When I started my Montessori journey, it wasn’t just for my professional life. In fact that was probably the last reason I was looking to Montessori. I was seeking personal development. I was seeking a catalyst into becoming a better person than I was before. I wanted something that would ignite a burning passion back…
Learning From Dolls
Today a parent returned from Brazil and brought us the most lovely native doll from there to add to our hundred something doll collection. We are running out of space in our curio set as our doll population surges. From the doll guards of the Buckingham palace to the Kimono adorned dolls of Japan, to…
Follow the Child
“Follow the Child” is a key philosophy of the Montessori method of education. Maria Montessori (visionary leader, doctor, founder of the first Montessori school in 1907) observed children in their natural environment and discovered that all children instinctively follow a similar developmental path, albeit at their own pace. The key was to identify where the…
The Business of Relationships
The effectiveness of our teaching, not just academic teaching either, is completely dependent upon the relationships that we build. Contrary to my earlier thinking, it is not exclusive to the relationships we build with the children. The relationships we build with parents allow us to partner with the most valuable and knowing individuals on the…
That’s a Wrap!
Our first week of the 2015 year was nothing short of what I had hoped. It actually exceeded my expectations! We all know the beginning of the school year can be a bumpy and busy ride and we teachers often brace ourselves for the impact that is the first week of school. I speak on…
Think Like a Montessorian
Many of our teachers have earned their formal Montessori certification. Still, many of our teachers you would think are certified have not yet taken the formal training. Montessori is more than a certification. It is a way of life. It is viewing the child purely for who he or she is. It is taking the…
Our Peace Table
I have always had this idea in my head of creating an area of the classroom where a child can go to just be. Not a place to be alone, or to read a book, but to simply enter into his or her own thoughts, feelings and being. I never brought this idea to life…
The Pyramids of Egypt
African studies this summer brought us to Egypt where we studied the great pyramids. The content of our lessons ranged from the limestone the pyramids are made from, to the traits of a cube, and also what is inside the great pyramids of Egypt. As an extension to our pyramid lessons, we gave the children…
The Montessori Work Cycle
Three is the magic number when it comes to a Montessori work cycle. Three hours of uninterrupted time for the child to explore, choose and fully engage in a lesson. To a traditional teacher a three hour child led work cycle is unsettling – maybe even risky as the child is fulfilling his own desires…
Inclement Weather
Take a moment and think back to your fondest and most pleasurable childhood memories. The majority of our most vivid memories are those we experience in nature. Growing up in Alaska I am well versed in inclement weather, and how to prepare for and experience it. My most prominent childhood memories were nearly all centered…
