As families head into a busy season of gatherings, late nights, and less structure, many parents quietly wonder how to protect their kids from early substance use.

In this episode, Sam Shapiro talks with Jessica Lahey, educator and author, most recently of The Addiction Inoculation, about what really keeps kids safer, why early use is so detrimental, and how parents can stay connected and influential in the years that count most.

We think this is an important episode that's best listened to (for the first time at least!) without kids around.

Key takeaways:

• Why delaying first use is one of the most powerful protective factors for kids and teens.

• How strong family connection and clear expectations reduce risk more than lectures or scare tactics.

• Practical scripts for starting honest, age-appropriate conversations about alcohol and other drugs.

• What the research shows about anxiety, perfectionism, and self-medication in high-achieving communities.

AI changes everything. Stanford's Dr. Denise Pope, Co-Founder of Challenge Success, returns to discuss the "volcanic level of change" in education.

In this episode, Dr. Pope reveals:

• The WEBB Foundation: Why Well-being, Engagement, and Belonging are critical defenses against cognitive offloading.

• The Real Solution to Cheating: Why schools must shift to Authentic Assessment (real-world, engaging work).

• Guiding Principles: How parents can use the "Does it make us better?" test for new technologies.

• The Loneliness Risk: Why human-to-human connection and empathy are more vital than ever.

Many parents worry: Is my child motivated enough?

In this episode, Terry Dubow and Minnie Wales, Director of Education for Elementary, talk about how motivation really develops—and why the ability to choose challenging work matters more than constant pushing.

Key Takeaways:

• Why real motivation grows from curiosity, not pressure
• How daily routines build independence and focus
• Ways parents can help kids choose “just-right” challenges
• Why internal drive matters more than grades

Don't forget to read Minnie's article on this topic!

Our children are growing up in a world of nonstop screens, noise, and pressure. How can we help them find calm inside the chaos?

In this episode, meditation teacher and nonprofit founder Jessica Morey joins host Sam Shapiro, Head of Marin Montessori School, to talk about how mindfulness can strengthen children’s resilience and compassion — and how parents can practice it, too.

Key Takeaways:

• Why safe, trusting relationships are the foundation of mindfulness for kids
• How mindfulness helps children respond rather than react
• What today’s teens are really seeking — and how it’s changed in the age of screens
• Simple mindfulness activities for children and families
• Why parents’ own practice matters most

Why do so many families find this stretch of the school year so hard? The adrenaline of the new year has faded, but the pace hasn’t slowed down. In this episode, Terry Dubow talks with Siri Panday, Marin Montessori’s Director of Education for Toddler and Primary, about how families can navigate this stressful season with more grace, calm, and connection.

Key Takeaways:

• Why transitions often intensify family stress even after the “back-to-school” period.

• How consistent routines offer emotional stability for both children and parents.

• Why letting children experience age-appropriate struggle builds resilience.

• Practical tips to ease mornings, strengthen rhythm, and release the pressure of “perfect parenting.”

• How Montessori principles offer a humane, sustainable path for families during busy seasons.

Wonder is not a luxury; it is essential for raising curious, resilient, and joyful children. In this episode, Terry Dubow, Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Marin Montessori School, talks with Tree Sturman, Director of the Junior High, about how modern childhood can crowd out wonder and how Montessori education creates space for children to stay curious and connected.

Key Takeaways

• How modern childhood squeezes out wonder
• Why Montessori intentionally protects curiosity
• The connection between wonder, resilience, and learning
• Practical ways parents can nurture wonder at home
• Why protecting wonder matters in an anxious world

About Tree Sturman

Tree has spent his career in passionate pursuit of a better world. After a decade leading environmental nonprofits, he co-founded Compass Montessori Junior High in Michigan and guided its growth for 11 years. A lifelong learner with a gift for connecting with adolescents, Tree brings deep experience, curiosity, and a love of hands-on learning to his work at Marin Montessori School.

While artificial Intelligence is changing schools, the most important work remains human. In this episode, Marin Montessori Head of School, Sam Shapiro, talks with Jenny Elliott, Head of Student and Academic Life at Choate Rosemary Hall, about what one of the nation’s most respected boarding schools has learned after a year of experimenting with generative AI.

Key takeaways from this conversation:

• Why Choate chose to engage with AI rather than ignore or ban it.

• How student-facing guidelines clarified expectations and built integrity.

• Ways schools can protect creativity and ethical reasoning in an AI era.

• Why “friction” in learning still matters and how to preserve it.

• How educators can model discernment and intentionality with AI use.

• Practical steps schools can take to engage parents and students in the conversation.

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This episode offers insights and encouragement for parents, educators, and leaders seeking to keep learning meaningful in a rapidly changing world.

For more about Choate's approach to AI, click here!

In a time when parents face rising pressure to get everything right, this episode offers something rare and essential: a deeply honest, poetic, and practical conversation about the transformative power of self-compassion.

Join Marin Montessori School’s Head of School, Sam Shapiro, and guest Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, celebrated poet and parent educator, as they explore what it means to parent with grace instead of perfection.

Drawing on both research and lived experience, Rosemerry offers a path toward parenting that’s emotionally sustainable—and deeply human.

Together, they discuss:

• What self-compassion really is (and why it’s not indulgent)
• How it benefits our health, motivation, and relationships
• The link between grace for ourselves and connection with our children
• The latest science from Dr. Kristin Neff and the field of self-compassion research
• Why embracing our own imperfections is a powerful parenting act

Whether you’re navigating daily struggles or simply looking to show up with more presence and care, this conversation is a powerful reminder: we teach our children not by being perfect—but by being real.