Author: Judy Donovan

Judy Donovan is a Montessori teacher who has been teaching for 35 years. While much of her career has been in the private Montessori setting, she also worked for five years in the public school system. She has developed an exciting program called Gifts and Challenges. This process creates a classroom culture of emotional safety and balanced self-awareness, which fosters naturally confident learners. The program was initiated 15 years ago, and has grown and deepened within a working Montessori classroom. On-going incorporation of creative ideas from Judy, as well as input from the students themselves, have made this an integral part of the school culture. While developed in a Montessori school, the application of these concepts would be effective in any classroom setting. Judy believes that there is a special call for educators to teach their students emotional literacy and to foster compassion among the students toward themselves and their classmates, at any point in the learning process. Donovan has presented these ideas at in-service teacher training events in California and now hopes to further share these ideas through her book. I have always seen my role as an advocate for children and their right to learn free from self-doubt, said Donovan. In sharing these ideas with teachers and parents, it is my wish that you will find in Gifts and Challenges an invaluable and inspiring aid for helping the children in your care to reach their full potential as learners and to have an exhilarating time along the way. In her free time, Judy is an artist. She has applied these principles to challenges in her artwork. She has found that the enduring message of honoring your gifts and rising to your challenges is not just for children in the classroom, but really for all of us. Judy Donovan lives in Napa, California with her husband, Lauren Hunt.