We were lucky to catch up with Pamela Green recently and have shared our conversation below.

Pamela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I feel that the path I began traveling towards creating my present business, Ananda Montessori, began many years ago. In 1981, I first entered a Montessori school, as part of a university course I was taking on education. Being in this environment, experiencing a place created for the child with adults offering guidance as needed, answered a longing I held for how I envisioned serving children and families. I had found a place of self-learning and study, and a few years later I was teaching in my first Montessori classroom.

During this same time I also entered into the observation and study of the very early life of the family; the time of pregnancy and birth. Through a pregnant friend I met home birth midwives, and attended her first birth at home, in 1986. Another longing was answered in me, though in both cases this began a process that grew over time. Over the next decades I studied, was mentored, taught, and became Head of the same Montessori school I first entered in 1981. As well I gave birth to my first child at home, then a second, and started educating parents in preparation for birth, and began attending births from 1989 until this present moment, when I am on call for a birth.

I became a Montessori parent and now grandparent, and I experienced how my path as a parent was enriched through the support and guidance I received from mentors. So for the past 35 years I have been guiding, facilitating, and mentoring parents, through classes, groups, and workshops. Through my work with families I am grateful for what I continue to learn from them, and I remember how having support for myself in my parenting was profound in my own life.

Over these years I often imagined how beautiful it would be to create an environment where all of my practices of Montessori would come together. To serve women in pregnancy, birth, with childbirth education, to facilitate classes where I could bring the living process of learning to both parents and children at the same time, and to expand my services in ways that were yet unknown to me.

All of these threads began weaving themselves together in 2013 when I left my work as teacher and administrator of a large Montessori school with the intention of giving time to creating a place where parents and children learn together, At almost this same moment I heard of a training to become a Montessori Parent-Infant and Child Facilitator, and I took that training. As I studied and was mentored, I realized this was another answer to my deep questions of how to bring what I was experiencing to my own community, In the process I realized there are very few of these programs or schools in the US and worldwide, and none within hundreds of miles from where I live. So I began this process, driven by the memory of my own desire to be guided and respected as a parent on my unique path. I had no family enrolled yet, but my husband and I began preparing a space in our own home for these classes, holding trust through what I knew would speak to others. Then the first child came, and four years later we moved to a space in a large storefront, where I presently facilitate classes five days a week, now in my tenth year. I have had parents traveling two hours each way to attend class, along with those from in my own community, continuing to answer my wonder of whether this is worthwhile and essential.

I am excited to be located in a storefront where the community of Ananda is part of the larger community outside of our windows. People passing by can observe, as the children observe them, as well. In the past several years I have also expanded my personal services, by speaking at conferences, consulting and presenting talks virtually worldwide, as well as parenting groups and workshops. At the present time I can be found virtually in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Canada, New Zealand, and in the US. One of my favorite activities two or three times a year is in offering a six-week virtual training to others who wish to bring Montessori Parent-Infant and Child classes to their countries and communities.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

(Much of this was answered in my previous answer but I will add a bit)

What I offer to the children, parents, families, teachers, and to women during pregnancy, labor and birth, is an honoring of their work as their process. I bring my presence, as fully as I can, to observe and to enter with my guidance in ways that do not disrupt the personal learning of those I am with. I respect the wisdom of others, which is not mine, though I do bring my own wisdom, intuition, and experience as I feel this is needed and helpful.

I feel that I am in a continual preparation of learning, which is supported through the work that I do. I don’t know everything, but I can offer possibilities and understanding that may shift perspective and experiences. My intention is to observe, guide, and to listen, which to me is a non-linear process.

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I chose a new path in leaving my work as teacher and Head of School for over 25 years, because I wanted to create a merging of what I offered, in a new environment. This was difficult, moving into an unknown experience of my personal identity and standing on my own. A spacious time, a time of discovery, as well as challenging beliefs about myself, what I wanted, and a wonder of how to move forward. I had been in a leadership role for many years, with others as my staff, but then in 2013 as I left this school, I entered into a strengthening of myself, and moving from my desire and vision, which was evolving as I evolved.

During any change in life, with career, health, family, I have found that this can bring about a profound shifting in perceptions and perspectives. It is also a time to focus on self-care and receiving support, and to try and ask for help as needed.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

In 2013 I began on social media through Linkedin, and I found a wonderful community of Montessorians who had been practicing for many years, as well as others who were in their beginning process of learning. I discovered that as I brought myself forward and shared, that others were supportive and inspiring for me. Lots of networking and mentorship.

I also started up three Facebook business pages, which have grown in size, in my audience, which is now very global. I would say that starting on Facebook helped me to move forward and to define who I am, what I do, and to offer guidance as well. This has been very helpful for me, so I would recommend these platforms, as well as Instagram.

My audience has come to me through social media, as well as my being found through others in my industry. I have often been interviewed through many forms, and this continues. My presence on social media has opened up doorways into presenting in numerous conferences, as well as beginning my own courses and trainings.

The main thing I have learned is to bring what I experience, what I do, who I am, what I offer, to as many social media platforms as I can. I think having discernment of what matches your vision is essential. I post often, and use my judgement as guidance of what to post. I don’t do much with boosting of posts and advertising on social media, as I haven’t found this to make a difference, for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pamelagreen.podia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pamelagreent30/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anandamontessorichildrenshouse
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-green-81bb5375/

Image Credits
All are my photos