Collaboration is such an important facet of the Montessori classroom. On any given day, you could witness our younger friends paired up with their eagerly awaiting Elementary counterparts to learn from their expertise. Recently, our Elementary Students have been clamoring at the opportunity to be a reading buddy to our Kindergarten friends. This is a…
The Art of Geography
The theme of this year’s Children’s Art Exhibition, “The Art of Geography”, captures the global nature of our Montessori classroom. Every child yearns to understand their place in the world and to respect the diversity of people and cultures in our global community. Imagination, coupled with the stroke of a paintbrush, allows our children to…
Montessori Conflict Resolution
Conflict can be one of the best teaching tools! It is in the moment of conflict that children experience real emotions. With patience and practice, these social situations can lend themselves to magical opportunities to develop problem solving skills. It is second nature for an adult to step in when children are arguing. In a…
Making a difference
The opportunity to watch a child develop their social, cognitive, and/or problem solving skills is one that we as educators do not take lightly. It is the gift that we do not take for granted. Some days seem like many others, but on those extra special occasions when we see a child open up and…
Classroom Community
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…
The Montessori Classroom
The Montessori Classroom – A Very Montessori Poem by Bree Van Nes Shared from http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2010/08/montessori-poem.html A Montessori class is like no other, Calm and peaceful, neutral in color Amazing materials to challenge the mind, And countless opportunities to grow and to shine. A harmonious tone, where grace and courtesy are seen, Children helping, children learning,…
Montessori Teachable Moments
Learning is a natural process: true learning cannot be forced or dictated. That is why our Montessori classrooms are purposely designed and our teachers are specially trained to capitalize on the power of teachable moments…the moment when a child is ready, eager and open to discovery. This requires keen observation skills and child development expertise…
Aha! Moment
It was an ordinary day in the classroom, when suddenly “You’ve got it!” said a teacher to a grinning child. The boy’s expression was priceless: part surprise, part joy, and pure pride. These are cherished moments for teachers, fueling our passion and love for teaching. The road to Aha! Moments is not the same for…
Morning Messages
Our Elementary children begin their mornings by writing a “morning message,” which they copy from the board into their journals. The role of these messages is two-fold: one is to impart little gems of wisdom to help build the characters of our growing young minds and the other is to help them build their handwriting…
The Art of Storytelling
The teachers and I adore being captive audiences for our children. Not a day goes by when a child doesn’t stop me and ask to share her/his experiences from the weekend, a trip, etc. I could happily pull up a chair and indulge in their enthusiasm all day. It is priceless to watch their expressions…
