Jewish Passover: Connecting Montessori Activities with Cultural Celebrations

Last year, my Montessori students were fascinated as some of their classmates told the story of Passover to the rest of the class. My Passover “experts” knew almost all of the answers to the questions their classmates asked, and then as a class, we researched the answers to the questions they did not know. This year, we are planning to bake unleavened bread and yeast bread, which will nicely tie in with discussing the history of Passover and its relationship with unleavened bread. This will also be an opportunity to observe chemical reactions, and integrate the Montessori sciences curriculum!

This year from April 9-16, Jewish people around the world will celebrate the Feast of Passover (Pesach in Hebrew). Passover is one of the most important religious holidays in the Jewish faith; it celebrates Moses leading the children of Israel from Egypt. Passover has been celebrated since 1300 BC. The story of Passover can be found in the Book of Exodus. The Israelites (The Children of Israel) had been slaves in Egypt for 210 years. God promised to release them, but the Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites. God sent 10 plagues to Egypt that affected the Egyptians but not the Israelites. The Nile turned to blood, frogs ran all over Egypt, and dust turned to lice. Swarms of flies poured over the land and all livestock died. There were boils, hail and locusts. Egypt was completely dark for three days. The final plague was the plague of the firstborn son. During this time, an angel would kill every firstborn son that was not an Israelite. Israelites would mark their doors with blood of a lamb and this way the angel would know to “passover” this house. The Egyptians were so scared the Pharaoh told the Israelites to leave. They took unleavened bread on their journey (they did not have time to add yeast) and lived off of this bread for the first days of their journey.

Today, Jewish people celebrate by cleaning their houses in preparation for Passover. They rid their homes of all chametz (leaven). Not only does this commemorate the Jewish people leaving Egypt with unleavened bread, but also symbolizes removing “puffiness” (arrogance and pride) from their souls. A Jewish person may not eat chametz during Passover. During Passover, there are days of rest, a fast for firstborns and seder meals. Seder means order and everything about the meals including the plates and cutlery is special. A book called the Haggadah is read. It tells the story of the Jewish experience in Egypt. It also contains these four questions: Why do we eat unleavened bread? Why do we eat bitter herbs? Why do we dip our food in liquid? and Why do we eat in a reclining position? Usually, the youngest member of the celebration asks these questions of their father. Interestingly, the questions should be asked spontaneously, yet the celebration cannot begin until they have been asked.

Montessori Activities

• Since seder means order, having a seder meal is a perfect activity for a Montessori classroom. Montessori students of all ages will enjoy the food and order!
• Try something new and excite your students at the same time. Use PowerPoint or MovieMaker to make a “movie” to introduce your students to Jewish Passover.
• Ask your Jewish students if they would like to be your Passover experts and present a lesson to the other students. They could create 3-part nomenclature cards for Passover vocabulary, the ten plagues, or the sequence of Passover events.
• Through the course of the school year, have small groups select different holidays, festivals and celebrations to research. As these groups share their research with the class, discuss similarities and differences between cultures and religions.
• Challenge the students to find the answers to the four questions.
• Discuss slavery throughout history.

Suggested Books

• The Passover Seder, by Emily Sper
• Sammy Spider's First Passover, by Sylvia A. Rouss and Katherine Janus Kahn
• The Matzah Man: A Passover Story, by Naomi Howland
• My First Passover, by Tomie dePaola
• Only Nine Chairs: A Tall Tale for Passover, by Deborah Uchill Miller
• Miriam’s Cup: A Passover Story, by Fran Manushkin and Bob Dacey
• P is for Passover, by Tanya Lee Stone
• Creating Lively Passover Seders: A Sourcebook of Engaging Tales, Texts & Activities, by David Arnow

Source and Resource: Religion & Ethics: Judaism (includes answers to the Four Questions)

Cultural celebrations provide a special opportunity for peace education in the Montessori classroom, at any age. Understanding and embracing diversity is an important aspect of childhood education, and learning about other cultures through celebrations is a wonderful way to foster shared respect and tolerance.

If you have any Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten activity ideas to share with us, don’t forget to submit them for our blog contest! Further details are provided at the following link: NAMC Montessori Web Blog Writing Contest

Montessori: Nurturing the Authentic Child

What is the meaning of Authentic? Etymologically speaking, it is derived from the Greek root authentiko, which means “author”. The Authentic Child is a child who is allowed to develop or “author” himself.

According to Pia Melody (The Intimacy Factor: The Ground Rules for Overcoming the Obstacles to Truth, Respect, and Lasting Love. Harper Collins. 2004), there are five essential attributes of the Authentic Child. These attributes are deeply connected to the child’s inherent sense of self-worth.

• Vulnerability
• Nascent reason (the inborn ability to recognize truth)
• Dependence
• Appropriate immaturity (the ability to act one’s own age)
• Exhuberant energy.

Maria Montessori became aware of the Authentic Child over 100 years ago. By careful observation, she found the intrinsic spiritual treasures that children own. As she designed her Montessori classrooms to meet the child’s developmental needs and interests, these spiritual treasures came to light, revealing to her the idea of the “Authentic Child”.

Traits of the Authentic Montessori Child

• Self-Confident
• Independent
• Cooperative
• Thoughtful
• Helpful
• Joyful Learners
• Internally Motivated
• Peaceful

Children whose authenticity has been squelched by well-meaning but often hurried or stressed adults, display other traits such as being uncooperative, bossy, self-centered, insecure, disruptive, willful, withdrawn, externally motivated, and seeming to lack interest or concentration.

Unlocking the Secret of Childhood

Maria Montessori said “It is only the power of Love that can enable the adult to come close enough to the child to understand him. Love and humility will unlock for us “the secret of childhood.” (The Secret of Childhood. Ballentine Books. 1982) Montessori believed that we must nurture the true spirit of the child in order to unveil their true potential, thus leading to a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Although parents and teachers must work together to protect the authenticity and innocence of the child, it is the influence of the parent that is most significant.

The Montessori Parent

• Recognizes the child’s authentic nature regardless of behavior.
• Is patient and reflects the child’s light and spiritual treasures.
• Is centered in love.
• Models peaces.
• Creates home and school environments which support authenticity.

How can this happen? What does this look like? According to Sonnie McFarland of Shining Mountain Press, parents who nurture authentic children do so not only physiologically but emotionally as well. Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, she lists ways in which parents can encourage authenticity in their children.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Physiological Needs

• Regular, healthy meals
• Good sleeping habits
• Comfortable home environment
• Appropriate clothing
• Good health

Safety Needs

• Regular routines
• Consistent patterns
• Safe home environment
• Supportive emotional climate
• Sensible boundaries

Belonging Needs

• Involvement & contribution
• Empowerment
• Justice & fairness
• Withdrawal from conflict

Esteem Needs

• Unconditional love
• Mutual respect
• Appreciation
• Independence
• Confidence in child’s abilities

Self-Actualization Needs

• Love of learning
• Enthusiastic role models
• Opportunities to learn
• Effective communication

Parents also nurture authenticity by teaching effective communication and problem-solving skills. They shy away from the “Reward and Punishment” model, acknowledging that it stifles the child’s development of self-discipline by taking away the opportunity for them to make their own decisions and learn by logical and natural consequences.

Children have an innate drive to manifest their own will and potential. The way they construct themselves is the “secret” of childhood. As adults, it is ever so important that we respect this inner construct and honor and preserve their authentic nature.

"I see your love. I see it sparkle in your eyes. I see it when you smile. I bring my heart to you. I trust and respect you for who you are and who you will become. I will be with you wherever you wish to stand. You are safe and I love you." (McFarland, Sonnie, Honoring the Light of the Child - Activities to Nurture Peaceful Living Skills in Young Children. Shining Mountain Press. p. 11.)

NAMC’s Montessori Classroom Guides discuss how to prepare your Montessori classroom to meet each child’s developmental needs and interests.

NAMC Montessori Web Blog Writing Contest

Share your Experiences and Ideas with the Montessori Community

As Montessori teachers, we are constantly seeking out information about what other Montessori teachers are doing in their classrooms. We like to know what works well so that we may try it too. Over the years, many of us have introduced lessons shared by other Montessori teachers and often, will tell our students “Another Montessori teacher created this lesson and her students really enjoyed it!”

We are always educating ourselves, preparing ourselves and our environment. We read journal articles, visit websites, and attend Montessori conferences. Many of us spend our leisure time reading Montessori blogs. At NAMC, one of our favorite things is to read the comments and suggestions left by Montessorians on our own Blog Spot. We enjoy hearing about your experiences and inspirations. It is through these articles and your comments that we feel we are really able to connect to the greater Montessori community.

Two years ago we created our own Blog Spot with all Montessorians in mind. We wanted to share information with our students, graduates, partner schools and the Montessori community at large. We’ve enjoyed this opportunity to exchange valuable information. Now we would like to open up the floor to each of you!

Every Montessori teacher is inspired and encouraged to create additional Montessori activities, extensions and materials to best suit her students’ unique needs. So, we wondered “Have you ever wanted to share your stories, your experiences, and your knowledge with the greater Montessori community?

Today we invite you to share your thoughts, your ideas and your creativity with others in the form of a written blog.

Contest Details:

Your challenge is to write about a Montessori-related topic associated with the Preschool/Kindergarten (3-6) age-level.

• Share your experiences, your knowledge, your own creative idea or activity.
• Keep it short; 500 words maximum.
• Make it original and cite all references (author, publication, date, publisher, page, or web link, etc.)
• Include at least three of the following Montessori keywords: Maria Montessori, Montessori teacher, Montessori school, Montessori classroom, Montessori student, Montessori curriculum, Montessori materials, Montessori Method, Montessori Education, Montessori training, Montessori philosophy, Montessori lesson plans, Montessori activities.
• Expect NAMC to edit the work and add appropriate, related links, as required.
• Submit your written work to namc-news@montessoritraining.net by April 15th, 2009.
• Include your full name, location, email address and telephone number, a short bio and a personal photograph (for posting with your blog).

About the Winning Blogs:

• NAMC will choose three winners.
• Blogs will be posted under your name with acknowledgement of your placement in our contest.
• Winners will be contacted prior to announcing their placement and posting their work on our Blog Spot.
• Winners will be announced on our Blog Spot, Facebook and Twitter accounts by April 30th, 2009.
• Winners may choose one NAMC curriculum manual or a complete set of our Preschool/Kindergarten (3-6) Training DVDs.
• Winning blogs will also be considered for inclusion in NAMC’s future Preschool/Kindergarten (3-6) manuals.

In the spirit of Maria Montessori, let’s gather together as a community and share the wonderful things that are happening globally in our Montessori classrooms!

Don’t forget to submit your written work to namc-news@montessoritraining.net before our contest closes on April 15th, 2009.

Best wishes!

North American Montessori Center

Questions? Comments? Email: namc-news@montessoritraining.net

Principles of the Montessori Prepared Environment

The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult. (Maria Montessori. The Secret of Childhood: Fides Publishers, 1966.)

Montessori’s idea of the prepared environment was that everything the child came in contact with would facilitate and maximize independent learning and exploration. This calm, well-ordered environment has a lot of movement and activity. Children are free to choose and work on activities at their own pace. Here, they experience a combination of freedom and self-discipline, as guided by the environment.

There are generally six aspects, or principles, to the Prepared Environment: Freedom; Structure and Order; Beauty; Nature and Reality; Social Environment; Intellectual Environment.

Freedom

Montessori believed that a child must be free to explore and follow his own natural impulses, thus developing his potential and increasing his knowledge of the world around him. Within the prepared environment, the child must experience freedom of movement, freedom of exploration, freedom to interact socially, and freedom from interference from others. This freedom ultimately leads to a greater freedom: freedom of choice.

Structure and Order

While Structure and Order seem counter-intuitive to the aforementioned freedom, nothing could be further from the truth. Structure and Order in the Montessori classroom accurately reflect the sense of structure and order in the universe. By using the Montessori classroom environment as a microcosm of the universe, the child begins to internalize the order surrounding him, thus making sense of the world in which he lives.

Montessori stated that there is a sensitive period for order which occurs between the ages of one and three years of age. This is when the child begins to draw conclusions of the world around him. If there is not order to his environment, the child’s sense of reason may be off since he will not be able to validate his findings.

This is not to say that routines or classroom set-up or ways of doing things can't change. However, it does mean that change should be carefully considered. Is this change for the good of the children? If so, it should be done carefully and its after-effects should be observed to ensure that it is of benefit to the children.

Beauty

Montessori environments should be beautiful. Whether your school is in an old Victorian mansion or in a strip-mall or in the living room of your home, the environment should suggest a simple harmony. Uncluttered and well-maintained, the environment should reflect peace and tranquility. The environment should invite the learner to come in and work. This atmosphere is easily seen by the attitude of those working there, both child and adult.

Nature and Reality

Montessori had a deep respect and reverence for nature. She believed that we should use nature to inspire children. She continually suggested that Montessori teachers take the children out into nature, rather than keeping them confined in the classroom. This is why natural materials are preferred in the prepared environment. Real wood, reeds, bamboo, metal, cotton, and glass are preferred to synthetics or plastics.

It is here where child-size real objects come into play. Furniture should be child-size so the child is not dependent on the adult for his movement. Rakes, hoes, pitchers, tongs, shovels should all fit children’s hands and height so that the work is made easier, thus ensuring proper use and completion of the work without frustration.

Social Environment

Where there is freedom to interact, children learn to encourage and develop a sense of compassion and empathy for others. As children develop, they become more socially aware, preparing to work and play in groups. This social interaction is supported throughout the environment and is encouraged with the nature of multi-age classroom settings.

Intellectual Environment

If the above aspects are not recognized, the intellectual environment will not reach its purpose. The purpose of the Montessori environment is to develop the whole personality of the child, not merely his intellect. By guiding the child through the five areas of the Montessori curriculum (Practical Life, Sensorial, Language, Mathematics, and Cultural subjects), the child has the structure which is at the forefront of the creative work in a Montessori classroom.

A lot of time and effort is involved in creating a prepared Montessori classroom that is designed to meet the individual needs of all children. Through developmentally appropriate, sensorial material that moves hierarchically from simple to complex and concrete to abstract, children are given the freedom to fully develop their unique potential through a carefully prepared learning environment.

For more information on the Montessori Prepared environment, please see these previous NAMC blogs:

• Prepared Montessori Environment: Classroom Set-Up
• Prepared Montessori Environment: Control of Error
• Prepared Montessori Environment: The Teacher

Detailed information on preparing the Montessori environment for specific age groups is provided in the NAMC Classroom Guides.

Montessori Community: Parent Education – Beyond Orientation

In an earlier blog (Educating the Montessori Parent, January 13, 2008), I wrote that “Educating parents, both current and future, about Montessori education is a win-win situation”. There is so much more to Parent Education than orientation and back-to-school nights, and this as well as future blogs are being written to provide Montessori teachers and administrators some shared ideas and guidance for communicating and working with parents.

There are basically six modes of parent education:

• Introductory
• Orientation
• Community Building
• Volunteering
• Conferences
• Parent Education Sessions

Introductory Opportunities

Montessori Parent Education begins as soon as a prospective parent makes contact with your school, usually in the form of a phone call or email inquiry. Parents are given the basic information about the school including a brief explanation of the Montessori philosophy and perhaps the mission statement of the school. They are then invited to attend an informational open house and take a school tour. There, they are given your Montessori school literature and information on the enrollment process.

Orientation Meetings

The purpose of these meetings is to share information and orient parents to your Montessori school’s policies. This is especially helpful for parents who are new to your Montessori school.

Another type of orientation is Back-to-School Night. On this night, the Montessori teachers in each classroom give an example of a ‘typical day’ in their Montessori classroom. There is usually a tour of the room, explaining the different work areas. Elementary Montessori teachers also use this time to discuss their homework policies (if there is a homework expectation). Most importantly, parents will learn the best way to contact the teacher if there are any questions or concerns.

Community Building Events

Building your Montessori Community helps develop school identity and loyalty. Activities for the whole family create a family-friendly environment. There is a wide variety of community building and service efforts to improve the overall experience of families who are a part of your school community:

• Classroom events (such as Spring Tea for parents/family)
• Whole school socials: picnic, ice cream social, square-dance, talent show, pajama story-night movie night
• Book clubs (Read books on Montessori philosophy, positive discipline, parenting strategies, etc).
• New parent dinner or gathering
• Father’s Day luncheon
• Grandparent’s Day luncheon
• Mother’s Day luncheon
• School-wide yard sale
• School-ground fall clean-up
• Building new playgrounds
• Spring planting opportunities

Parent Volunteers

Parents who volunteer within the Montessori community are able observe interactions between faculty and children in a variety of settings. It also allows them the opportunity to work alongside faculty and staff, allowing for further understanding of philosophy and the importance of language.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent conferences facilitate continued Montessori parent education and communication. During these conferences, parents may be more responsive to invitations from their classroom teacher. Teachers may want to have handouts available that outline the needs of the classroom or the school culture and community. Teachers can also share upcoming parent education opportunities during the conferences.

Parent Education Sessions

There are four steps to planning a successful parent education session: planning, implementing, notifying, and reminding. Ideally, parent education should be planned an entire year at a time. This way, parent education can be properly prepared and incorporated into the school calendar. This shows parents that you take parent education seriously and allows them to make plans to attend. It should also be posted on your school website. Put it on your homepage, on your parent’s page, and your “upcoming events” page to ensure that it gets read. As the date approaches, post it on the ‘reminder’ board at pick-up and drop-off locations, send home flyers, send reminder emails, and even have teachers call and personally invite the parents of their students. Finally, we teach our students the art of saying thank you. Be sure to thank the parents who participate in your parent education session by calling or sending a handwritten note upon completion. Your effort will not go unnoticed!

Because we care for our children, parents, grandparents and teachers should strive to make the connection between home and school. By interacting and working together, we learn the language and share in our beliefs of the Montessori child.

For more information: Montessori Community - Promoting Parent Involvement

Learn more about Montessori parent education in NAMC's Classroom Guides!

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in the Montessori Classroom

I love using cultural celebrations as an exciting way to incorporate different thematic learning across the curricular areas in my Montessori classroom. This year I am using St. Patrick’s Day to kick off a “Month of Green” that will culminate with Earth Day on April 22. Our Montessori class starts with reading books and discussing St. Patrick’s Day and Ireland. We will incorporate “green” as a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as well as a contemporary term for being environmentally conscious. Over the next month we will look at recycling, how we use and abuse natural resources, and begin to plant our school garden. The current political conflicts in Ireland provide the opportunity for activities and projects about political geography and world religions.

St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) is the religious feast day of St. Patrick and the anniversary of the saint’s death in the fifth century. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. He brought Christianity to Ireland and used the shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, which is why the color green is associated with St. Patrick’s Day. A fun children’s story explains how St. Patrick rid Ireland of snakes (which could represent evil forces.) This day has been observed by the Irish as a religious holiday for over a thousand years. Irish families attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Despite Lenten restrictions on eating meat, the Irish are able to eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day in addition to dancing and drinking.

Another popular way to celebrate is a St. Patrick’s Day parade. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade actually took place in the United States when on March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers in the English army marched through New York City. For years, there were many St. Patrick’s Day parades in New York City, but in 1848, they were united to form one large New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade. It is the world’s oldest civilian parade. It is also the largest in the United States, and has over 150,000 participants and nearly three million observers. Other cities including Boston, Chicago (famous for dyeing the Chicago River green), Philadelphia, and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades including between 10,000 to 20,000 participants.

Though Ireland is home to St. Patrick’s Day, it is celebrated by people of various backgrounds in North America and Australia. North America is home to the largest celebrations, but people celebrate as far away from Ireland as Japan, Singapore and Russia. Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Festival is a multi-day celebration held in Dublin, that almost one million people attend.

Montessori Classroom Activities

• Have a St. Patrick’s Day feast with corned beef and cabbage, green eggs and ham, and green ginger ale. Try making Irish Soda Bread (see recipe below) as a class.
• March your students through school for an educational St. Patrick’s Day parade. In each classroom, students can share a fact or two about the holiday and/or share a treat they made in keeping with the “green” theme.
• Writing limericks can be a very enjoyable and humorous language work.
• Students of all ages may enjoy art and language projects to learn more about the shamrock and its connection to Irish tradition (i.e., why is Ireland also called the Emerald Isle?).
• Elementary students can work on poetry, a play, or an art project based on Irish history. The struggles of Irish immigrants to North America are also worth studying.
• Researching saints is another activity elementary students may enjoy.
• Students of all ages may enjoy an extensive study of Tomie dePaola and his books.
• Follow the “green” theme toward environmental awareness beginning with the Shamrock on St. Patrick’s Day, and culminating on Earth Day (April 22), with activities across botany, art, music, language, history and geography disciplines.

Crafty St. Patrick’s Day ideas:

http://www.preschooleducation.com/apatrick.shtml

http://www.edhelper.com/st_patricks_day.htm

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/patrick/about.htm

Irish Soda Bread

(Source: MSNBC.com)

Irish Soda Bread is a dense quick bread that uses baking soda for leavening, rather than yeast, making it a quick and easy recipe to bake. Various recipes for soda bread are popular throughout Ireland, but American versions of Irish Soda Bread traditionally include California raisins, which add a scrumptious sweetness and also help to keep the soda bread moist.

Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 50 to 55 minutes

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 cup California raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Stir in buttermilk, butter and egg until well mixed; stir in raisins. Knead several times on a lightly floured board then shape into a ball. Place on prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly. Cut a small x in the top and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 10 servings

Books About St. Patrick’s Day

• Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland, by Tomie dePaola
• The Last Saint in Ireland: A Story About St. Patrick, by Sheila McGill-Callahan and Will Hillenbrand
• St. Patrick's Day, by Gail Gibbons
• St. Patrick's Day in the Morning, by Eve Bunting and Jan Brett
• The Story of Saint Patrick’s Day, by Patricia A. Pingry
• The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh, by Janet Nolan

Books About Ireland

• Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato, by Tomie dePaola
• Jamie O’Rourke and the Pooka, by Tomie dePaola
• O’Sullivan Stew, by Hudson Talbott
• Tales from Old Ireland, by Malachy Doyle and Niamh Sharkey
• This is Ireland, by M. Sasek
• S Is for Shamrock: An Ireland Alphabet, by Eve Bunting and Matt Faulkner

Celebrating the Holi Festival in the Montessori Classroom

As a Montessori teacher, I am always looking for ways to expose my students to various cultures and their celebrations. Not only does this exposure allow my students to learn to embrace diversity, it shows them how everyone and everything is connected. Studying Holi in a Montessori classroom can lead to discussions about how many different people in different places and times celebrated the arrival of spring. This can then lead to discussions on what happens when winter becomes spring and why that is important. The Montessori lessons on the fundamental needs of man and other lessons in cultural, physical and political geography would also be appropriate at this time.

Holi is the joyful Hindu Festival of Colors. It is celebrated over several days in early spring when the wheat is harvested. The festival marks the coming of spring and observes new life and the seasons. This year the Holi festival is celebrated on March 11th. It is an ancient Indian festival that is believed to have existed several centuries before Christ and is mentioned in stone inscriptions and in sculptures on the walls of old temples. The meaning of the festival has changed. In earlier times, the festival was a rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families.

Two traditional stories are associated with Holi. One story is about Krishna and his beloved companion, Radna. Krishna liked to play tricks on Radna and her friends, the milkmaids (gopis). It is said that during Holi, Krishna liked to pour colored water on Radna and her friends.

Another story told at Holi is about the son of King Hiranyakashyap (thought to be a demon king), Prahlad. Hiranyakashyap wanted to be worshipped instead of God. His son refused and in turn, the king ordered Prahlad’s death. Hiranyakashyap’s evil sister, Holika (for whom the festival is named) led Prahlad into a huge bonfire. She knew she was protected from fire, but did not know this was only true when she entered into a fire alone. As the story goes, Holika died and Prahlad was saved by God.

On the eve of Holi, people light fires to get rid of evil spirits. In the middle of the fire, they place a large tree branch that represents Prahlad. After the fire is burning, they remove the branch to “save” Prahlad. They might also place an effigy of Holika in the fire and allow it to burn. This represents how good always wins against evil. Everyone dresses in their best clothes for this event.

On the morning of Holi (this day is called Dhuleti), people dress in old, usually white, clothes and cover themselves and others in brightly colored paint. During this time, carts line the streets of northern India. The carts are filled with gulal (brightly colored powdered paints). Krishna is said to have used a pichkari (a brass syringe) to squirt the colored water on Radha. Children in India use many things from plastic bottles to water pistols for this fun and chaotic time. In the afternoon, the people go inside to wash off the colored paints and spend the rest of the day resting. They eat Indian candies. One candy is called laddu and is made from split pea flour and sugar syrup.

Holi Ideas for the Montessori Classroom

Depending on your climate and in an appropriate environment, students could partake in the tradition of throwing colored paint. You could use this opportunity to explore primary and secondary colors and the relationships between colors. Students can also study the medicinal herbs from which paint for this celebration was originally made.

Students could create a timeline of what is known about the history of Holi and include other corresponding world events.

Invite a Hindu parent or community member to come to class to talk about Holi, Hinduism and India. They could show pictures and artifacts and have a cooking lesson with the students.

Use the discussion of the Holi celebration to talk about other cultural spring celebrations, the seasons, different calendars, and/or major world religions.

Older students can rewrite the story of Prahlad in their own words and illustrate it using their own interpretations. Students might want to write a contemporary retelling or find similar storylines in modern fiction.

Students could perform a play about the festival of Holi or the story of Prahlad. They could do a traditional play or a production using shadow or hand puppets.

Recommended Books:

• A World of Festivals: Holi-The Hindu Festival of Colours, by Dilip Kadodwala
• Divali and Holi (Festival Fun for the Early Years), by Meg Jones
• Here Comes Holi: The Festival of Colors, by Meenal Pandya
• Holi, by Uma Krishnaswami

Sources Used & Recommended Sources:

• NAMC Cultural Geography 6-9 Manual (pages 148-150 and 160-161)
• http://www.holifestival.org/
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/religion/hinduism/holi.shtml
• http://www.open-sez-mefestivals.co.uk/holi.htm

Montessori Teacher Self-Reflection and Assessment

As a newly-trained Montessori teacher, I was given the task of submitting several, formal, self-reflections and self-assessments during my intern year. These were to be read by my immediate supervising Montessori teacher as well as the administrator of the Montessori school. Although I had completed my training and felt confident that I knew the Montessori philosophy and method, I knew I still had a lot to learn and was nervous. I had never been asked to do a formal self-assessment before and was uncertain as to the validity as well as the reasoning behind it.

Self-assessment provides the opportunity for Montessori teachers at all stages of their career to reflect upon their own practices in the Montessori classroom and environment. There are two stages of assessment: formative and summative. Formative assessments are used for continuous learning and improvement through ongoing reviews, observations, and assessments. They are used to give constructive feedback to the learner. Summative assessments of teachers are generally given at the end of the academic year and are used in the decision to issue new teaching contracts.

Self-assessment provides Montessori teachers with the opportunity to record their self-reflections as a practicing classroom teacher. These observations include the curriculum, the method, the philosophy, as well as interactions with students, parents, and colleagues. Montessori teachers are in a constant state of self-reflection as they observe and interact with their students. The self-assessment tool allows these private reflections to be shared among professionals, which further allows for authentic and constructive feedback. It also provides the background for an action plan for specific areas where improvement needs are noted. As with Montessori student evaluations, Montessori teacher self-assessments should consist of written narrative responses. These responses provide the most accurate means for self-reflection.

It is important for all teachers in your Montessori school to know and apply your school’s mission statement. It is also beneficial to post it in a highly visible location for all to see, such as in every classroom as a reminder of the beliefs and philosophy of the school. In my self- assessments, I was first asked to quote the school’s mission statement in my narrative. Later self-assessments required that I rewrite it in my own words. Some schools ask teachers to incorporate the school’s mission statement with their own personal mission statement, reflecting on their personal beliefs and core values.

When writing a self-assessment, all areas of the curriculum and the school should be taken into consideration:

• Physical Environment
• Materials
• Relationships
• Classroom Management
• Observation Skills
• Professional Development
• Teacher as Supervisor
• Personal Needs
• Strengths
• Long-term Goals

After completing the self-assessment, a meeting should be held with the administrator to set professional goals for the teacher. Afterward, the teacher should take a few moments for self-reflection: How successful was the meeting? How realistic are my goals? What was most helpful about the meeting?

The teacher evaluation process does not need to be a stressful activity. It can be a positive and constructive experience in which the whole Montessori community benefits.

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Information about the role of the Montessori teacher is detailed in the NAMC Classroom Guides. All NAMC Classroom Guides include a CD-ROM containing forms for daily assessment.