With September just around the corner, my mind is flooded with all the things that need to be done. Not a moment goes by that I’m not thinking about my students and analyzing what worked well and what may require changes or adjustments. I have been thinking a lot about how I may challenge some of the returning Montessori students and how I’m going to best support the new students.
I have already spent countless hours organizing the storage room, painting materials, making repairs, searching for treasures in local thrift stores and creating new reading material. In past years, I have found that fitting in group snack prior to lunch time can be a challenge.
Montessori Summer Preparations: Snack Time Insights & Reflections
It seemed to be such a disturbance to the children’s work cycle and I always found it difficult to resettle them. To be consistent with the Montessori Method and the importance of promoting independence, I decided this year to change the routine slightly and create a space conducive for the children to choose their own snack as well as decide for themselves when they wish to eat their snack. I have prepared a lovely little snack table complete with a dainty tablecloth, four snack mats, a beautiful bamboo plant, a small table broom & dustpan, and a nearby shelf that houses the cutlery, plates, cups, a pitcher of water and sponges for washing their snack mats so they are clean for the next friend.I am so excited to see how the new snack routine is received and to find out whether a more intimate snack setting will help the children bond as a Montessori community! I will keep you posted.
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 - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Wednesday, August 18, 2010.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Wednesday, August 18, 2010.
I was hoping that this year would be reflections of a preschool student's second year. Are you planning on doing a 2nd year blog anytime soon?
ReplyDeleteThis certainly was our plan, but Bree is currently very busy making her dream of operating her own Montessori preschool a reality. Bree may well return and continue writing Blogs for us and if she does we both intend that she will continue with a child’s second year experiences. Because Bree has unique experiences and talents we prefer to wait and see if she returns because it isn’t an assignment that we can easily turn over to someone else. We are in the process of securing someone new to contribute to our web blog. Please stay tuned, as we hope to continue shortly! I’m sure all of our readers will join us in congratulating and encouraging Bree in her exciting new ventures!
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