Diary of a Montessori Teacher

A Montessori Teacher's Resume

2011-06-09T07:07:00.000-07:00

Photo Credit: Charlotte West on Flickr
Used by Creative Commons License

While I don't post here terribly often, since I'm on a hiatus from the classroom*, I do take a look at the stats every so often and I seem to get at least one visitor a day who arrives after searching for, "Montessori Teacher Resume" or similar. I don't like it when I know that visitors aren't finding what they came for, so I thought I would create a post dedicated to that very thing.

I hesitate to share my resume with you because it makes me feel rather vulnerable, but if it will help someone, I can't see a reason not to do it. So here you are.

I have uploaded the Montessori specific version of my resume (with a few omissions of information for my own privacy) to google docs and made it available for anyone to view. You can click here to have a look. I'm sure it isn't perfect, and I'm sure there are better examples out there, but it's ask and you shall receive around here!

*You can find me here almost every day!

AMI vs.AMS

2011-01-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

I received the following question by email:

"I am just now getting into all this Montessori stuff and I have LOTS of decisions to make. I am now located on the West coast, but will be relocating to the East Coast in a couple years. I am stuck between AMI vs. AMS training and was wondering which one you do/did? From looking at their websites, it appears as though AMI is more popular on the West Coast than on the East Coast? I have been away from the east coast for years, so I was wondering how Montessori is accepted over there and what your experience was with AMI vs. AMS?

Thanks!!"

This is not an area of expertise for me, but I tried to help with the following answer. If you have insight to share, I know it would be appreciated. Please share your experience in the comments.

Congratulations on your decision to (maybe?) pursue Montessori training! I am an odd duck on this subject, because my training is lesser-known here in the states - it is neither AMI nor AMS. My certification is from Montessori Centre International (MCI), which is a training center based in London that was started in 1998 when Montessori St. Nicholas. joined together with the London Montessori Centre. There was an MCI training center in Denver, which is where I completed my training.

I did, however, intern under AMS certified teachers and have only taught in AMS affiliated schools since my internship, so my knowledge of AMS vs. AMI is based solely on things I've read and what I have learned from other teachers. The whole of my teaching experience was in Colorado and Texas, so I'm not particularly knowledgeable on the East Coast vs. West Coast subject either. AMS is more popular in Colorado, which may have to do with the fact that it is home to a large AMS training center (Montessori Education Center of the Rockies, or MECR), and from what I gathered in my short time there, is also more common in Texas.

My thought from the experience that I do have in the Montessori community is that passionate teachers are always needed. The philosophical differences between AMI and AMS are minor, but they do exist. To me, the most important thing would be which one you feel is more aligned with your style of interacting with children, as I would expect that you could find a job regardless of whether your training is more popular in the area where you live. While I have had to explain what my training was to every interviewer I have met with, I have had no shortage of job offers. If both programs are equally feasible for you, I would recommend that you observe in at least two AMS schools and two AMI schools, talk with teachers, and make your decision from there.

I'm sorry that I'm not more help on this particular issue. I will post your question and my answer on my blog and see if anyone else can jump in and offer some insight! Good luck to you!

Melissa

Looking for Something?

2010-10-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

It has recently come to my attention that despite the fact that I have recently entered the stay-at-home-mom phase of my Montessori life and therefore am not actively using this blog at the moment, it still gets traffic.

Many people seem to be finding us through internet searches on various Montessori topics, or referring here from lists of Montessori blogs.

Since I am trying to remain current on Montessori topics, and trying to apply Montessori philosophy to life at home with my infant, and I do plan to return to the classroom eventually, I definitely still enjoy discussing Montessori. I find the whole method and its application in the classroom very exciting, which is, of course, why I went to training in the first place. That said, if you came looking for specific information, or discussion on a certain topic, feel free to add your question in the comments here. If I feel that I have insight to offer, I'll gladly write on the topic you request, or answer your question privately via email. If I don't have what you're looking for, I will do my best to direct you to a place online that does, assuming I know of one. You can also find my email in my blogger profile (accessed by clicking my photo on the right-hand side of this page). I'm always happy to hear from other Montessorians and the Monte-curious!

New Blog

2010-06-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

I won't be writing a ton here until I'm back in the classroom, and that won't be for awhile : )

If you do want to keep up with me, I'm writing about my sweet girl and life as a new mom over here: The New Mommy Files: Memories, Missteps, and Milestones. Otherwise, I'll catch you all when Annabelle is old enough for Children's House and I emerge from my blissful stay-at-home-mom cocoon!

Be well!

LOVE this Poem

2010-06-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Taken from the blog of a Montessori school (Sweetwater Bay Montessori Preschool), I had to post this here because I know I will want to reference in the future.

Today I did my math and science.
I toasted bread, halved and quartered, counted, measured, and used my eyes, ears and hands.
I added and subtracted on the way.
I used magnets, blocks and memory tray.
I learned about a rainbow and how to weigh.
So please don't say -

"ANYTHING IN YOUR BAG TODAY?"

You see, I'm sharing as I play, to learn to listen and speak clearly when I talk
to wait my turn and when inside to walk.
To put my words into a phrase, to find my name and write it down.
To do it with a smile and not to frown, to put my pasting brush away.
So please don't say -

"ANYTHING IN YOUR BAG TODAY?"

I learned about a snail and a worm.
Remembered how to take my turn.
Helped a friend when he was stuck.
Learned that water runs off a duck.
Looked at words from left to right.
Agreed to differ, not to fight.
So please don't say -

"DID YOU ONLY PLAY TODAY?"

Yes, I played the whole day through.
I played to learn the things I do,
I speak a problem, find a clue and work out for myself just what to do.
My teachers set the scene, and stay near-by to help me when I really try.
They are there to pose the problems, and to help me think.
I hope they will keep me floating and never let me sink. All of this is in my head and not in my bag.
It makes me sad to hear you say -

"HAVEN'T YOU DONE ANYTHING TODAY?"

When you attended your meeting today and do your work I will remember not to say to you -

"WHAT DID YOU DO?"

- author unknown

Montessori and Birth

2010-05-09T02:03:00.000-07:00

The preparation for Annabelle's birth led to my becoming something of a birth junkie. I was absolutely amazed and exhilarated by my own birth experience and am now addicted to reading about, talking about, and thinking about birth. While most of the preparation for our birth experience happened in the 8 or so months that I actually knew I was pregnant, I started preparing mentally right around the time I started my Montessori journey.

What, you ask, does childbirth have to do with Montessori? I'll tell you ...

I come from a relatively large and more or less fertile family, so I grew up around babies being born. It wasn't a particularly scary thing, or a foreign thing, but I never gave it much thought. I did know that you showed up at the hospital and they gave you something called an epidural. Assorted family members hung around the waiting room and wandered in and out of the birthing room until that baby was finally out. Someone usually had a video camera and interviewed various family members, who gushed about their excitement as they waited. Eventually, the baby came out and everyone piled into the room where he or she was passed around from person to person for ooohs, aaahs, and photo ops. And that's how it was done.

When I began my Montessori journey, however, my idea of everything having to do with children changed. I was barely 18 when I began reading The Discovery of the Child and it was then that my whole picture of birth was completely turned upside down. Dr. Montessori writes,

But what care have men taken to assist the child as it makes the most difficult adjustment of all, that of passing from one mode of existence to another? At no other period in his life does man experience such a violent conflict and struggle, and consequent suffering, as at the time of birth...it has grown in a place where it was protected from all assaults, from every change of temperature, in a fluid created for its rest. And in an instant it has changed this dark and silent home for the hostile air... The doctor handles it without any particular regard, and when it starts to cry in desperation no one takes it seriously...

... a newborn child should not simply be shielded from harm, but measures should also be taken to provide for psychic adjustment to the world about it... The needs of a newborn child are not those of one who is sick but of one who is striving to adjust oneself physically and psychologically to new and strange surroundings.

Our attitude towards the newborn child should not be one of compassion but rather of reverence before the mystery of creation, that a spiritual being has been confined within limits perceptible to us. The manner in which we touch and move a child, and the delicacy of feeling which should inspire us at the time, makes us think of the gestures that a priest uses at the altar. His hands are purified, his motions are studied and thoughtful, and his actions take place in silence and in darkness that is penetrated only by a light that has been softened in its passage through stained glass windows. A feeling of hope and elevation pervades the sacred place. It is in surroundings such as these that the newborn child should live.

The first period of human life has not been sufficiently explored, and yet we are constantly becoming more aware of its importance. Hardships and privations in the first months of a child's existence can, as we now know, influence the whole course of his future development. But if in the child are to be found the makings of the man, it is in the child also that the future welfare of the race is to be found.

Too little attention is paid to the newborn child that has just experienced the most difficult of human crises. When he appears in our midst, we hardly know how to receive him, even though he bears within himself a power to create a better world than that in which we live ourselves.

The words which we read in the prologue to St. John's Gospel are in a sense applicable to the newborn child: "He was in the world ... and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not."

How a woman chooses to birth is a very personal decision and what feels right for one woman may not for another. What this helped me realize, however, was the importance of birthing peacefully, gently, and consciously.

Annabelle

2010-04-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

My sweet daughter is finally here!
I'm a mom!
I'm thrilled!
My Annabelle is already 5 weeks old, and boy has it been an amazing 5 weeks!
Her birth was beautiful and gentle, just as I have known I wanted my children's births to be since I first began reading Montessori's work and things have been at least as beautiful ever since. What a gift a new life is!

I daydream about when she becomes mobile and we can start implementing more and more Montessori into our home. Oh, I do love this stage, though, and am in no real hurry : ) Her room is just about all ready for when the time comes (she's in our bed now)

I have baskets all ready to transform into 'treasure baskets' for when she is ready to explore and am eager to share those with you. If any of you have made them, what have you put inside? Hopefully, now that I'm home, my creative juices will be flowing and I'll be posting much more frequently : )

Math in Traditional School

2009-12-14T04:07:00.000-08:00

As a disclaimer - if you are unfamiliar with or new to Montessori, please understand that the following is not a representation of Montessori math and none of the activities shown are part of the Montessori curriculum. This is a chronicle of my attempt to help a group of students deepen their understanding of some math concepts by bringing a tiny sliver of what I have learned as a Montessori teacher into a very traditional setting.

As I mentioned in previous posts, I have suddenly found myself teaching 4th grade, not just in a traditional school, but in a traditional school on a military base! Yikes! ; ) Needless to say, it is different.

Dr. Montessori's math curriculum is one of the most beautiful things in the world as far as I'm concerned, so it hurts my heart to teach math from a textbook.

I was just wrapping up a chapter on multiplication with my class. I had used a modified version of Multiplication with the Golden Beads to introduce multiplication to begin with. I felt the best way to begin would be to demystify the operation itself. Multiplication can intimidate 4th graders (it still blows my mind that we're waiting until 3rd or 4th grade to introduce it for the first time, but that's beside the point), so I felt that introducing it as we introduce it in the early childhood classroom might help to create a clearer sense of what the operation of multiplication really is - simply taking the same number multiple times.

I set up an "Operations Table" and a "Bank," and designated a banker for our first lessons. The only difference is that the group was much larger than I would have liked, and we were using bright orange plastic "base ten cubes" instead of lovely golden beads. This did seem to help and the majority of the students seemed to really understand what multiplication was before we dove into the text. This chapter introduced a lot of terms, and some students were able to easily memorize all of them, but as we neared the end of the unit and prepared to test I observed that many students still didn't have the foundation necessary to understand the terms that were presented (and even those who had memorized them had done just that -memorize. They didn't necessarily have a concrete sense of the concepts taught). For example, we learned about Prime and Composite Numbers, and many students weren't even totally clear on the difference between odd and even! I wish I didn't have a textbook at all, but I do; and I wish I could do everything hands on all the time, but I can't. I decided that some work with concrete materials was absolutely necessary at this point, however.

I also wish I had enough materials and space to allow each student to work individually, but instead I set up the following in small groups and we worked through the following activities over the last week.

Odd and Even
To make sure that every student really understood the concept of odd and even numbers, I used the materials we have to give every student the opportunity to do the Cards and Counters as we do in the Montessori Early Childhood classroom. Unfortunately, I can't do one on one lessons in this environment, and the students are trained to do everything with worksheets, so I had to set the activity up with written instructions and a follow-up sheet for the students to fill out.

Below, you can see the instructions, the counters (I sure wish they were all one color! They're read on one side and yellow on the other), and the "Digit Deck" which contains the numerals 1-9.

Here's a close-up of the directions:

Another way in which all of this was beneficial was as an exercise in following directions. It was surprisingly difficult for some students to complete activities step-by-step. They often got ahead of themselves and became very confused about what was supposed to be next. I may need to reword my description of the layout if I do this again as well, as most students were confused as to what I meant for them to do with the last counter for each odd number.

After completing the activity, students had this to complete:

Not very Montessori at all, obviously, but I had to work within the system we're in.

Square Numbers

Prime and Composite Numbers
I am not aware of a Montessori material for teaching these concepts, although I've never worked in a school that had an elementary program, so maybe there is one. I tried to use concrete materials to demonstrate Prime and Composite numbers as they are defined by the students' textbook. The key difference here is that the concept had already been introduced, and only after the students learned it on the surface, were they given a concrete experience with the concept. If I were not just in this position temporarily, I would definitely change the way this was done for the future. Anyway, again, instructions, materials. Not a Montessori activity, but an attempt at using Montessori principles to better teach the material this class is working on.

The Properties of Multiplication
This one is really not very concrete, and it's not really Montessori at all either, but I'll add it in anyway.

So that's what I've been up to. After 6 years of teaching Montessori 3-6 this is really an odd and trying experience, but I love the challenge. I have never seen attempts at bringing Montessori principles into a totally traditional classroom and I have no real expertise in this area - I'm just trying what makes sense to me and modifying based on what I see working for my students. If anyone has suggestions or experience with such things - I would love to hear them! I'm going to spend Christmas break doing a lot of planning for our next chapter, which will be division. Hopefully I can bring in things like this earlier!

Math!

2009-12-09T03:02:00.000-08:00

I have been struggling to apply all I know and believe from working in Montessori to the somewhat strained fourth grade DoD school situation I suddenly found myself in the middle of. I adore this group of children, and I want them to learn as much as they possibly can, and I know and have seen how children learn best. It's really tough to know that the methods I'm using are not the best methods I could use, and to keep using them anyway. I do my best, they do their best, and I'm enjoying it and taking it day by day, but oh how I want to do more! I came up with some exciting ideas this week, finally, that pull from my Montessori background and I have put them into action. It has been fun! I took quite a few photos today and I'm excited to get some time to upload them and tell you all about it this weekend!

Oh, and I'm 27 weeks pregnant today -- it's a girl!! : ) Hard to believe ...

A shift

2009-09-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

As any of my regular readers (if you're still out there despite my slow updates) will know, I'm taking a year off from teaching 3-6 due to a major location change. I began subbing at a K-5 school recently to keep myself occupied, and while I enjoy working with children, as always, it sure does make me miss Montessori! Having never worked in a traditional school, I underestimated how extreme the contrast would be between the two systems.

Anyway, back to the point of this post - as of now, it looks like I may be taking more than one year because I'm pregnant! Hooray! I'm just over 17 weeks along and due on March 10th (the ultrasound picture is two months old). I'm just beginning the exciting process of planning the nursery and I can't wait to have everything together so that I can set it up. I suppose the focus of my blogging may shift a bit more toward the birth-three world in the coming months, until baby is 3 and we both head back to school! I suppose we'll see. Any pearls of wisdom are welcome, as I'm not trained for this stage (not that a momma needs to be trained, but I'd still love to hear from people who are!). Give me your patterns, your favorite birth-3 quotes, books, and blogs. I want to see/hear it all!

Another Year Over

2009-05-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that yet another school year has passed. I hope that all of you had a year as fulfilling as mine, and I wish you all a lovely summer!

Now that the year has come to a close for me, I am in a place of uncertainty about my role in Montessori education.

I am moving to Guam next week, where it does not seem that any positions in Montessori are available. I am planning to go back to school, which makes me think that I may not be able to give a class of children all of me anyway. I am planning to approach the schools on the island and offer myself as a substitute. I am also planning on exploring the idea of providing an after school foreign language program at one or more Montessori schools - something I did in the past. Whatever I do, I hope that the schools on the island will be open to having me observe from time to time, as I can't imagine two years without being in the classroom!

I also hope to work toward completing a book about parenting with Montessori principles that I began a year and a half ago now. We'll see how that goes!

All of that said, my posts will probably be less frequent, and of a different nature. I may share observations, thoughts on philosophy, and other things I see about Montessori on the net. We shall see.

Enjoy your summers!

One final bit on color...

2009-05-31T19:58:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share one more color extension with you. I created a paper extension (not an original idea of mine, but a good one, nonetheless), which you can see above, that is simply 7 blank color tablets in a row.

The original idea is for children to choose any color they would like and experiment with lightness of touch by using one single colored pencil to make 7 graded shades of the same color. However, as pictured above, this same paper extension can be used to experiment with creating shades or tints of various colors by the addition of black or white.

Still More Color Work

2009-05-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

Above a four year old child has combined Color Box 3 with the Short Bead Stair.

Here, a six year old has traced the circle and triangle from the geometric presentation tray to

outline a color wheel. She traced one of our snack plates for the outer circle. She is in the process of tracing over her outline with a marker.

Here, she is mixing primary with secondary colors to paint her wheel.

She used the leftover paint for this painting, and gave me permission to photograph it.

My Classroom in Pictures

2009-05-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

I am preparing for a big move, so I have been taking a great deal of pictures of my room. I'm going to miss it (but more so the children)!

I thought it would be fun to share them. The Practical Life and Art areas are missing. I don't know how I failed to photograph them, but I'm going to take some panoramic shots tomorrow before I start packing things up, so I'll post more later : )

If you have a classroom and want to share pictures of it, I would love to see them, too!

It is so inspiring to see the layouts and ideas other Montessorians have.

Sensorial

Mathematics

Language

Cultural Studies

Lunch, some Art and EPL in the backround

The space is small, and I have so so many materials I have yet to make. It is the first year that I have been the sole Montessori teacher for a classroom, so I have been busy creating and I have quite a bit yet to do before I will feel that I have a truly complete set of materials. Then again, it will never be complete, as each group will be different.

More on Color

2009-05-20T19:07:00.001-07:00

I finally snapped a picture of the color mixing work I currently have out, completed.

Here you can see it a bit more closely. I used colored Sharpies to add the control.

And, a shot of of the color wheel, built as part of a terminology lesson on primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. The triangle of primary colors (color box 1) is in the center. Around the outside of that is the wheel of primary and secondary colors (box 2), and the outermost ring includes the tertiary colors. Just to the right of that, you can see the bottles of color that the child who did this work used to make the tertiary colors, which she first mixed, and then selected a tablet from Color Box 3 to match.

Here are the tertiary colors after she mixed them all. After she finished, she used a paintbrush and applied these colors to a piece of easel paper, where she had drawn her own color wheel.

Math, Math, and more Math

2009-05-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

I hated math for years. I struggled my way through all of my high school courses. I got the only D of my career as a student in high school Geometry. I finally passed college algebra on my third attempt. I was an A student in everything else, but math was the thorn in my side.

Montessori has changed all that. I now adore math and my understanding of it is infinitely better. The materials are brilliant and convey mathematical concepts in a way that just makes them seem perfectly natural. The materials link ideas together and help children (and adults!) connect math to all aspects of life in a concrete way. The curriculum is just absolutely brilliant.

Today, a five year old student who has recently learned the names of all of the polygons in the geometric cabinet and worked with all of the short chains, explored the connections between them.

She started by building a short bead chain stair (above).

Next, she used the chains to build a point, an angle, a triangle, a square, a pentagon, and so on. The 100 chain was in use by another student at the time.
In the background, you can see the arrows on another rug, and the book of polygons she had made earlier in the week and was referencing as she built the shapes.

In the end, she put them all together.

And finally, just when she was about to clean up, the 100 Chain was returned to the shelf, so she was able to add a decagon.

It was a morning full of math work. One 5 year old child took out quite an array of math materials and made some interesting things. I was tempted to ask him to put some of the materials away, as he was using nearly half of the math materials available at once, but he didn't seem to be disturbing anyone, so I opted to stay out of it. He first took out the 100 chain and lined up ten bead bars alongside it. Then, he took the ribbon that we use on the "operations table" to separate addends from sums, or multiplicands from products, etc. and stretched that out beneath the chain. Next, he took all of the unit cards from the large number cards tray and spread them out in order beneath the chains. Then, he took out the number cards that we use for the number rods and cards and the cards and counters and matched those to the large number cards. It was very interesting to observe. I wish I could have heard his thoughts throughout the whole process.

A 4 year old student who has spent all of this week's work time on Beads Practice and Cards Practice continued. I have never seen a child so enjoy the process of composing a numeral with the cards and going to the bank to retrieve the corresponding quantity. His favorite part seemed to be writing the quantity afterward. He has spent a full 8 hours doing this in the past 3 days.

I'm eager to see what these math enthusiasts come up with tomorrow!

Multiplication with the Golden Beads

2009-05-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is the first year that I have had the freedom to present the math curriculum just as I was trained to teach it. In the past, I have co-taught and had to follow along with the way senior teachers felt things should be presented. That was no problem, of course, but it has been lovely to be able to follow the child - and follow my albums this year.

Today was officially the first time, in 6 years in the classroom, that I was actually able to do multiplication with the golden beads. I think it was even more exciting for me than for the children. Naturally, I took some photos.

Above is the "Operations Table," where each child has brought the quantity 1,321. We always cover it with purple velvet, as that is obviously the only type of material appropriate for use with the golden beads. Unfortunately, I do not have multiple sets of small number cards (or even one set) at my school. So, I used paper to write the multiplicand for each child. Of course, it is paper that the children are familiar with and have used for writing quantities with the golden beads, and it is color-coded. You can't see it terribly clearly here.

Above, the children have put all of their quantities together to find the product, 3,963, and they have brought the appropriate large number cards.

Above, you can scarcely see, but one of the children has written the final problem of the morning and the language "Taking the same number multiple times is called multiplication."

The Color Wheel

2009-04-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

After reading Susanne's post over at Beautiful Sun Montessori and filling out all of my conference reports, I was inspired to do some color work. My conference reports include a place to indicate whether a child is working independently with materials that teach awareness of color, and whether they have mastered them for their age and/or level. I really got to wondering what, beyond color boxes 1, 2, and, 3, really helped the children to understand color.

I toyed with some paints and worked a bit with the color boxes and a color mixing work I had available and came up with some extension ideas.

I sat down with one of my second year students today and thought I would give her a simple terminology lesson. She already knows how to mix the primary colors together to produce the secondary colors. So, I thought I would simply teach her the names for these types of colors, and show her how to build them into the shape of the center of a color wheel. This, I thought, would lay the groundwork for a later lesson on how to produce tertiary colors.

So, we sat down at a rug where she had already matched the Colors in Color Box 1. I said, "The Colors in Color Box 1 are..." and before I could continue, she interjected, "Primary Colors!" Well, so much for my imparting of knowledge, huh?

Anyway, we built them into something like a triangle, then added in the secondary colors. Then, we got out the color mixing work and started exploring the concept of tertiary colors. After mixing a primary and a secondary color together, she chose the tablet from Color Box 3 that she thought most closely resembled the color she had produced. The result was the wheel you see below.

I think I will make a paper extension tomorrow if there's time, where children can paint the color wheel with colors they've mixed themselves.

In other news, some traveling musician friends of mine stopped in and played a couple of songs for the group. We recently began a formal music class, so there has been so much interest in music - a perfect opportunity to invite some visitors! Thanks, Leftmore!

Love the Spring!!

2009-04-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

Spring is my favorite time of the year for more reasons than I could list, but among them is the beauty of the social life in a Montessori classroom and the exciting work that's going on!

Today was one of those lovely Spring days that completely blew my mind.

All of you teachers (and parents) are familiar, I'm sure, with the little moments that make you realize how far a child has come. Today, two children who can be rather volatile at any invasion of their personal space, or at the slightest conflict of interests, were sitting down in a very tight spot for group time. If I were able to freeze time at the moment that I saw them both head for the spot they chose, I would have guessed that some serious elbow-ing, face-making, and "I was there first!!!" shouting was on its way.

I would have been so wrong!

Oh, me of little faith. Here's how it played out:

G - "Could you please scoot back a little bit?"
J - "Sure." Scoots back. Still doesn't have quite enough space. "Could you please scoot over a little bit?"
G - "Sure."

...and all this with smiles and soft voices.

The children do, indeed, perfect themselves.

All of the excitement of the day inspired me to post some photos I've taken this Spring. It's a rather mixed bag, but here you are.

The Geometric Solids with Bases

A five year old girl is working with the geometric solids and their bases. She has stacked all of the solids with square bases on top of one another and all of the solids with circle bases on top of another.

The first time she worked with the bases, some weeks before this, having lined up the three square-based solids, she remarked, "It's like a square club!"

Birds Eye View aka The 45 Layout.

This is one of my absolute favorite works. I have to take a photo every time it's completed. This is the most recent one.

In my training (MCI), we use a purple mat for all Golden Bead work (though for this work I do eventually hope to make something with a bit of control).

Before giving the first lesson on Golden Bead material, the teacher tells the child that "Gold is what kings and queens used to barter with ..." and therefore we only work with the golden beads on the most luxurious of purple velvet, of course.

Pink Box 1
Objects with the Large Moveable Alphabet

This is a four year old's first completed work with the LMA. He was so very ready!

ai box

This is a six year old's work with one of the green phonogram boxes. She ran out of a and i, so she made some with construction paper. It saddens me that my LMA box does not have red vowels. Oh, what I could do if I had a budget with no limits...

My lovely assistant made a small sandpaper period, question mark, and exclamation point that I use to give the first lesson on these symbols.

This was an extension of that lesson where a five year old child wrote a sentence for each symbol. This was the first time I had seen this child write full sentences fluently. She was so excited! She didn't stop or hesitate once - she just wrote and wrote. She wrote so much, so quickly, that we had to bring out a second chalkboard for her to complete her sentences on. They were used side by side so she could complete one of her sentences horizontally. When she got to the end, she had to erase what had been on the top line to complete her last sentence. So, it's a bit jumbled, but if you look closely, you can read her sentence, "I laic being a big sister." Next is her exclamation, "My baib bruthr cen screm so lad!" (My baby brother can scream so loud!) And finally, her question, "R we gn do teh tasitg bodls?"(Are we gonna do the tasting bottles?") It was a thrill to behold.

Below is a cultural activity we have been working on for some time now called the Sun Game. I don't know that this lesson is included in any training other than MCI's, but it is absolutely one of my favorite things in the whole of the universe. It is prefaced by a group discussion or two on the sun. These preferably take place outside on a sunny day. You can talk about what the sun is, and what is gives us, etc.

Eventually you involve two identical plants, one of which you place in an area where it gets plenty of sunlight, while the other is placed in a cabinet or some other place with no exposure to the sun. Both are watered and cared for equally. The second, of course, eventually dies. This gives a concrete sense of the importance of the sun to plants.

Later, the actual material is presented, usually in stages. A large felt circle, representative of the sun, is laid out on the floor and cards picturing a variety of different plants are placed around it. These are coded dark orange. Around these are placed dark yellow cards featuring photos of herbivores, and around those light yellow cards with photos of carnivores. Omnivore cards can be added in as well. Half of the result is below - click on the image to see the whole thing.

: )

Now, off to enjoy the long weekend!

I Think You're Wonderful

2009-04-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

One of the many lovely things I learned at Giving Tree Montessori, my internship site and a place where I spent three blissful years teaching was a song called, "I Think You're Wonderful*."

I also took an idea that we used there and have implemented it in my own classroom. We have something called the "Wonderful Necklace," and it hangs on a hook near the reading corner in our room. Anyone is welcome to take it, just as they take a work out, but they take it to a friend and tell them, "I think you're wonderful," and ask permission before putting the necklace around their friend's neck. The recipient can either pass it on when they have finished wearing it, or can return it to its place.

The goal is to facilitate the passing on of kind words and compliments - just because.

If you have tools that you use in your peaceful classrooms, I would love to hear about them!

*From my internet research, it seems that this song is by Red Grammer, from an album called Teaching Peace. You can stream it on youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPg7i9nIEf0.

Suggestions for beginning work in Montessori

2008-07-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

I received an email from a woman asking for suggestions on finding a job in a Montessori classroom. I thought I would post my response here in case it should ever prove helpful for others, and so that any other Montessori teachers can add their thoughts as well. If you have any, please add them in the comments. Let's discuss!

I've never had trouble finding a job in the Montessori world. If you are working toward a degree in education, that shows a real interest in not simply playing with children, but helping along their education and development, so you should be a great candidate and find a position easily. Any lead teacher will be certified by either the American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori International (AMI), Montessori Centre International (MCI), or some other training. These are the three most common, and most respected in the US. If you have not worked in Montessori before, it's probably advisable to seek out a position as an assistant to a teacher at the level you are most interested in. With a resume that shows an interest in Montessori, and work toward a degree in education, this should be easy. If you find that you love the work, you can then consider going on to training yourself (most trainings are full time for a few months, or part time for a year and are followed by an internship that runs one school year. They are incredibly intense, so you will want to take this time off from working on your education degree, or wait until you have finished).

Simply look for Montessori schools in your area, and start sending out your resume! Be careful about the job you choose, however, as the Montessori name is not protected, and anyone can call their business a Montessori program without having been trained, or even read a single page of Montessori's works. This is really the reason for mixed opinions on Montessori. Many people think of Montessori as being incredibly rigid and overly structured, while others think of it as far too loose, with no structure at all. This is because there is no one to say what is a Montessori school and what is not. Make sure the lead teachers in the school you decide on are trained, or you are likely to be turned off without ever gaining a true understanding of how a Montessori classroom should work. In your first year, if you have the option, you may look for a school that has been around for quite some time, and is well-established. Classrooms in newer schools are seldom good samples of what a Montessori classroom is like. In the first two years of a school, it is almost impossible to have a class that covers the range of ages it is supposed to cover equally, and if it does, the older children may be in their first year of Montessori and are not typically able to act as role models for the younger children in quite the same way as children who have been in Montessori since age three. A large part of setting up a classroom that meets the children needs is getting to know the children and observing them as they work to determine what will best meet their needs. A school in its early stages has not had sufficient time to do this, which is perfectly fine, but if you are new to Montessori it will be better for you to see what Montessori is intended to, and can be. However, if you find a great position with a dedicated teacher in a newer classroom, you will be just fine.

Lastly, if there is one thing I have learned about children, it is that they are incredibly perceptive. In environments where the teachers do not get along, or even where they appear on the surface to get along, but harbor unspoken frustrations, the children respond. It is important that you make sure before taking on a position that you can respect and work well with any adults that will be in the classroom with you. In any other job, you may be able to get by with being friendly and civil to people, even if you do not like or respect them, and everything will be perfectly fine. This does not work with young children. My suggestion would be that before accepting any position, you observe the classroom during work time, take note of how the teacher responds to the children, and make sure that you can support her in the way she engages with the children. If there is something you do not like, it will almost certainly be amplified when and if you spend your work days there. Take a few minutes to talk with the teacher or teachers as well, and make certain that you will be comfortable relating to and working with them.

If there is a Montessori training center in your city, they may offer a one or two day workshop for assistants, which would prepare you incredibly well for your first experience in the classroom.

I know I'm long-winded, but hopefully that helps. Let me know if there's anything that doesn't make sense!

Moving

2008-04-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's the end of my three year cycle and my current school, which I have grown to love a great deal. It's so exciting to see the children who were three when I began there preparing to graduate and move on to kindergarten. They have grown, developed, and changed so much, and it has been a joy to observe.

I've decided that, being the end of a three year cycle for me, it's a perfect time for me to move someplace where I'll have more opportunity, and chance to grow and change myself. So, off to Austin I go. If any of you Montessori teachers are looking for a place to relocate, I must say that Austin seems to be it! I interviewed at six different schools, and all of them seemed to be very true to the philosophy, and to have the best interests of the children at heart. It was amazing. I also got a sense of the reputation of several other schools that I did not have the chance to visit, and all sounded excellent. The Montessori community is vibrant, and the schools seem to be very supportive of one another.

Here in Colorado Springs, I have had the chance to see most every Montessori school, and I know that I could never bring myself to work for any other than the one where I currently am. I have never had to compare schools, and spend a long time thinking about which one was best for me. I just begged for a job, and took what they offered me, because I knew that was the only place where I could be happy. In Austin, I could work at any one of several schools and love my job! I chose the one that suits me the best and I'm thrilled, but had I not been offered a job there, I had several other options to choose from. It's amazing! I am more excited than I can begin to express about this next phase of my work with children.

Really Proud

2008-02-27T10:45:00.001-08:00

At our school, we have several certified Montessori teachers for one large classroom. Each teacher has their slot to do a "topic" during the year, which means that they lead the circle times, and incorporate work having to do with whichever theme or subject they are teaching on into the classroom. Right now, I'm doing my topic, which is literature.

Yesterday, during the morning work time I walked into the kitchen where one of our four year olds was having snack. Seemingly out of nowhere, he said to me, "Miss Melissa, I'm really proud of you for getting up there on circle."

It was the most charming thing. Perhaps he senses that being the center of attention (not so much of the children, but more of the other teachers, and any parents that may be present) makes me feel a touch uncertain. I'm so fortunate to have so many sweet, charming children around me.

Montessori Moms

2008-02-12T22:07:00.000-08:00

I am young and unmarried. I have been a nanny, a big sister, a cousin, an aunt, and of course a Montessori teacher. I have plenty of confidence in my ability to provide excellent, developmentally appropriate care for children.

I have never confused this with an ability to be the sole caretaker for children 24 hours a day. I recognize that this takes far more energy, patience, and selflessness. This is why I am still not a mom. I love working with children, and then sending home to their moms and dads at the end of the day. I'll be honest - I like me. I like my uninterrupted sleep. I like being able to eat my breakfast while rushing around the house getting ready for the day if I wake up too late to sit down. I like being alone with my thoughts at the end of the day.

I am excited about the idea of having kids in the next several years, and am sure that motherhood will be both exciting and rewarding. I don't doubt that I will do just fine when I am a mom, but I'm glad that I'm not one now.

For the past week, I have been the stand-in for a mom who is out of the state on business. I am living in the child's house. Getting him up in the morning, and off to school with me (he goes to the school where I teach), taking him to swim lessons, etc. after school, then home. At home I'm making dinner, helping with bath, etc. and then putting him to bed.

I have a brand new kind of respect for Montessori moms. When you have ten minutes to get out the door, it's oh so tempting to call the child to you and let them stand passively while you dress them, and then take them by the hand and out the door and stick them in the car. However, the Montessori mom knows that this is not fair to the child. The Montessori mom gives the child time to choose his or her clothes, and then to dress and get their things together. Sometimes gentle reminders and tips as to what clothing is appropriate for the weather are needed, but the Montessori parent lets the child do everything within reason for him or herself. This is not easy when you have a schedule to meet!

You Montessori moms (and dads) out there know this, and yet you manage to meet your schedules on a daily basis.

The rest of us should stand in awe.

Early Montessori Writing Exercises and LOLZ

2008-01-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

A bit of info on Montessori for those who are not teachers: one distinct difference between Montessori and traditional education is that writing comes before reading. This may sound crazy, but makes perfect sense when you consider that the process of writing is encoding, a process much less complicated than decoding, which reading necessitates. The children learn the sounds of the English language and their corresponding symbols, and soon learn that they can put these together to make words. Later on, they have what is often called an "explosion" into reading. They know all the sounds, understand concretely what it means to put letters together to make words, and for this reason are quite well-prepared for reading, and as soon as they realize that they have what it takes, generally take to it quite easily.

When they do begin to write for the first time, however, they write phonetically, and without having been exposed to the correct spelling of many common words through reading. (You would be surprised how easily they adapt their writing later, however.) Children in Montessori classrooms are encouraged to put letters together to make words, without being bothered with the tedious task of making sure all of the words are spelled correctly. For the young child just beginning to write, the main concern is that they can express ideas in written form, and that they gain confidence in writing. This is fascinating and exciting to watch, and fills the teacher with great pride.

The material used for writing in primary classrooms is called the Large Movable Alphabet (pictured). Children take out the letters needed to form words from the box and place them on a rug or a table. Children are not corrected when they choose the wrong letter, but encouraged to write whatever they desire. As they practice, and are exposed to more written material, they begin to write more perfectly, usually without even realizing it.

This process is absolutely incredible, and is often a source of great pride for the children. I love reading what the children have written in the way they saw fit to do so, and sharing their excitement over this accomplishment.

However, as a member of a generation where proper grammar and spelling are often abandoned for the sake of brevity, internet culture, or lolz, it can be quite amusing as well.

Vowels are often omitted, as they are much harder to pick out than the consonant sounds. So, sorry is often written as sry, and please as pls or plz.

Third person verbs and plural nouns are often written with a z on the end instead of an s, as in runz, livz, walkz (more commonly wokz), and catz.

My often becomes mi, your ur, and our if often just r. Love is almost invariably written early on as luv.*

Perhaps lesson plans for the LMA box should be adapted to include the indirect aim of preparing the child to communicate via text message and the internet(z)?

Very young children who do not yet know the sounds, but do know what some letters look like often try to write as their older peers do. One favorite thing for children to write is their own name, and many very young ones insist that they know how to write their name simply because they are so determined to do so, whether they have learned to or not. I have learned to memorize many strings of shapes and squiggles as the "name" of particular children on their art and other work to take home. One of my favorites, however, is one girl who always writes her name (in all caps) as LOL. L is actually in her name, and most children, no matter what age, know what O looks like.

*Note: Writing in this way is only done early in the process of learning to write, and children have been shown to benefit greatly from uninterrupted practice and the confidence gained from the same. Children who write in this way are generally quite young, and become excellent spellers and masters of their language soon after.

Friday!

2008-01-25T15:45:00.001-08:00

I have posted nothing more on the literature unit, because it was rescheduled. One of my lovely co-teachers was going to teach on Space in March, but had to schedule a surgery and will need recovery time, so her space unit is going on now and my literature unit will start in February.

I must say that space is amazing. If you are trying to think of a special topic for a class, do consider space. The kids are so into it, as are the teachers and parents. It's so cool!

Anyway, the reason for this post is so that I can wind down after the most exhausting day I think we've had since September!

Perhaps it was the change in the weather, or the long and not so engaging (but incredibly well thought out and well-meaning) talk about satellites from one of our dads who is an engineer, or the two wonderful interns who came to observe and spent the work time shooting numerous photos. Whatever it was, it made the kids WILD. I screamed when I got into my car. I literally screamed. It was all I could do to hold on until I made it into my car. Ah, well.

All of that meaningless chatter out of the way, I can get to the point of telling you the most hilarious moment of the day, which I am only able to laugh about now:

It was almost 3:30. We were at recess and almost all of the kids had been picked up. We were exhausted. I looked over at a small cluster of kids near the fence on the playground, and one of our feisty little pre-k girls* was halfway up the chain link fence with four or five others watching her in amazement. Of course Montessori teachers yell very seldom, if ever, but I did yell her name across the playground at this point, hoping that she would immediately get down off the fence. She didn't hurry, but did come down, with a very innocent look on her face. I walked quickly to her end of the playground, and as soon as I began to address her she enthusiastically pointed up into the sky and with great excitement shouted, "LOOK! A HELICOPTER!" I was too frustrated to notice at this point, but I am reasonably certain that there was no helicopter. I am continually amazed at how clever children of this age can be when they want to take an unhappy teacher's attention off if the issue at hand.

* This happens to be the same sweet girl who, in her first week as a new three year old looked at me with amazement when I said "Adios," gasped, and asked, "Are you a Dora!?"

Literature Unit

2008-01-02T03:14:00.001-08:00

I've published my rough plan for the literature unit as a google document so anyone can see it who is interested. It is very rough and tentative. I'll make changes after I hit the library and hobby lobby, and a critique after I see how it works for the children. I'll also post photos of the works when they're all set up.

Here's the link to the doc: http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=ddtwrj2j_2gbnq77d7&hl=en

First Post!

2008-01-02T02:32:00.000-08:00

All of my best ideas come either in the middle of the night, when I should be asleep, while I'm in the shower, or while I'm brushing my teeth. The trouble is that many of these same ideas never make it past the idea stage.

Awake at 3:30 am after New Year's Day finishing up plans for circle times centered around a thematic unit for my Primary Class on literature, I am frustrated by the apparent lack of a viable Montessori teachers forum, and really any Montessori activities on special themes posted anywhere. We really ought to share these things! There are so many pages with printable cutesy, cartoony coloring sheets and little songs about everything from washing your hands to Purim, and nothing that really works perfectly well in a Montessori environment. How can the internet be missing something so huge!?

Thanks to my frustration, I have decided to start a blog just for the Montessorian in me. Here I will post the ideas I think up, and how they went once implemented. I will post joys, surprises, successes, and terrible failures in the classroom, as well as anything the kids say or do that strikes me as particularly fun and/or interesting on any give day. I will happily welcome your thoughts and input, and do hope to dialog with many other Montessori teachers eventually.

When we get back to school next week, I will start the literature unit, and create a lot of fun thematic works in all of the classroom areas to go along with it. I will take photos and post the successes and blunders of these new lessons for your enjoyment.