My most cherished times during the school day are those observing the classrooms. I often have a particular focus area such as the flow of activities, child interaction, or similar objective. Regardless of my intent, it never ceases to amaze me of the cooperation and compassion of children. It is a thing of beauty to witness a child reaching out to another who may be struggling with their work, or perhaps a friend soothing another who skinned their knee.
It is no accident that our Montessori classrooms nurture a positive community spirit. The day begins with a friend greeting classmates, and then circle time presents a moment to take turns listening to others’ ideas. Throughout the day children are provided freedom to engage others and their environment with respect, while self-discipline is practiced through positive peer modeling and role play opportunities, and even snack time affords a chance to be thankful.
When children feel a connection to each other within a caring and courteous environment, magical things happen. I am inspired by our Montessori children!
