QUOTE Montessori

Q: I understand that Maria Montessori created a school environment that would hopefully "make up for the impoverished conditions of many of the children's homes" (p. 22). However, in a day an age when teachers have such full plates as it is, I wonder how much time can actually be given to creating a "beautiful" environment. Do I really not accept a blue shelf because it doesn't match the other purple ones?

U: I feel I am understanding more and more the importance of not doing anything for students that they can do for themselves. Montessori's belief that "adults spent too much time serving children" (p. 28) resonates with me, as I see more proof (in readings and videos shown in class) that children are capable of much more than we may initially believe. This has altered my understanding of the role of 'teacher,' from someone who "runs" the classroom to a more passive guide who supports learning that is inspired by a child's own curiosities and experimentations.

O: My experience working at the Emerson School this past year really meshes well with the understanding I just described above. When I first began working there, I didn't even realize it, but I was doing so many things for students that they could have been doing themselves: sharpening their pencils, getting them a calculator, or cleaning up after their snack. I think this came from a sense of impatience and feeling hurried to finish any given project and move on. As the year progressed and I observed my more experienced colleagues, I realized that teaching students they are responsible for their own actions, their own learning, and their own messes, is as important as teaching them to read. It took some getting used to, but after a while, I got used to letting students move at their own pace, and not stressing if it took them an extra minute to get their math journals and meet me in the hall.

The Emerson School employed the Project Approach, which allowed students to decide what they wanted to study and gave them a lot of autonomy in deciding what direction they wanted to take it in. All of the students could find one aspect (or many) of the in-depth study that they were really passionate about, and it showed in their work. I had no clue what to think about the Project Approach going into the job, but now I have seen the benefits of teachers sitting back and letting their students shape their own learning journeys.

T: A treasure I would like to keep with me from Montessori is the idea that, "the more we manage for children, the harder our jobs will be" (p. 29). I can only imagine how stressful my first year of teaching will be, and how it will be tempting to feel "in control" of my classroom all the time. I need to remind myself that it is my students' educational experience, not mine. By over-managing them, I am harming them twofold: in robbing them of the chance to learn full responsibility for their words and actions, and in limiting their learning to what I feel is "appropriate."

E: Though I am not a perfectionist and might mis-match some furniture, I do really believe in creating a relaxing and warm classroom environment that will be inviting to my students. I hope to have a couch, maybe some bean bags, lamps in different parts of the room that allow for different levels of lighting, plants, and music playing during certain times of the day. I'm also all for having the students be the keepers of the classroom to the greatest extent possible. I envision possibly having a "jobs chart" (chore chart doesn't sound very fun!) that assigns different "jobs" to students, like "floor checker" and "book area," so that they feel invested in keeping their own classroom neat. (Added bonus: I don't have to spend the end of every day picking up legos and markers!)