What we do as Montessori Teachers
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What we do as Montessori Teachers
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03:58:00
What we
do as Montessori Teachers
New to
Montessori? Let us tell you what we’re all about. As Montessori teachers and parents…
1. We
follow the teachings of Dr. Maria Montessori (1870-1952).
She was a
medical doctor, a teacher, a philosopher, and an anthropologist. Her
progressive view of children was way beyond her time, and her writing is still
very relevant today. Interested in reading some of her work yourself? You
should! Try The Secret of Childhood for starters.
2. We
understand that children of different ages have different needs and abilities.
We study child development theory (for example, sensitive periods) and
make sure that our classrooms and homes have developmentally appropriate
activities and expectations. When something new is discovered about the growing
brain, we are taking notes, ready to
back it
up with our educational practice. (More often than not, the research simply
confirms the Montessori method!)
3. We observe
our children. The child has so much to teach us about learning. By watching
closely, we can modify our lessons and materials to best suit the child’s
interests and growth. We try to anticipate what the child will need next and
make sure that this experience is available for when the child is ready to
explore the subject or skill. We call this “following the child”.
4. We
believe that the environment itself is the best teacher, and we prepare
it like a mama bird would craft a proper nest for her babies. Rather than
dictating what a child should learn and when, we design the classroom or home
to fit the needs of the child, rich experiences balanced by beauty and order.
This takes a great amount of effort, but we are rewarded when a child enters
and is inspired to learn. In a typical Montessori classroom, you would see
objects in baskets, trays, or boxes arranged on a shelf attractively. Each
work
contains a purposeful work that is designed to teach a specific concept. (Pssst:
We don’t randomly select concepts to teach, remember? We base them on our
observations of the child.)
5. We
model grace and courtesy (good manners), treating our children as we
wish ourselves to be treated. We use calm voices when teaching and speak with
respect in regard to the children’s feelings. We carry ourselves with poise and
handle objects with care. We believe that the children are acutely observing us
even when we aren’t aware of it, and they will mimic our behaviors and attitudes.
We know that humans aren’t perfect, but we really try to bring out the best in
ourselves.
6. We
recognize that children are unique individuals who are not likely to
master the exact same concepts or have the same interests at the same time. We
celebrate this uniqueness and allow each child to develop at his or her pace.
We believe that learning is a natural process that develops spontaneously. When
we place our trust in the child, we are often surprised at the immense amount
of learning that takes place through the child’s
interaction
with his or her world.
7. We do
not use rewards and punishments to force children to comply with rules or to combat
ill behavior. We believe that each child is on the way to developing self
discipline and that the rewards should be intrinsic (within oneself) rather
than externally imposed. When a child misbehaves, we first examine the reasons
why the child is exhibiting those behaviors (hungry? tired? overstimulated?
testing boundaries?) and then we contemplate whether a change in the prepared
environment would help or if we need to teach certain problem solving skills to
prevent another occurrence. Never do we use shame or humiliation.
We try to help the child understand appropriate behavior in a social context in
a gentle,
firm manner.
8. We
believe that children learn best when they are free to move their bodies
throughout the day.
Children have physical rights. They should not be constrained to desks. They should be
allowed to move around in their environment, visit the bathroom as often as
they like, and
work in a variety of sitting or standing positions. We want to teach our
children to respect
their bodies and control their movements, and by allowing this freedom, we feel
that this
helps the growing brain learn more effectively. We encourage this independence, but also
teach respect for others. No one’s freedom should infringe upon another’s right
to concentrate.
9. We
believe that the materials a child works with (one could just as easily
call them “toys”)
should be carefully chosen to support the current developmental stage. With few exceptions,
natural materials are preferred, and the works themselves should be arranged attractively
on the shelf. Concrete experiences are always offered first and abstract
thinking presented
later, when the child has a firm grasp on the concept. Maria Montessori herself
developed
and sanctioned specific materials for learning that are considered classic and essential
to a Montessori classroom. You might want to take a look at the pink tower, the moveable
alphabet, or the golden beads. Oh, and yes, we call it work and not
play. Really it’s just
semantics, so don’t let it bother you.
10. To
Montessori teachers, presenting a lesson to a child is an art form.
For
example, for the 3-6
age child, we captivate the child’s attention by talking very little during the
lesson and
instead making our movements slow and deliberate. This allows the child to
focus on our
actions and remember the little details that may be forgotten if we were
speaking at the same
time. One of the classic Montessori lesson techniques you might want to
investigate is called
The Three Period Lesson.
11. We
believe that education can change the world for the better. We are
advocates for
peace. The children themselves represent a “bright, new hope for mankind”. We
feel that the
work we do as educators, guiding children toward self reliance and compassion,
is incredibly
important in the grand scheme of future life on Earth. How our children are treated
as babies is going to impact our entire civilization when they are all grown up
and making
decisions that affect others. We are humbled by the great possibilities that
exist within
the tiniest of humans, and we respect their inner wisdom.
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