachers receive a
certification of completion
for 2 clock hours toward annual licensing requirements

STAFF TRAINING $37/PERSON

An Overview of the Topics

Overcoming Implicit Bias

addressing our inspiration and burnout
how our implicit bias translates to students
purpose of examining our own creative core

5 Pillars of Creativity + Mindfulness in Practice

material + purpose
technique + intervention
​implementation + self identity
outcome + stress
​empathy + experience

Process-based Art Making Techniques
for Classroom Work Cycle Integration
(can also be used in before/after care)

linework + snipping
monoprints
watercolor resists
​mixed media + nature
simple self portraits
​and more

Case Studies + Demonstrations
from 20 yfears of teaching experience

the importance of process-based Art making

steps to integrate with Art area of classroom
examples + approaches
​
for inclusion of diverse experiences

Outcomes for Early Learners

self-confidence
with uncertain + suspended conclusions

self-regulation + stress reduction
skills for peace making

self-resiliency + coping skills
​for individual + community

Benefits of Whole Brain Thinking
​+ Creative Problem Solving

awareness + inclusion of diversity in self + others

integration of social-emotional skills,
self-identity + core values

increased compassion + empathy
for self, others + nature

build empathy, compassion, inclusion + understanding,

foster the whole child through creativity + mindfulness,

support whole brain thinking skills,

develop social-emotional resiliency + self-regulation,

use creative action to reduce stress + restore calm,
​
all in the Montessori classroom environment

STAFF TRAINING $37/PERSON

what's included for $37
*includes lifetime access to full training via website

*narrated powerpoint/slideshow style videos with full presentation,
printable pdfs, and complementary audio
for each segment of the training outlined above

*printable eBook of short, social-emotional learning based creative projects
for use in the classroom environment

*optional activities and prompts to examine your own creativity

​*direct email support for staff member questions
​
*CERTIFICATE FOR 2 CLOCK HOURS
​
​additional training options:
+ lunch-and-learn / staff meeting style workshop
+ curriculum consultation / existing program auditing
+ in-person local or virtual nationwide hands-on Art making lesson training

wondering how it works step by step? read on below!

ready to purchase? click here

student gallery

So...why take professional development this way?

Hi, I'm Karly Mortensen!

I am a practicing artist, wellness enrichment educator + Denver-based business owner who helps teams + educators understand creativity + mindfulness so they can do their best work possible.

I have helped thousands of students discover, understand + implement greater flow + ease in their lives through creative self study.

I have worked with Montessori classrooms since 2014 as an in-bound enrichment teacher, specials Art teacher, staff wellness consultant, and supporting various classroom roles. I offer a rich knowledge base integrating process-based art making with the Montessori classroom environment.

As an instructing artist, my dedication is to expanding the lens through which
preschoolers view their world. The rapid development during a person’s
early years will shape the rest of their life - emotionally, intellectually, spiritually,
physically, and socially. I believe it is a privilege to work closely with the world’s
youngest people, and I honor the special responsibility that comes along with this
privilege.

My passion is working with this specific niche of people in a way that supports their
lifelong ability to think creatively, while attending to the age-appropriate development
of fine and gross motor skills, along with cognitive, language, and social
considerations. I integrate the Montessori classroom philosophy
into my pedagogy, while focusing on play-based and emergent learning.
I believe in honest and thoughtful answers to young questions, and am committed to
fostering tolerance and respect for the world’s diversity. 

I began my teaching practice in 2002,
developing process-based art lessons
centered on intentional outcome + mindfulness practices
for kindergartners
along with one neurodivergent preschooler.

for the past twenty years, I have taught early childhood learners ages 3-6
how to access their own creativity through self discovery in art making

I have taught in art studios, workshops, event spaces,
all varieties of schools (with a focus on Montessori classroom integration)
holistic spaces, community centers,
churches, specialty groups and clubs,
private and small group lessons,
team and corporate events,
families and private parties,
from as few as a single student to as large as hundreds of corporate employees.
​And of course - online courses.

It is with a heart of unity to serve all through creativity
that I started my practice in 2002 and my studio in 2012,
to inclusively and accessibly support all people
on their quest for creative self discovery.

I teach what I know after doing this for twenty years
so Montessori classroom educators
can foster creativity + mindfulness,
building lifelong skills in their students.

we create in all forms to:
practice mindfulness and positive self awareness
 express true self with natural fluidity
practice peace in ourselves and our environment
give a gift to the world that wasn’t there before, that’s only ours to give

"there is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.”

martha graham, dancer, choreographer, artist

visit student gallery

How This Works Step by Step

1. purchase training here

*enter quantity for number of staff purchasing for


*additional consultation may be purchased at this time or later on - we contact additional training requests directly to coordinate the schedule for in-person + virtual consultations

2. fill out the school profile form for your school here

*your school will get an automatic email reminder to fill out this form sent to the email on the purchase receipt

*this is how we register your school for the training

*this is where you will enter the staff names + emails for us to send the individual training registration info to

*this information is kept private + is used for registration + training completion purposes only

3. within 24 hours of receiving your school profile form...

*registered staff members will receive an in-depth email explaining step-by-step how to log-in + complete the training

*individual staff members will receive a short individual email inviting them to register on the website + create a unique password, with a basic walk-through on how to log in + access training

*individual staff members can access the training module as soon as they register their staff email address on our website

*staff members can email us for support directly with any questions
​

4. staff members can log on whenever + wherever to complete their self-paced training

*registered staff + school email addresses have lifetime access

*additional staff email addresses can be added to your school's profile by request at any time

*we generate a certificate of completion by request for individual staff members + schools.
​
*we are here for each + every staff member to have a successful + enriching training experience

PURCHASE STAFF TRAINING

questions? contact me

Fostering Creativity + Mindfulness Training
​for Montessori primary classrooms
teaches classroom educators:

how to use creative decision making skills and trust emergent ideas

how to explore new materials and techniques through process-based experimentation

how to use familiar and introductory materials to develop fine motor skills

how to establish the process of ideation, creation and completion

how the insights and choices of learning artists are valued in the creative process

how to keep the expectation away from the end result

how to allow for the discovery of individual creative self agency
​
how to make decisions and executions from a place of established confidence

STAFF TRAINING $37/PERSON

questions? contact me

student gallery

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