Montessori Educators: Professional Assessment and Goal Setting

Montessori teachers can benefit from periodic evaluation of their teaching (including classroom management, curriculum planning, etc.) and with New Year’s Eve around the corner, this can be an ideal time to practice some professional assessment and goal setting.

Here are a few examples of questions to ask yourself that may assist you with the goal-setting process:

• Have you been able to observe as much as you would like? Do you have time set aside daily and weekly for student and classroom observations? Are you observing at different times of the day? Are your observation notes organized and accessible? Do they easily lead to and assist with your documentation and record keeping?
• Do you have a system for returning parent phone calls and emails? Is it working? Is it effective?
• When you review your observation notes and your documentation of Montessori lessons that have been given, do you have a plan for students who are showing signs of readiness for a new activity or concept, or for any Montessori students who may be struggling?
• Are you where you want to be with Montessori lessons given? Have you unintentionally “dropped any threads” of student interests, projects, etc.? Are you following the child, every child, and their interests?
• Have you been reading professional journals or education books? Were there ideas or inspirations you wanted to implement in your classroom? Did you?
• Are you collaborating with your Montessori co-teacher, fellow staff members, or colleagues from other Montessori schools? Would you like to be?

When you determine the area or areas that you would like to improve upon or change, create goals to help you accomplish these changes. Create a plan or contract with specific details for how you will implement the changes. Make two copies and post one where you will see every day. Ask your Montessori co-teacher or another colleague to hold on to the other copy and check in with you in two weeks, one month, and two months. I hope you will find that putting a few, simple measurement and goal-setting methods into action creates the space and opportunity to enhance your Montessori teaching experience!

The NAMC manuals and curriculum support material provide forms and guidance for evaluation, assessment, and record-keeping.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

The Gluing Strategy

           

During Montessori work time there are often times when a student tries to interrupt a presentation or disrupt another student’s work.  As a Montessori teacher, it is important to have a variety of different strategies up your sleeve to deal with such situations and to implement them in a subtle, non-intrusive manner.   One of my favorite strategies is ‘gluing’ and it is particularly effective for Montessori students in their first phase of normalization, who struggle with staying focused on the task at hand.  Essentially, gluing refers to keeping a child who is behaving in a disruptive manner close by your side before inviting him/her to choose a more suitable activity.

Today, my three-year-old student Jordan was having difficulty choosing his own work, and staying focused on his work seemed next to impossible.  His mother mentioned to me that he went to bed very late the previous night and she worried that he may have some behavior challenges throughout the day -  boy, was she right.  I was so grateful for that little bit of information from Jordan’s mom as it provided me with the necessary insight to effectively guide Jordan throughout the work period, while being sensitive to how he was feeling that day.

Jordan was clearly overtired and was interested in everyone else’s work but his own.  Twice I observed him touching another student’s Montessori Practical Life work, so I calmly approached him, got down to his level and said, “Jordan, remember we need to concentrate on our own work during work time.  Would you like me to help you find some work?”  I then helped him to choose a work from the shelf and take it to a table.  Even when he had his own work in front of him, he wasn’t at all interested in focusing on the activity.  I observed him reach out and take the small jug off of his classmate’s tray while she was in the middle of working with her pouring activity.  Again, I approached him and said, “Jordan, I know you’re feeling tired today and I can see that you are having a really difficult time concentrating, however, it’s not okay to disturb your friends while they are working.”  I explained that I was about to give a sound presentation to Maggie and told him that I would like him to watch until the presentation was done and then we would see if he felt ready to find some work  without disturbing his classmates.  It is important to make that clear so that the child knows that the teacher will decide when the child is ready to leave their side.  

Jordan sat beside me without making a sound and simply observed the presentation as well as what was going on around him.  I am sure the few minutes that he spent beside me seemed like an eternity to him, but it was the perfect way to allow him to reflect and settle himself.  After a few minutes, I asked Jordan if he was ready to choose his own work and whether he felt he would be able to concentrate on his work and he said, “yes”.   He then took out the mitten-hanging work and carefully paired the mittens by color and hung them one by one on the hanging frame.  He worked on the activity for quite some time and took great care when tidying up and putting it away. Once he returned his work to the Montessori Practical Life shelf, I quietly approached him and commented on how well he concentrated on the mitten activity and asked him which work he was planning to do next.  He smiled, looking very proud of himself and went straight to the color-mixing work.

Gluing should never be used as a punishment, but instead serve as a way of helping the student refocus and observe their surroundings.  A restless child can benefit so much from taking a few minutes to settle themselves and watch what the other children are doing in the Montessori classroom.  Doing so allows the child to feel like he/she is still participating in the work of the classroom … such a brilliant strategy!

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center:  www.montessoritraining.net

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Jordan’s first experience with spooning beans from one container to another

Although it took Jordan several weeks to become comfortable working in the Montessori Practical Life area this year, he now spends a great deal of his time working with the Practical Life activities and I have seen such a change in how he feels about himself. He has grown leaps and bounds with remembering to put the work back in the same manner in which it was found and really takes his time when working with the activities. It is obvious that Jordan is enjoying his new found sense of independence and he takes his Practical Life work very seriously!

Earlier in this school year, Jordan had asked me if I could show him the spooning work, but we were just about to put the music on that day to signal clean up time. I explained to him that it was almost time to clean up, but that I would be happy to give him a lesson the following day. So, the next day, I dismissed the children from circle time one by one and when Jordan was the only child left at circle I asked him if he was ready for me to show him the spooning work. He was so excited. We walked to the shelf together and I carefully removed the tray from the shelf and took it to a table. The tray was rectangular in shape and on it were two small blue bowls and a small ladle. One of the bowls was filled with large white kidney beans and Jordan told me that they look like his dog’s teeth. I sat down at the table and showed Jordan how to carefully spoon the beans from left to right until all of the beans had been transferred from one container to the other.

It is so important that your take your time when presenting an activity because the child is absorbing everything you do and modeling the correct way to do a Montessori work is key! Once all of the beans had been transferred, I demonstrated how to spoon them back into the container where they were originally found. Jordan carefully watched me spoon the beans right to left, until all the beans were back in the bowl they were found. I then paused for a few seconds to admire my work, then looked at Jordan and asked him if he would like a turn. He wasted no time in sitting down and I asked him if he remembered what he should so when he finishes and he answered, “put my work back where I found it.” I then stepped back so that Jordan could work with the activity independently. He was so careful and precise and if a bean dropped on the tray he promptly picked it up and placed it on his spoon. He must have emptied and filled both bowls at least eight times and even remembered to straighten the bowls and spoon when he was finished. The only glitch was when Jordan was putting his work away. I could see that he was distracted by two children at the snack table, and before I could remind him to use two strong hands for carrying his tray, he tilted it and the beans went EVERYWHERE!

Ahhhh, the perfect Montessori opportunity for a lesson in sweeping. I showed Jordan where the broom and dustpan is kept and gave him a lesson on how to sweep up the beans. One of the older children asked if she could help and with a broom in hand, she and Jordan worked diligently to sweep up all of the beans … definitely a team effort! When all of the beans were placed back in the bowl, Jordan returned the tray to the shelf, but had forgotten where he found it so placed it on the art shelf. I didn’t notice right away, but when I did I helped him to find the correct spot and he told me that it was a lot of work sweeping up the bowl of “dog’s teeth!” I just smiled and said, “Yes, you worked very hard today spooning and sweeping the beans.”

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

The Silence Game (Part 3 of 3)

Developing good listening skills at a young age is critical and there are so many things that we can do to help refine their listening skills in the Montessori preschool environment.  Aside from the Silence Game (see Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series), there are a multitude of activities that you can implement to further refine a child’s listening skills and below are just a few ideas:

1.   Name that sound. Play an audio recording of different sounds and encourage the children to identify what they are (ducks quacking, bees buzzing, piano playing, phone ringing, baby crying, etc.)

2.   Sound Bingo. Create Bingo cards and in each square on the Bingo card, have a picture that coincides with the sounds on the audio recording (i.e., duck, bee, piano, phone, baby, etc).  Each time the child hears a sound that matches the picture on their card, they cover the square with a bingo chip.

3.   Musical Mats. Scatter some small rugs/mats on the floor and have each child stand on a mat. Then, play recorded music and have the children walk from mat to mat.  When the music stops, each child needs to find a mat to step on.   

4.   What do you hear? Prepare a tray of items that have distinctive sounds,  such as a music box, a rattle, an alarm clock, a windup toy, bells, etc. and then remove the tray from the children's sight. Then, standing behind the children choose one item at a time to make a sound while the children take turns guessing the source of the sound.

5.   Freeze Dancing. Invite the children to dance when the music is on and when you turn the music off, they should FREEZE!   Experiment with different tempos…children dance quickly to music with a fast beat and slowly to music with a slow beat.  

6.   Take a Sound Walk. Go on a walk around the schoolyard or inside the school and have the children take turns identifying everything they hear. Ask them to determine the direction a sound is coming from.

7.   Use the Montessori Sound Shakers or create your own. Pair the cylinders together based on the sound that they make

8.    Play “Simon Says”

9.   Play musical ‘follow the leader’. Use recycled materials to make identical musical instruments……one for you, and one for each child. Then, make one simple noise with your instrument and ask the children to try to imitate it with their instrument. Then, make two noises, three noises, four noises, etc., and have the children attempt to repeat the patterns you create. Variation: Sing or hum a portion of a song or tune, and ask the children to take turns repeating it.

10. Who Am I? Choose one child to put on a blindfold and sit on a chair in the middle of  the circle.  Then, choose a child from circle to quietly walk up to the blindfolded child and say, “Hello!  Who am I?”    The child in the chair has to guess whose voice they just heard.

11. Clapping Game. Clap a pattern and encourage the children to repeat the pattern that they just heard.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center:   http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

The Silence Game (Part 2 of 3)

True silence is the rest of the mind;
it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body,
nourishment and refreshment
~ William Penn

As mentioned in my previous blog (Silence Game, Part 1), the Silence Game is a deliberate stilling of the body. It is intended to promote listening skills, develop coordination, improve one’s attention span and refine the coordination of muscles. I always take such satisfaction in implementing the Silence Game in the Montessori preschool classroom, as I know how it helps heighten a child’s awareness of their peers and how it encourages them to reflect on the world around them. Especially in a world as busy as we are today, it is pure bliss to have the ability to slow down and appreciate a few minutes of peaceful silence.

There are many variations for implementing the Silence Game and I would like to share some ideas with you:

• You can darken the room and light a candle while the Silence Game is taking place.
• Ring a bell to signal the starting of the Silence Game and ring a bell to signal the end of the Silence Game.
• You can have the group close their eyes and only open them when they hear their name called.
• You can give the children a task to focus on during the Silence Game. For example, you can challenge them to “hear” noises that they may not normally be aware of. Once the silence game had ended, encourage them to share with the group what they “heard”.
• If you have older children, you can simply have a sign that has the word, “SILENCE” written on it and when you walk around the room holding up the sign, they will know that it’s time to tuck their sounds away and work silently until they hear a signal that ends silent work time such as a bell or chime.
• Create an opportunity for children to enjoy silence on their own. Place a basket on a shelf in which there would be a mat to sit on as well as a one-minute sand timer. The child simply takes the basket to a spot on the floor and removes the contents. The child should sit on the ‘silence mat’ with their legs crossed and flip over the one-minute timer. The child needs to sit very still and quiet for the duration of the time while focusing on the sounds around them.

In Part 3 of this series, I will be offering some further ideas beyond the Silence Game for developing good listening skills in the Montessori preschool environment.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

The Silence Game (Part 1 of 3)

To me the Silence Game means stillness, self control, and intense concentration.  It isn’t something that occurs naturally with a group of preschoolers and it certainly isn’t something that can be achieved the first time it is implemented.  I remember the first time I observed the Silence Game being implemented by a skilled Montessori Directress…I was in utter awe!

Dr. Montessori created the Silence Game while working with children who were partially deaf.  After a great deal of observation, she noticed that their hearing improved when they were given the opportunity to listen carefully for sounds.  She began implementing a variety of different activities to do just that, one of which involved her standing at the back of the room with the children facing away from her while she quietly called the name of each child.  The children listened so intently and when they heard their name called, they would quietly walk to the back of the room and stand silently by Dr. Montessori.

A similar activity is now implemented in Montessori schools all around the world and it is called ‘The Silence Game’.  It is a wonderful activity to help children relax their bodies, become in tune with their environment, lengthen their attention spans and most importantly, to appreciate the beauty of silence.

Today I had the opportunity to implement the Silence Game in my Montessori preschool classroom and for many of my students, it was their first time playing the game. For some, they had no problem with remaining still while others couldn’t help but fidget, make faces at the friend beside them as well as make a variety of little noises. It is always so interesting to see how each child reacts to the Silence Game and to observe how their attention span increases from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.  To implement the Silence Game, I always begin by talking with the children about what it means to be silent.  Their definitions are usually very interesting!   I invite them to close their eyes and listen to the sounds in the classroom for ten seconds and when the time is up, raise their hand to share what they heard.  Usually, they respond by saying they heard a friend breathing, water dripping, the clock ticking, a class pet moving, etc.   Before playing the game, I feel it is important that each child understands what it means to be silent and that they have the opportunity to listen for the sounds around them.   I also make sure that I choose a time of day when the group is relatively calm and then I proceed with the steps below:

·    Once everyone is sitting at circle time I make a sound on our calming chime and the children know it is time to ‘tuck their sounds away’ and listen.

·    I then explain that we are going to play game called “The Silence Game”.  Right away their interest is peaked because it is a game.

·    I explain that they need to keep their bodies still and calm and to not make a sound.  I also let them know that they can play the game with their eyes open or with their eyes closed.   Some children prefer to close their eyes and it does tend to help them focus on really listening for their name to be called.

·    I then stand at the back of the classroom and quietly call the name of each child.  I always begin with a few of the older children who are ‘normalized’ and understand how to play the game.  It is such a treat to observe the children quietly get up from their spots and walk toward me…they are clearly determined not to break the silence. Of course, there are some children who struggle to keep their bodies calm, but by the end of the year, even the children who can’t sit still for more than a few seconds learn to appreciate the stillness of the class during the Silence Game.

·    I make sure I call each child’s name and once everyone is with me at the back of the room, I thank each of them for playing the Silence Game and then send them one by one to choose some work from the shelves.  It always amazes me how calm and peaceful the atmosphere feels after playing the Silence Game.

If there was a lot of fidgeting and noises throughout the Silence Game, the next time we play the game, I make a point to reinforce the importance of being completely still and quiet and we talk about how much harder it is to hear each name being called when children are moving and making noises.  I find that each time the game is implemented, the children try harder and harder to sit still and to keep their sounds tucked away until the game is over.  

Today, I was especially amused with Jordan’s reaction to the Silence Game, as it was his first time playing the game.  It was evident that he was excited to play the game and he loved the challenge of staying quiet.  He didn’t make a sound the entire time, however, the facial expressions that he made while waiting for his name to be called were priceless.  I observed everything from frowning, pouting, eyebrow lifting, puffing out his cheeks and even trying to touch is nose with his tongue.  Jordan clearly mastered the silent part, but definitely needs to work on the stillness aspect…

View Part 2 and Part 3 of this blog series.

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center:   http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Art Activity - Making a Snow Globe

This past weekend, my family and I put up our Christmas decorations. The stockings are hung “by the chimney with care”, the tree is decorated with memories and ornaments, the crèche is in the alcove by the stairs and the winter wreath is hung on the door. The air is scented with pine and peppermint and a fire blazed in the fireplace as temperatures dipped into the teens last night.

Unwrapping each ornament is like unwrapping memories. Old favorites bring shouts of “Oh, I love this one”. Handmade decorations bring nostalgic “I remember when you made this for me in kindergarten.” They are the ties that bind young and old year after year.

This year, my son’s snow globe brought back fond memories of a Christmas vacation spent at Disney World with our entire family. Snow globes have always been a favorite of mine. Who can resist turning the ball upside down to watch a tiny manmade snowstorm? (Not my father, evidently, whose fascination led to an embarrassing incident in a mall and the now familiar warning of “Make sure it’s attached before turning it over!”)

Homemade snow globes are a simple, easy and fun winter craft for your Montessori classroom. Given as gifts to parents or grandparents, they will bring back winter memories for years to come.

What You’ll Need:
• Small glass jar with tight fitting lid (a baby food jar works well)
• Glitter
• Small plastic winter ornament (cake decoration, sleigh, snowman, etc)
• Silicon glue
• Water

Directions:
1. Glue the ornament to the inside of the jar lid and allow it to dry thoroughly.
2. Fill the jar with water and add a small pinch of glitter.
3. Line the inside of the lid with the silicon glue and screw it on the jar, creating a waterproof seal.
4. Store with the lid up overnight to dry.
5. The next day, turn the jar over and enjoy your snowstorm!

North American Montessori Center:   http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Montessori Winter-Themed Activities - Part 2 of 2

As a continuation of Part 1 of this series, here are a few more winter-themed activities for the Montessori preschool classroom to make that last couple of weeks before holidays extra special. Here are a few more activities that I hope will be as much fun for you as they are here in my Montessori classroom!

(continued from Part 1)

Magnetic Chips and Snowman Picture

I have this work available throughout the year but simply change the picture. To create this activity, I printed off a picture of a snowman and used a bingo card dabber to create dots along the outline of the picture. Then I inserted the picture into a plastic sleeve and placed it on a tray with the "magic magnetic wand" and the magnetic chips. First, the student places one chip on each dot and once the entire snowman has been outlined, they use their "magic wand" to pick up the chips and tidy their work. The children love this one!!!

 

Christmas Flower Arranging

This has been another very popular work. I found some festive flowers at the dollar store and a red vase and instantly I had a Christmas flower arranging activity. It is so adorable to watch the children carefully insert each flower and admire their completed masterpiece with such pride!

Tongs and Snowballs

For this activity, I placed some sparkly styrofoam balls into a little snowman tin, along with tongs and tray for transferring. The children have really enjoyed transferring the "snowballs" from the tin to the tray and back again.

Making a Snowman Picture

This activity has been set up on the art shelf all week and the completed snowmen have been so cute! I simply cut circles out of white paper and placed an assortment of decorations in a collage tray. The older students enjoyed cutting their own circles and even cut out clothes for their snowmen. The cotton balls were also a big hit as it provided a texture to their artwork which especially appealed to the younger children. Jordan's snowman was very unique........he used 5 snowballs because he wanted an extra tall snowman. He then gave it six eyes and he made it juggling snowballs (cotton balls)......what an imagination!

Enjoy!

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center:   http://www.montessoritraining.net/

 

 

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Montessori Winter-Themed Activities – Part 1 of 2

I always find my Montessori preschool classroom particularly busy during the holiday season. With the excitement of Christmas just around the corner, many of the children begin to lose focus and every year I notice a feeling of restlessness within the environment. I find it helpful to enrich the classroom with special holiday activities to spark the children's interest and to make that last couple of weeks before holidays extra special. I would like to share with you a few of the activities that I have recently implemented and they have certainly been a big hit in my Montessori classroom!

Cinnamon Scented Gingerbread Man

To appeal to the senses, I cut gingerbread men shapes out of sandpaper and set up a tray where the children rubbed a cinnamon stick on the sandpaper and then used a variety of materials to decorate their little gingerbread men ... they smelled soooo yummy!

Making a Snowman

The children had so much fun decorating their own snowman and each one was special in its own way. I simply photocopied a picture of a snowman and mounted it on construction paper. Then the children were able to decorate it with markers, cotton, styrofoam chips, sequins, and googly eyes. There were no two snowmen alike!

Winter Designs with the Metal Insets

During special holidays, I often place the Montessori Metal Insets at the back of the room (on two tables) so that two children can work with them at a time to create unique holiday creations. The designs that the children have created have been incredible and it helps to renew their interest in the Metal Insets!










Cards and Counters

I am always thinking of how I can change the Montessori Cards and Counters to complement the different seasons and holidays throughout the year and the styrofoam snowflakes and snowmen erasers have been wonderful additions to our Math shelves. Both items were found at a dollar store, as well as the cute little Christmas tree box and sparkly bag. Both activities are continually in use and they have inspired many of our little ones to count on a daily basis!

Snowman Clothespin Activity

Another wonderful dollar store find! When I spotted the snowmen clothespins, I knew they would be perfect for our Montessori Practical Life shelf. The children enjoy clipping them onto the edge of the snowman box and it is such a great way to refine their fine motor skills.

In Part 2 of this series, I will be adding a few more winter-themed activities for the Montessori preschool classroom. Enjoy!

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Grace and Courtesy - Part 2 of 2

As mentioned in Part 1, the Montessori Grace and Courtesy lessons introduce children to socially accepted customs and manners that in turn help them interact with others in a peaceful manner. Students learn to take responsibility for themselves, their classmates, and the environment. Through the lessons, children are given the vocabulary, the actions and the steps required for them to treat others with courtesy and dignity and above all, to act in a socially acceptable manner. Essentially, the lessons prepare the child for his/her entry into society and ultimately into adulthood.

During circle time today, I presented a lesson to reinforce the proper way to shake hands and the children really seemed to enjoy it. First, I demonstrated with the other teacher, taking care to demonstrate very precisely the polite way to shake hands while the children watched very intently. I then asked a couple of the students to stand up and demonstrate for the group and lastly, I invited the children to watch me again and tell me what I was not doing correctly. My Montessori preschool students always have fun watching me do something the wrong way and take great delight in putting up their hand up to tell me what I should have done. For example, one of the students said, “Teacher Bree, you forgot to look at Teacher Jenny’s eyes when you shook her hand. You have to look in her eyes when you shake her hand.” I always thank the child for reminding me and try again the correct way ... such an effective reinforcement technique! After the demonstration, I wanted to give each child an opportunity to practice the correct way to greet someone, so I had all twenty children line up outside the door where I greet them each day. One by one they took turns shaking my hand and responded to my greeting with a polite response. As they entered the classroom, they quietly chose an activity and our work period began.

My three year old student, Jordan was the first child to practice the greeting and he did very well. I got down to his level, extended my right hand and said, “Good Morning Jordan! It’s nice to see you. How are you doing today?” Jordan shook my hand and replied by saying, “Fine, thank you. How are you, Teacher Bree?” His reply was excellent and he even remembered to look in my eyes while shaking hands……great job, Jordan !

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

View Part 1 of this blog: Grace and Courtesy - Part 1 of 2

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Insights and Reflections of a Preschool Student’s First Year

Grace and Courtesy - Part 1 of 2

I have come to appreciate the fact that children have a deep sense of personal dignity…The important thing was that the children found no obstacles in the way to their development. They had nothing to hide, nothing to fear, nothing to shun. Their self-possession could be attributed to their immediate and perfect adaptation to their environment. ~ Maria Montessori, The Secret of Childhood

I will never forget the first time I observed a Montessori class in action. There was something so magical and so endearing about the environment. I absolutely fell in love with the way the children treated the material, the teachers as well as their fellow classmates. The level of respect was incredible! Much later I learned that this harmonious environment was directly related to the important Grace and Courtesy lessons which are an integral aspect of every Montessori environment.

Maria Montessori believed that children between the ages of 3 and 6 yrs are in a sensitive period of learning good manners and felt that this aspect of their development offers a window of opportunity that must be nurtured in the Montessori environment at an early age. The important social lessons of Grace and Courtesy are best implemented through role-playing during circle time in the Montessori classroom and are reinforced daily on an individual basis. The Grace and Courtesy Lessons really do provide the framework for a peaceful, respectful Montessori environment.

Important Grace and Courtesy lessons include the following:

• The Daily Greeting (shaking hands politely)
• Interrupting politely (hand on shoulder)
• How to say “please” and “thank you”
• Answering the telephone politely
• How to blow your nose
• How to cough and sneeze
• How to treat materials with respect
• How to excuse oneself from a table or when you need to get by someone
• How to walk around a mat

Just today, I observed the impact that these lessons have had on my own son. We were at the park this afternoon and a little boy about his age approached him, but was a little hesitant to say anything. My son who is four and half, extended his hand to the boy and said, “Hi, my name is ______, nice to meet you.” The two of them shook hands and then played together for quite a while. When it was time to go, my son said, “Bye friend, it was nice meeting you. Maybe I’ll see you another time.” It was very sweet to see him putting into practice the Grace and Courtesy lessons learned at Montessori preschool!

As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Montessori Practical Life - “Green” Holiday Wrapping Material

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens;
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens;
Brown paper packages tied up with strings;
These are a few of my favorite things.
~ Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers

Oh, I do love seeing presents under the Christmas tree. We decorate our home soon after the Thanksgiving holiday is over. I have collected many beautiful and sentimental ornaments over the years and I enjoy displaying them for all to see. It is our family tradition that, as soon as the tree is up, there must be at least one wrapped present placed under it. For, how sad is a Christmas tree with no presents? As Christmas approaches, more presents miraculously appear, each one wrapped in beautiful paper and shiny ribbons and bows.

In an attempt to be more environmentally conscious, we have begun looking for ‘greener’ ways to wrap presents. Brown paper packages might sound good in song, but they leave something to be desired under my Christmas tree.

Furoshiki

Furoshiki is the ancient Japanese art of wrapping presents in cloth. By cutting down on the use of paper, this environmentally friendly means is such an integral part of life that the Ministry of the Environment has posted a PDF guide outlining the different styles. (http://www.env.go.jp/en/focus/attach/060403-5.pdf)

Learning the art of Furoshiki can be an important part of your Practical Life shelf work in your Montessori environment. On a tray, place several different objects such as a book, some blocks, a doll, and a box, along with several pieces of cloth, cut to about an 18 inch square. Silk or nylon is typically used as they are produce durable knots which are easy to untie. You can print out the Furoshiki guide, laminate it, and place it on the tray. The child carries the tray and Furoshiki cards to a mat, chooses which style he or she would like to try, and wraps the object.

Learning the art of Furoshiki is an excellent way to promote environmental as well as cultural awareness. Children come to understand that reducing waste and reusing materials can be incorporated throughout all aspects of daily life.

Related NAMC blogs:

• Montessori Classroom: Christmas Crafts (6-12 yrs)
• Montessori Classroom: Christmas Crafts (3-6 yrs)
• Going Green in the Winter: Six Simple Ideas for the Montessori Classroom

Furoshiki video tutorials can be found by searching “Furoshiki” on YouTube

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Chanukah “Did You Know?” – Montessori Curriculum Ideas

I love the “Did you know?” textboxes in the NAMC manuals. These manuals provide interesting tidbits of information that Montessori teachers can use to excite and inspire students during presentations. My elementary Montessori students loved to pour over my NAMC manuals searching for the “Did you know?” textboxes to read for themselves.

Another way to use the “Did you know?” concept is to have your elementary Montessori students do research on a topic and create their own “Did you know?” boxes. This fun and quick way of gathering research can either be presented to the class or used as notes and then turned into a research report.

I thought it might be fun to do my own Chanukah “Did you know?” on this, the first day of Chanukah 2010.

• All Jewish holidays begin at sundown the day before the holiday
• The first day of Chanukah is the 25th day of the month of Kislev in the Jewish calendar
• Chanukah commemorates the Jewish people’s successful rebellion against the Syrians in 162 BCE
• The term Maccabee is derived from the Hebrew "Mi Kamocha B'Elim Adonai" (Who among the mighty is like you, God)
• In Israel, the menorah is called the Hanukiyah
• Ancient menorahs were small, pearl-shaped vessels made of clay.
• The Menorah is filled with olive oil
• In Biblical times, pure olive oil was used as a remedy for wounds, sores, chills and aching throats, ears and muscles
• The candles on the menorah are lit from left to right and must remain lit for at least ½ hour each night.
• Chanukah falls at the end of olive-pressing season and many traditional foods are fried in olive oil.
• Latke may be derived from the Old Russian oladka, and from the Greek eladia, meaning "a little oily thing". Eladia stems from comes from elaia, meaning "olive”
• Latkes could not have been made of potatoes in ancient times, as potatoes are a New World food. Instead, they were made from cheese and egg.
• Sufganiyot, jelly donuts, are popular in Israel and are sold by street vendors over a month before Chanukah begins.
• Each side of the dreidel is marked with one of four Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimel, Hey, and Shin. These letters represent the Hebrew phrase "Nais Gadol Hayah Shom" -"A great miracle happened there". This refers to the miracle of the oil in the temple.
• Three blessings are said on the 1st night of Chanukah
• Gelt means money in Yiddish

NAMC related blogs:

• Hanukkah in the Montessori Classroom

The NAMC manuals provide a rich cultural curriculum for all ages.

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/

Holiday Treats – Fun Montessori Curriculum Opportunities

When I was a little girl one of my favorite Christmas traditions was making Spritz cookies with my mother. My sister and I would carefully add candied sprinkles to the white, red and green buttery cookies my mother had pressed out with the cookie press. Then, with eager anticipation, we waited for that first taste. Ahhhhh…now that “tasted” like Christmas. Over the years, we tried many different Christmas cookies. Some we liked, some not so much. When I married my husband, he brought with him tasty Hungarian holiday treats that soon became part of our holiday tradition. There is something about cookies that make the holidays seem more festive.

Baking treats for the holidays in your Montessori classroom is a fun way to incorporate Cosmic Education, Cultural Geography, History, Math, Language, Science and Practical Life. Best of all, everyone gets to enjoy the treats they helped make. Here is a little history about cookies to share with your Montessori students:

The word “cookie” comes from the Dutch koeptje, which means small cake. The idea for cookies and crackers probably began with Neolithic farmers some 10,000 years ago, though I’ll be the first to admit their grain and water paste cooked on hot stones was a far cry from modern cookies. As time progressed, Middle Eastern cooks explored the possibilities of mixing butter, eggs, flour, and cream and sweetening them with honey or fruit. When the Moors invaded Spain during the Middle Ages, they brought with them exotic spices that became popular throughout Europe. When sugar became available in Medieval Europe, it was both rare and costly. Due to this and the expense of spices and nuts, cookies were baked for special treats. Many Medieval holiday treats contained such ingredients as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds, and dried fruits. By the 1500s, the idea of Christmas cookies had caught on all across Europe, with German gingerbread, lebkuchen, being one of the first cookies traditionally associated with Christmas.

You can also use the idea of holiday treats to encourage your students to share their diverse cultural traditions at this time of year, and to explore what kind of holiday treats they enjoy with their celebrations.

Baking Holiday Treats in the Montessori Classroom

Here are some helpful hints for baking in the Montessori environment:

• Select a recipe that is age appropriate. Cut-out sugar cookies are always fun. Refrigerated dough can be rolled out, cut into shapes, and decorated by children of all ages
• Have plenty of help. Parent volunteers are really important, especially when working with younger students. Toddler and preschool aged children really need one-on-one supervision. And it is always important to have a few extra sets of hands to help with preparation and clean up.
• Expect a mess! Cover the tops of tables with bulletin board paper or paper tablecloths that can be rolled up later and recycled. You may think about covering the floor, as well.
• Avoid cookies sticking to the pans by lining them with parchment paper.
• Encourage your Montessori students to observe how mixtures behave and chemical reactions take place as you prepare your cookie dough and bake the treats.
• You may wish to limit the amount of cookies eaten at a time, i.e., students may eat one at school and take the rest home to share with family.
• Kids of all ages love sprinkles. Be sure to have plenty on hand so you don’t run out.
• Play holiday music in the background of your Montessori classroom. Have a sing-along while you’re baking and decorating.

With a prepared environment and lots of enthusiasm, your Montessori holiday baking will be a fun and delicious activity for everyone!

For Christmas cookie recipes from around the world: http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/bycountry.php

For historical information: http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasfood.html

North American Montessori Center: http://www.montessoritraining.net/