Media

Reimagining Education To Help Students Reach FULL Potential

Montessori education, student growth, child development, and trust in learning — this episode of Now What? with Yogi Patel dives into what truly helps children and adults thrive. What happens when we stop grading, stop interrupting, and start trusting?

Mistakes Build Confidence: Montessori’s Hidden Strength

What if we embraced mistakes as essential to growth in parenting, education, and leadership?

In this clip from the Now What? with Yogi Patel podcast, renowned Montessori educator and author Paula Lillard Preschlack explains how children in Montessori environments are encouraged to make mistakes, self-correct, and build confidence through their own discovery process.

Instead of being corrected or graded, students learn to trust themselves and it changes everything.

🎙️ About the Guest:

Paula is the author of The Montessori Potential and a passionate advocate for respectful, child-centered education, and an author of the book The Montessori Potential. Her work has helped thousands of families, educators, and school leaders embrace a more empowering approach to raising and guiding children.

Children Learn Best Through Self-Correction

In this clip from the Now What? with Yogi Patel podcast, Montessori educator and author Paula Lillard Preschlack explains how children build resilience by recognizing and correcting their own mistakes.

Rather than being told they’re wrong, Montessori children are guided by materials and inner motivation—developing self-discipline, confidence, and problem-solving skills. What if we trusted our teams and families to learn the same way? This is one of the core insights from Paula’s book, The Montessori Potential, and a guiding principle of Positive Discipline.

Montessori, Mistakes & Resilience: Paula Preschlack on How Children Learn Through Challenge

What if the secret to raising confident, capable, and self-motivated children wasn’t found in praise, rewards, or perfection — but in how we allow them to make mistakes?

In this powerful episode of Now What? with Yogi Patel, Montessori leader and author ‪@PaulaLillardPreschlack‬ breaks down how Montessori education encourages children to learn from their errors without shame or judgment.

We talk about:

  • Why traditional schooling can discourage creativity and resilience
  • How Montessori materials help children correct their own mistakes  independently
  • The lifelong benefits of learning how to “figure it out” instead of needing to be told
  • Why challenge-seeking is linked to well-being, and how we can nurture that mindset
  • What Montessori graduates bring to the workplace and why it matters

If you’re a parent, educator, or leader, this episode is a must-listen. Paula’s message is deeply encouraging and reminds us that true learning is found in the process, not the grade.

Try this: Let your child or student fix a mistake on their own and just observe what they do with it. That’s the magic.

🎧 Listen now and see what changes in how you approach learning, leadership, and self-trust.

Now What? Podcast: Montessori Insights with Paula Lillard Preschlack

In this episode of the Now What? Podcast, host Yogi Patel sits down with Paula Lillard Preschlack, author of ‘The Montessori Potential’, to explore how Montessori education can shape children into future leaders.  Paula shares stories from her decades as a Montessori teacher and school head, revealing how interest-led learning and positive discipline practices help children develop confidence, independence, and strong character.

‪@YogiPatelTTE‬  and ‪@PaulaLillardPreschlack‬  discuss practical parenting tips, like handling mistakes with compassion, and connect these lessons to leadership training in adulthood. Whether you’re a parent, educator, or leader, this conversation offers inspiring insights you can use today.

Together, Paula and Yogi explore:

  • The generational legacy of Montessori in Paula’s life and career
  • What truly defines authentic Montessori environments
  • How children thrive when we trust in their self-construction
  • The long-term impact of Montessori graduates on society and well-being
  • Why Montessori still matters even more in today’s fast-paced, tech-driven world

With stories from Paula’s book The Montessori Potential and insights from decades of classroom and leadership experience, this episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, policymakers, and anyone passionate about nurturing lifelong learners and compassionate leaders.

The Montessori Potential-Book Webinar, May 2024

Paula answers audience questions about Montessori today, and talks about her book, closing up the first 18 months since the release of THE MONTESSORI POTENTIAL.

Maria Montessori’s Potential for Education presented by Paula Lillard Preschlack

Paula Lillard Preschlack speaks virtually for the Montessori Schools and Centers of Australia (MSCA) conference on August 31st, 2023. Topics of authenticity and how Montessori practices support children's development and education are explored. This is a special tribute on Maria Montessori's birthday!