Few individuals embody the spirit and lasting impact of Montessori education quite like Biff Maier. A beloved educator, leader, and storyteller, Biff’s journey with the American Montessori Society began nearly five decades ago. From his first AMS conference as a young intern to his many roles as teacher, board member, and now podcast host, Biff has played a meaningful role in shaping the direction and heart of AMS.
How and when did you first get involved with AMS, and how has being a part of this organization shaped your personal or professional journey?
My very first experience with AMS was in 1976, when the national conference was at the historic Netherland Hilton in Cincinnati. I was an intern in the Xavier program and had no money, and I asked Cleo Monson if I could volunteer at the conference to pay my way. She agreed, gave me some work to do, and I attended the conference. Years later, I started instructing with CMTE/NY and started giving my own workshops at conferences. When Ken Bronsil was stepping down as chair of the AMS Teachers’ Section, he asked me to run for the position, and that began my work on the AMS board.
My big project was the Teachers’ Section Touring Symposium. I loved working on the board with Carole Korngold, Marie Dugan, Margy Knollman, Dottie Feldman, Bob Pickering, and others. Involvement with AMS has made my world bigger. It has made the context national—and even international—instead of local. I am so happy when teachers tell me an idea or a story I told at a conference workshop has helped them and stuck with them. This work keeps me in touch with Montessori’s vision of world-changing education.
What roles have you held in your Montessori career?
I’ve been an Upper Elementary teacher, director of faculty and curriculum development, and head of school, and was president of the Cincinnati Montessori Society. I’ve been the Elementary curriculum director for the Center for Montessori Teacher Education. I’ve presented at AMS workshops (including as a Montessori Voice). Within AMS, I’ve been a board member, including chairing the Teachers’ Section and chairing a national director search committee; I’ve been an accreditation team member and chair; I’ve been involved in Instructor Academy and the Emerging Leaders Fellowship; and I’m a host of the new AMS podcast.
Involvement with AMS has made my world bigger. It has made the context national—and even international— instead of local…. This work keeps me in touch with Montessori’s vision of world changing education.
What roles have you held in your Montessori career?
I have several. In 2020, I had arrived in Dallas for the Annual Conference when the pandemic abruptly aborted the event. It suddenly was so quiet as everyone who was already in the hotel started leaving. The AMS staff and folks like me were hanging around in the office area, dazed and supporting each other. Chia-hsun (Johnson) Chang and Iris Lee were there from Taiwan, sharing their experiences with everyone on what to do in a pandemic. I remember how calm and accessible both Munir Shivji and Gina Lofquist were as we faced an unknown and scary future. In 2021, still due to Covid, the Annual Conference had to be held virtually.
I was the AMS Living Legacy for that year, and originally the conference had been slated for an in-person event in Boston, where I was looking forward to a fun celebration on my home turf. When Covid had calmed down, Munir hosted a party at his Cambridge house. It was a gracious gesture on his part, and we all shared the warm and wonderful community of the Society. I even got to use a champagne saber! I remember one amusing story from AMS’s 50th anniversary conference, in New York City in 2007. A large Montessori contingent came from Korea. We were having a celebration in Bretta Weiss Wolff’s honor, and the Koreans present began bowing to us. AMS leadership returned the bow, and the Koreans did the same, and no one seemed to know how to make it stop!
In what areas do you think AMS should work to make an impact in the next 65 years?
I am happy about the initiatives taken by AMS: robust and persistent work on diversity and equity; ambitious and demanding professional development for teachers and teacher educators; deep learning about reading and writing; a rich array of professional development videos available online. All of this is making our teachers stronger and our Society increasingly professional. The nagging question is always, How can we make the Montessori educational experience available and accessible to more children? How can we collaborate with others while protecting the soul and mission of this method? We continue to serve only a tiny fraction of the nation’s and the world’s children. I believe Montessori’s vision that the world’s citizenry will be changed, that the world will be made peaceful and sustainable, when a critical mass of children have grown up in Montessori culture. How do we get greater access to make this a reality?
Biff Maier has been a steady presence in the Montessori community, offering perspective, encouragement, and connection across generations of educators. You can hear more from Biff on Educating the Human Potential, the official podcast of the American Montessori Society. Listen at amshq.org/podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.Being a Montessori guide is no easy task, but it is joyful, impactful, and necessary.