A Whirlwind Adventure at the WMA 2025 Conference
Hello everyone! I just had a great experience presenting at the Wisconsin Montessori Alliance (WMA) 2025 conference this year. The whole weekend felt like a whirlwind. On Friday night, I coached several basketball games, then quickly hit the road for the five-ish hour drive from Chicago to River Falls, Wisconsin. It was a long journey, but thankfully, my presentation wasn't scheduled until the afternoon, so I could catch up on sleep during the drive.
Upon arrival, I was greeted by the biting cold, just enough to make you question whether your car battery would survive the next start-up. However, the University of River Falls campus, even in the dead of winter, is absolutely beautiful. The student center, where my presentation was to be held, was a pleasant surprise. The space they had lined up for my presentation was massive—much larger than what I'm typically accustomed to. Normally, I find myself in a room about the size of a typical classroom. But to my delight, I had the luxury of a space about the size of an indoor gym! The student center had this incredible area where students could study, relax, play games, and hang out. The large, open space allowed the participants to experience significant differences in distances depending on which location they were playing that round. I was so inspired by the space that I’m already considering future presentation ideas for when WMA returns to River Falls.
As the attendees began to play, they quickly got into the rhythm of the game. Of course, they didn’t win the first round (No one ever does!). Still, they began to understand a crucial lesson by the second game. While the game is competitive, it requires a level of cooperation between all teams to succeed. Seeing them embrace this dynamic and figure out how to balance individual and collective goals was exciting. One of my favorite insights from the post-game discussion was a powerful metaphor that emerged. Participants extended the concept of sustainability beyond just environmental resources to include personal energy and well-being. Just like the game teaches us to replenish and manage our resources wisely, it's a reminder that we must actively replenish our energy to stay healthy, productive, and balanced.
After the presentation, I treated myself to some delicious Wisconsin cheese curds and Spotted Cow and caught a little bit of football before beginning the five-hour journey back home. It was a quick but meaningful trip, and I want to thank Ann Epstein for allowing me to present this year. Looking ahead, I’m already excited about the next WMA conference in 2026!
Those who could not attend the conference can download the lesson plan for the Sustainability Game for free! Just click the below to go straight to the lesson plan. I hope you and your students enjoy the game as much as we do!
