Collaboration Among Montessori Teachers – Part 1 of 2

Teamwork with Co-Teachers

The teacher … must acquire a moral alertness which has not hitherto been demanded by any other system, and this is revealed in her tranquility, patience, charity and humility. Not words, but virtues, are her main qualification. ~ Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

Collaborating with your Montessori co-teachers and colleagues is a vital part of improving and enriching your classroom instruction and management. Collaborating with other adults is also a fine example of peace education for your Montessori students.

Set aside a regular time to discuss ideas, curriculum, and other classroom issues with your co-teachers. Though collaboration with any colleague is always valuable (e.g., staff meetings), it is important to make time for focused teamwork specifically with your classroom co-teachers. If you and your Montessori co-teachers regularly arrive in your classroom a little early before school and remain a little longer after school, dedicate one of those times on a specific day to assure that your visions and planning for your Montessori classroom are compatible and working well together. Schedule an extra meeting if/when more time is necessary to discuss everything.

Keep a notebook by your classroom telephone or in a central location in your Montessori classroom. Use this notebook to record telephone messages and to record daily observations, insights, and ideas that you want to share with your Montessori co-teacher. You can each do this throughout the day and then review the notes either individually or together when you have time to do so.

Utilize file-sharing technology such as Google Docs to allow multiple people to work on Montessori curriculum ideas, lessons plans, brainstorming, etc.

In addition to your classroom observations, at regular intervals you could perform an informal evaluation of your Montessori co-teacher and have her/him do the same. You can also perform a self-evaluation to compare and discuss results with your co-teacher. Make sure to keep feedback positive, specific and constructive. Knowledge about how your co-teacher “sees” you, along with your own self-examination provides valuable information toward your professional development as a Montessori educator.

Thoughtful planning along with an open and cooperative approach among co-teachers is sure to create an enriching experience for you and your Montessori students.

The NAMC Classroom Guides provide teaching tools and techniques for improving your Montessori environment. Included with each Guide is a CD-ROM containing sample observation/teaching evaluation forms.

Related NAMC blogs

• Collaboration Among Montessori Teachers – Part 2 of 2
• Use What You Have: Group Problem-Solving with Montessori Colleagues
• The Goals of Montessori Education
• Montessori Principles and Practice: Finding Evidence in Schools

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

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

Introducing History in a Montessori Preschool – Part 3 of 3

Everything must be taught, and everything must be connected with life… - Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

The Clock – Relating The Passage of Time to the Daily Routine

Learning about the clock and recognizing certain times is also a beneficial way to explore the passing of time in the Montessori preschool environment. My Montessori students can see on our classroom clock that circle time begins every day at 9:00 a.m. and the music comes on around 11:30 a.m. to signal clean-up time. Usually around 11:15 a.m. each morning, students begin to ask me if they can turn on the music so that we can clean up for circle time. It is amazing how quickly they begin to understand the routine and the schedule of the day; it provides them with a sense of security that they can predict what is going to happen throughout the day. At 11:45 a.m. we eat our lunch and at 12:00p.m. we get ready to go outside. Many of the older Montessori preschool students pay close attention to the clock and if I happen to lose track of time, they are very quick to let me know!

Birthday Ritual – Relating the Earth’s Rotation To The Passage of Time

In the Montessori classroom children have the opportunity to celebrate their birthdays by doing the “Birthday Walk”. It is a meaningful way to further their understanding of the passage of time and a great way to introduce the concepts of months, days of the month, the earth, the sun, and how the earth revolves around the sun. The aim of this birthday ritual is to help students recognize how they have grown and changed since they were born, to help them understand why they have turned a year older and to foster a sense of community and celebration in the Montessori classroom environment. The birthday ritual is typically introduced during circle time and an item such as a candle or yellow ball is placed in the center of the circle to represent the sun in our universe.

The birthday child is invited to carefully hold the globe and the Montessori teacher explains to the children that the earth orbits around the sun and one rotation around the sun takes one year of time. Essentially, the child’s walk represents the earth revolving around the sun and another year that has passed. At the beginning of this activity, the students are told that the birthday child is waiting to be born and on his birthday, he begins to walk slowly around the “sun” carrying the globe. The child walks around the sun one time while the students sing the birthday song:

The Earth goes round the sun

(Tune: Farmer in the Dell)

The Earth goes round the sun,

The Earth goes round the sun,

It takes a whole year for the Earth to go round the sun.

After the child has walked one time around the sun, the Montessori teacher explains that now the child is one year old, everyone claps one time and you show the picture of that child at one year old. The birthday child talks about his/her picture and discusses what he/she may have one when they were one year old, i.e., say “ma-ma”, learn to walk, drink from a bottle, etc.. Each time the child walks around “the sun” you sing the song, then discuss the age of the child and show the corresponding photo. When you get to the child’s current age, everyone sings happy birthday and the child gets to blow out the candle (if a candle is used) and make a birthday wish. It is a lovely ritual and it makes the birthday child feel valued and special!

Related NAMC blogs

• Introducing History in a Montessori Preschool – Part 1 of 3
• Introducing History in a Montessori Preschool – Part 2 of 3

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.

The NAMC Preschool/Kindergarten Culture & Science manual provides a rich curriculum for introducing the concept of time through integrated subject areas such as history and geography.

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

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

Introducing History in a Montessori Preschool – Part 2 of 3

A child, who more than anyone else is a spontaneous observer of nature, certainly needs to have at his disposal material upon which he can work. ~ Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

Learning about the Seasons

Another way to promote an understanding of the passage of time is to learn about the seasons and how they change throughout the year. I live in an area of North America that has four distinct seasons, so the children in my class are very fortunate to be able to understand the unique changes to each season in a very experiential way.

In the spring we go outside to observe the buds on the trees and the bulbs sprouting up from the ground. We do planting activities in the Montessori preschool classroom and enrich our Nature Table with a variety of items to reinforce the current season. In the summer, we play outside, we water the garden, we run through the sprinkler and we even arrange a few beach days. In the fall, the children take great delight in raking the leaves and observing the leaves changing colors. We bring leaves in from outside to make collages and I show them how to do leaf rubbings. In the winter, we have the opportunity to explore ice and snow and the children love wearing their winter clothes to school to play in the snow with one another. They are able to use child-size snow shovels, they learn to make snowmen and they enjoy looking for icicles in the school yard.

Inside our Montessori classroom we have a Nature Table, which we change regularly to reflect the current season. Students are encouraged to bring items from home and from outside to display, and there is never a shortage of things to explore! We also have a tree painted on our wall of just a trunk and the branches. The children love thinking of ways to decorate the tree to reflect the current season. Currently, the branches are bare, and there is snow (cotton) at the base of the trunk and several tissue paper snowflakes resting on the branches.

There is also a variety of activities on the shelves that reinforce the seasons in our Montessori classroom. It is amazing to see how simple activities have such an impact on the students’ understanding of the passage of time. A few of the activities that I have in our Culture area are:

• Continent folders (four folders that hold pictures reflecting the various seasons along with the labels for spring, summer, winter, and fall)
• Magnetic wooden dolls with corresponding outfits (one doll for each season)
• A layered season puzzle (each layer representing a different season)
• Weather cards that the students can match to the various season labels

Part 3 of this series covers the introduction of the clock, and the rotation of the earth around the sun in relation to seasons and a student’s birthday.

Related NAMC blogs

• Introducing History in a Montessori Preschool – Part 1 of 3

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.

The NAMC Preschool/Kindergarten Culture & Science manual provides a rich curriculum for introducing the concept of time through integrated subject areas such as history and geography.

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

Montessori Elementary Studies: Civil Rights

World-shaking forces are now making the realization of human unity an urgent necessity. The time is past when some racial groups or nations can be civilized, leaving others servile or barbaric. Persistence in these outworn ideas can lead only to further wars and self-destruction, and how can a general change of thought be effected but by the teacher; not as tyrant or missionary, but as essential leader in the rising generation? ~ Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential

Dr. Montessori’s To Educate the Human Potential was first published in 1948. Imagine the experience of a world war as a frame of reference for this strong message. Montessori’s belief that education is essential to peace is as relevant today as it ever was. Those who struggle for human and civil rights around the globe would likely agree. Montessori strongly advocated that educators play a very important role in guiding future generations toward peace. The early part of the new year turns the focus on international leaders in civil and human rights.

In a 2008 broadcast on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the late Professor John Hope Franklin talks about the civil rights movement today. He states that although we have become accustomed to it, and that we do not have one particular person who is the face of civil rights movement such as Dr. King, there are many organizations existing today that subsist under the general title of “civil rights”. With your elementary Montessori students, explore and discuss the definition of civil rights, historical events related to civil rights, and organizations today that work for civil rights, both at home and abroad. Study your country’s constitution as it relates to civil rights (e.g. US Constitution, Amendments 13, 14, 15 and 19). This is a great springboard to further historical, cultural and peace education projects and studies.

Some helpful links:

• We Remember Dr. Martin Luther King
• The United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• U.S. Constitution Online
• Civil Rights Movement
• Nobel Peace Prize

Related NAMC blogs:

• Women and Education: International Women’s Day, March 8
• American Women’s History Month in the Montessori Classroom
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 18
• Montessori Peace Education: Mohandas Gandhi
• Montessori Peace Education: Martin Luther King Jr.

The NAMC Elementary manuals provide activities and extensions in this rich, integrated curriculum.

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

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

Introducing History in a Montessori Preschool – Part 1 of 3

Teaching history in a Montessori preschool/kindergarten classroom means helping children understand the passage of time.  It is a difficult concept for little ones to grasp, but there are many interesting ways we can explore the passage of time in a Montessori environment. 

The Calendar and the Days of the Week:

The calendar is part of our daily routine during circle time ... discussing the month, placing the number on the calendar and talking about the weather.  In my Montessori classroom, we begin each day by singing the days of the week song and we do so in both French and English (sung to the tune Oh My Darlin’ Clementine):

English version                                   

There are 7 days,

There are 7 days,                                 

There are 7 days in a week,                   

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Thursday, Friday, Saturday                    

French version

Il y a 7 (sept) jours,

Il y a 7 (sept) jours,

Il y a 7 (sept) jours dans une semaine,

dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi

jeudi, vendredi, samedi

After singing both versions of the days of the week song, I draw the children’s attention to the calendar and we discuss the month, the day of the week and also the year.  Then we discuss the terms ‘today’, ‘tomorrow’ and ‘yesterday’. I ask the children to raise their hand if they know what day of the week it will be tomorrow and what day of the week it was yesterday. It takes awhile to get this concept at the beginning of the year, but eventually, it begins to makes sense to them.

Part 2 of this series will look at the way we learn about the seasons in our Montessori preschool classroom.

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 Classroom Design: Fostering Independence

As Montessori educators, one of our most important roles is to foster independence in our students. It is important to evaluate your Montessori classroom periodically throughout the year and ask yourself if you have established an environment that nurtures your students in their growing independence.

When your Montessori students arrive in the morning, do they have a place to hang their coats? If they switch to indoor shoes, do they have a “home” for the shoes they are not wearing? Can they easily put on their indoor shoes?

Allow your Montessori students to help prepare a snack. They can chop fruit, pour pretzels in bowls, etc. Students can also wash snack and lunch dishes and cutlery. Whether laundry consists of cloth napkins, placemats, rags, or nap mat sheets, students can fold and put away laundry. They can also help put laundry in the washing machines if available.

Make sure all pencils, colored pencils, crayons, paper, tape, glue, and any other commonly-used materials are readily accessible in the Montessori environment. Think about the questions you are most often asked. For example, are you constantly asked to sharpen pencils? Find a home for a pencil sharpener or place two close to your pencils.

Work with your Montessori students’ parents to assure that, as much as possible, students can easily open their own lunch boxes and their lunch food containers. Keep placemats, napkins, cutlery, a trash can, and recycling bin near the classroom lunch area and low enough for students to reach easily.

Spend some time on your knees or sitting on the floor so you can see the Montessori classroom at your students’ eye level. If you have labeled areas or shelves, are they at the right height? Can your students reach everything they need on a daily basis? Does every sink have towels and soap within reach? Are step stools readily available? If your Montessori students keep an extra set of clothes at school, are the clothes packed away or accessible in baskets or cubbies?

Ask students if they have any suggestions for changes that would enhance the Montessori environment. Ask a colleague to help you assess your Montessori classroom design with a fresh set of eyes. Visit other environments at your Montessori school and borrow ideas that may work well in your classroom. As you revisit the design elements of your Montessori classroom on a regular basis, keep in mind that your Montessori students are very capable and that this is their environment. Be aware of their growing independence, make your design adjustments accordingly, and enjoy the benefits of a well-prepared Montessori environment!

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

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

Art of Observation for the Parent - Part 2 of 2

A teacher is destined by his own special work to observe…man when his intellectual life is awakening.  ~ Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child

The above quote is very much applicable to parents and teachers. Being able to observe your own child in a Montessori environment is very special and can be both eye opening and entertaining.  I remember years ago observing my daughter and expecting to see her working with the Pink Tower which she always talked about or doing her beloved ‘spooning’ work or the ever-popular ‘color mixing’ work, but clearly she had a different agenda!  She was so aware of my presence in “her” Montessori classroom that she wasn’t herself at all and ended up spending the entire time building a block tower.  I must say it was a lovely tower, but certainly not what I was expecting.  It did, however, give me the opportunity to see the other 19 children bustling around the classroom, busy with their work and it was amazing!  It truly warmed my heart and I felt so appreciative for the Montessori teachers, the materials and the environment and I completely understood why my daughter looked forward to Montessori preschool each and every day.  I tried observing at a later date and made a point of being as unobtrusive as possible and it made a world of difference.  Finally, I had the opportunity for a true glimpse into how my daughter spent her time at Montessori preschool and I was so pleased with what I saw!

Here are a few thoughts for parents to consider before attending a pre-arranged observation of their child’s Montessori classroom in action.  

Tips for the parent when observing your child:

·         Be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible when entering the Montessori classroom to ensure you get an accurate picture of the workings of the environment.

·         Be patient and avoid the temptation of having expectations.  Just be in the moment and enjoy every second!

·         Once the observation begins, avoid talking to the children or trying to get your own child’s attention … blowing kisses, winking, waving, smiling and making faces are sure ways to disrupt the class as well as your child.

·         Blend in as best you can and avoid making eye contact … it doesn’t take much to disrupt a child’s concentration.

·         Be respectful to the Montessori teachers.  You are there to observe your child, not discuss your child’s progress.  You can always arrange a meeting at a later date when the children aren’t present.

·         Arrive and leave on time to keep the scheduled observations running effectively.

Things to think about while observing:

·         Is there a harmonious tone in the Montessori classroom?

·         Are the children being courteous to one another and are they helping each other?

·         Is my child happy and busy?

·         Are the students working independently?

·         Is there a variety of work going on?

·         Are the Montessori teachers interacting with the children in a subtle, respectful manner?

·         Is there a busy hum in the classroom?

·         Are the students behaving in a respectful manner with their words as well as their actions?

·         Are the children taking care of their Montessori classroom?

Related NAMC Blogs:

·         The Art of Observation – Part 1 of 2

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

The Art of Observation - Part 1 of 2

A Montessori directress is a skilled observer who uses her knowledge and training to provide children with the necessary guidance to facilitate individual development.  A directress frequently observes her Montessori students to determine where they are at developmentally and to guide them to appropriate lessons and activities.  The Montessori directress also observes her students to determine what, if any, changes need to be made in the environment to facilitate student growth and development. Perhaps an area is too open or too narrow … a skilled observer will notice if the Montessori environment can be altered to promote safety, encourage ease of movement and overall, create a more productive work space. 

Another important part of being a skilled observer is being a meticulous note-taker and doing so through checklists, narrative reports, jotting down quick comments through the day, etc.  It is so important to regularly track a child’s progress to ensure you are in tune with each child’s individual needs and to help paint a true picture of where each student is at in all aspect of his/her development.

Over the years I have had the opportunity to observe many children, including my own in a Montessori environment and I can honestly say that I always learn something new! Observation gives the Montessori teacher a chance to see where a student is developmentally and what skills he or she is working to perfect.  It is such a gift to be able to step back and observe without distractions and I think one of my favorite aspects of observing in my Montessori preschool classroom is being able to hear the interesting and often humorous exchanges between the children.  I’ll never forget the time I was observing two students working with the World Puzzle Map and I overheard one child tell his friend that every Thursday he goes to Antarctica for skating lessons …how cute is that!   Or the time I observed two children exploring the items on the Nature Table and the little girl told her friend that the prickly pinecone felt exactly the same as her mommy’s legs … I’m sure her mommy would have loved that comment!   And just the other day, my three-year-old student Jordan picked up a shark’s tooth and said to his friend, “Wow, the tooth fairy must be a great swimmer and very brave to have taken that tooth!”  The logic of a preschooler is absolutely priceless!

Observing children is truly a skill that takes years to perfect.  It is a skill in the Montessori classroom that develops over time with a great deal of practice.  Today, I had the opportunity to observe Jordan and I noticed many important aspects that will help me be more in tune with his sensitive periods and individual interests.  Today showed me that Jordan is definitely in a sensitive period for counting, as he made a point of counting anything and everything that he could find, from the smooth river rocks on the Peace Table to the cutlery on the snack shelf.   I observed that he still needs practice with one-to-one correspondence, and consequently, have made a note to myself to provide lessons with the Number Rods and various other counters in the coming weeks.   I also noticed that he is in a sensitive period for washing his hands!  In a 20-minute period, he washed his hands FOUR times and was clearly proud to be able to do it all by himself!  Over the weekend, I think I will prepare a hand washing activity for the Practical Life area and I am certain it will be one of Jordan’s favorites!   Another observation that struck me is that Jordan has a much harder time focusing on his work when he is at a group table.  He works SO much better at an individual table…the difference was like night and day!  I will definitely make a point to guide him towards individual tables from now on until his attention span increases and he learns to tune out distractions more effectively.

Over the years I have definitely learned to appreciate the power of observation and there is always something new to be learned!

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