If you’ve been keeping up with us lately, you know we’ve been talking about interesting connections between education and business world as part of our series titled “Education & the Changing Workforce.” In our most recent entry, we painted a picture of a unique event hosted on a university campus that illustrated the stark differences between the traditional American educational method and that of Montessori schools. Today, we’ll continue the discussion by explaining the differences between these two methods in a more detail.

In literature displays across the country, you can stories or special notices about the Montessori Method. The public interest persists, and it makes sense that it does. Many of us have never heard of the Montessori Method, and, if we have, our understanding rarely does it justice.

My attempt to define the Montessori Method goes something like this: It is a type of school that fosters an environment conducive to self-directed and self-corrected learning, appreciation for all fields of study, and development of practical life skills. Teachers are not called teachers, but “directors” or “guiders” instead. These directors or guiders communicate to students that they should perform well for themselves, not for adults, or other children. This approach is believed to be beneficial to the development of the student’s creative and imaginative domains. If true, this is an interesting concept, for if students adopt a resourceful way of doing things at a young age, it becomes a part of how they work, solve problems, and develop their communication skills.

In addition to fostering a self-directed style of learning, the Montessori Method is one that encourages students to understand any topic from a multitude of different angles – is the number one (1) still number one (1) without the numbers two (2), three (3), or four (4)? Is ‘American History’ the same without ‘South American History’ or ‘European History?’

This approach is built upon the idea that learning should be natural, and one should learn relative to what he or she can sense and understand. The reality is that Children are not small adults; they don’t think the same way, they are not required to think about the same things, and they don’t have the same physical capabilities. Montessori “directors” understand this reality, and, in turn, abandon the concept of “teaching” or “lecturing,” and focus instead on guiding students by asking questions that challenge and inspire them to learn and grow on their own.

Come back next time for the next part in the series, where we explore the potential effect the next generation of Montessori students will have on the American workforce and business world.

No matter what your business, appearance is important. Cluttered, disorganized display units have a repelling effect on the customer, while an uncluttered, neatly arranged counter display is a visual treat. A neatly arranged unit enhances the impact a product has on the customer.

When a visitor arrives in a shop or a store, the counter display units make an important statement. This first impression can be good or bad and may be influenced by the state and style of the counter display along with the arrangement of the displayed items. It speaks volumes about your creativity, efficiency, and the attention you give to these necessary details. Carefully consider the options available in the market before deciding on one.

Cater to your clientèle

When selecting your store displays, keep in mind the type of messages you are sending to your customers. You can use cardboard easel displays in a convenience store, discount store, or fashion aimed at younger demographics. These types of counter-top displays can be great in the right setting and it is relatively inexpensive to brand them with printed graphics. They’re wonderful for short-term promotions and can be saved for repeat sales or seasons. You may consider something a little more elegant or sturdy for high-end stores or to display items that you sell year-round.

Protect product on counter tops

Acrylic display cases are attractive counter top additions. Displaying jewelry, rare baseball cards, watches, or anything you don’t want easily stolen or touched in a display case is a good solution. Acrylic boxes are also durable and inexpensive. You can decide which type of acrylic display cases you would like to use in your store based on the interior style of your store and the clientèle you are targeting.

Little details

Don’t forget about displaying gift cards by the register if your store offers them. This small step can do wonders to increase your sales and market your store to more customers. Brochures, business cards and promotional fliers should be displayed in a professional way, rather than stacked on the counter which creates a cluttered feel.

The bottom line

Keep everything nice and neat, well-lit, and visible to your customers. Capitalize on the opportunity to rack up last minute sales. Invest in high-quality, high-impact marketing materials and counter top displays. Follow this advice and let us know if you notice any changes to your bottom line.