Karen Pearce

Karen Pearce is a Director of Pedagogy at The Montessori Place in Brighton, UK, where she mentors the first plane guides. She has 35 years of Children's House experience and she lectures and runs workshops across Europe.

Meet Karen
Events & Mentorings with Karen

Karen Pearce

Karen Pearce is a Director of Pedagogy at The Montessori Place in Brighton, UK, where she mentors the first plane guides. She has 35 years of Children's House experience and she lectures and runs workshops across Europe.

Meet Karen
Events & Mentorings with Karen

Meet Karen Pearce!

Karen Pearce is a Director of Pedagogy at The Montessori Place in Brighton, UK, where she mentors the first plane guides. She has 35 years of Children's House experience and she lectures and runs workshops across Europe.

Karen's specialization:

Leading Mentoring Programs for Guides

Guiding Parent Education and Engagement

Observation in the Classroom

Workshop Leader for over 25 Years

Karen Pearce is a co founder and Director of Pedagogy at The Montessori Place in Brighton, UK, where she mentors the Children's House guides. 

Karen trained at the Maria Montessori Institute (MMI) in London in 1989, with Lynne Lawrence being the Director of training. 

She went on to lead one of their model children’s houses for 18 years before becoming head of school, lecturer and course leader in the post diploma course in Observation. Throughout her years with the MMI she was extremely privileged to be mentored by world renowned trainer of trainer Mrs Hilla Patell. 

She has 36 years of Children's House experience and she lectures and runs workshops across Europe and Asia. Karen also offers a weekly online Montessori mentorship programme, Montessori Unwrapped, to support guides in putting theory into practice. 

Who is Karen?

Karen Pearce is a co founder and Director of Pedagogy at The Montessori Place in Brighton, UK, where she mentors the Children's House guides. 

Karen trained at the Maria Montessori Institute (MMI) in London in 1989, with Lynne Lawrence being the Director of training. 

She went on to lead one of their model children’s houses for 18 years before becoming head of school, lecturer and course leader in the post diploma course in Observation. Throughout her years with the MMI she was extremely privileged to be mentored by world renowned trainer of trainer Mrs Hilla Patell. 

She has 36 years of Children's House experience and she lectures and runs workshops across Europe and Asia. Karen also offers a weekly online Montessori mentorship programme, Montessori Unwrapped, to support guides in putting theory into practice. 

Where can you meet with Karen ?

UPCOMING: Child's Mind in Motion: From Attention to Concentration

May 24-25, 2025
The "Child's Mind in Motion: From Attention to Concentration" workshop is tailored for Montessori guides working with children aged 3 to 6. Led by Karen Pearce, this online event aims to deepen participants' understanding of fostering concentration in children, enhancing their ability to make conscious choices, and exploring the impact on normalization.
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The Art of Observation: Seeing is Believing

Recordings
Watch recordings from this hands-on online workshop with experienced mentor Karen Pearce to go from data to development - streamline your daily observation tasks in a busy 3-6 Montessori classroom, effectively analyze them, and create bespoke learning programs to support the unique developmental needs of each child.
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A Survival Guide: How to Start a 3-6 Montessori Class

Preparing for August, 2025
This course offers practical advice and inspiration for confidently starting your journey as a Montessori guide in a 3-6 classroom. Learn how to effectively plan daily activities, manage common challenges, and foster children's independence in alignment with Montessori principles. Registration for Future Dates Sign up now and be the first to know when the new dates are announced!
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What do Karen's students say about her?

Hi Miss Karen, thank you for such a humbling experience. This workshop made me want to thrive to be better not for my excellence but for the children I worked with and the adults I worked with. You have overflowing experience in your hands yet you shared it to us with all humility. 🙂 Thank you.
Workshop How to Start a 3-6 Montessori Classroom (2024)
Karen, thank you so much. I always learn so much from you, and you are a very approachable person who supports the guides, and this is simply wonderful. Sometimes it’s hard to find someone who continues to inspire and nurture our perspective after the major trainings.
Workshop How to Start a 3-6 Montessori Classroom (2024)
You are simply amazing, you made my heart happy and full of love. I heard so many wonderful things about you and I am so happy that finally I met you! I hope to see you as often as I could. Your workshop was inspiring, the information are clear and valuable, your energy is contagious (in a good way), and all of your examples and ideas were divine! You are inspiring! Thank you!
Workshop How to Start a 3-6 Montessori Classroom (2024)
Thank you, Karen, for such an inspiring and enriching workshop. Your guidance on the art of observation has truly transformed the way I approach and understand the children in my care. I deeply appreciate your passion and expertise, which made this learning experience both meaningful and enjoyable.
Workshop Art of Observation (2024)
"Literally an eye opener! Such valuable information! I am SHOCKED that this is not a part of our Montessori Training."
Workshop participant, 2022
"The stories that Karen shared were relatable, at times funny & helpful. I also very much appreciated the practical aspects of the workshop; the grids and examples Karen shared so that we can go about implementing the scientific observations in our environments was very useful."
Workshop participant, 2022
"It was so insightful and life changing. I have struggled for a while now with how to effectively observe. I have been doing it wrong..."
Workshop participant, 2022
"Karen shared an amazing content and the personal reflections made it so real. Explanations of how to bring the Work Curves into our nursery were wonderful."
Workshop participant, 2022
"I liked the fact I could gain strategies to put in use immediately in the class."
Workshop participant, 2022
"I like the way Karen Pearce talked about observation, and the fact that she herself works in an environment. She has direct feedback on what works and what wouldn't with the children."
Workshop participant, 2022
"It was so practical - specific procedures on how to set up classroom observations as well as specific procedures on how to monitor a child's interest and plan lessons for them."
Workshop participant, 2022
"I observe children at work. But there aren't many courses where observation is a major part of it. That's why I found this course interesting because it was all about observation all the time."
Workshop participant, 2022

Related resources

Montessori Observation and Record keeping

Watch/read my conversation with Madlena and understand the importance of knowing why we observe and why we keep records of our observations in the Montessori classroom. There are things we absolutely need to know and things that are less critical.
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Studying AMI Diploma Course – What to Expect?

Embarking on a journey to become a Montessori guide is far more than an educational endeavor—it’s a deeply personal transformation. Madlena Ulrich, AMI 3-6 Trainer, shared during a recent episode of “Talks with Mirka” how the process touches every aspect of who we are, from self-discipline to creativity, and even humor.
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