Ground Rules for Presentations

Even ground rules for the presentations themselves you ask?  Yep!  I’ll be honest here.  I need a little refresher on this myself and need to do a better job of following these ground rules for presentations.  These came from Sister Anthonita Porta, O.P.  She was an amazing woman and a true “Montessorian”.

Ground Rules for Montessori Teachers

We all have rules wherever we go and in a Montessori classroom even the teacher is not immune to these.  They do say that actions speak louder than words.   If we want the children to be respectful workers then we must also be this way too!  :)

Ground Rules for Teachers

1.) Ground rules presented with each presentation.
    a.) order-left to right and top to bottom
    b.) state if this activity is done on
        1.) floor-only
        2.) table-only
        3.) either floor or table
    c.) state if this activity is for:
        1.) one person
        2.) more than one person (state specific amount)
   d.) show how to return the work in order
    e.) handle the work respectfully (the child will notice)
    f.) name the activity and the shelf on which it belongs (practical life,
        math, sensorial, language, etc.)
2.) Teacher models all the ground rules:
        a.) uses a low voice
       b.) walks slowly
       c.) uses calm, slow movements
       d.) gets down to child’s level to interact
       e.) has a pleasant expression
3.) Teachers use positive language mirroring whenever possible.

The Simple Things

This post has been a long time coming and is a bit different from my usual, but hey it is summer after all …

As I was camping several weekends ago with my Joe and my Molly at Lee State Park, it occurred to me how it is the simple things that matter most. The everyday ins and outs make life so meaningful. Things like spending time with loved ones, long walks, napping, being out in nature... Too many times people are looking for the next best thing, when the next best "thing" is already there.   So here are some of the simple things my family enjoyed on our mini vacation to celebrate mine and Joe’s seventh year anniversary:

Montessori Classroom Ground Rules

As I said in a previous post, there is this huge misconception that Montessori means that the children are free to do whatever they choose and that the class is not structured.  This is not the case at all!  That would be complete chaos and how would anything get accomplished that way?!  It really comes down to those ground rules!

The Montessori Cult

Not! There is not a Montessori cult ( that I know of)! There are a LOT of people that strongly believe in the philosophy and some who may seem a little too enamored. I believe a big part of it is that finding out about the philosophy and experiencing it firsthand is like a light bulb coming on. It just makes sense to a lot of people and they want to share it.

Math Lessons

Here is an easy to put together lesson for teaching greater than, less than, and the same as.  Using word or some other software (or even writing by hand), make several labels stating each of those things.  (You may want to do the phrases on different colors to make it easier for clean up.  I plan on re-doing my labels for that reason.) Add in a deck of cards and you have a new lesson for your shelf.  You could also use the red and blue rods (more concrete for the child) or even the sandpaper numerals, instead of playing cards.

Language Lessons

   

Nouns:  This one comes from a mentor teacher named Cheryl Spencer.  She may have seen it somewhere else herself.  Teachers are such “thieves” anyways, right?  This lesson is pretty self explanatory, very easy to make,  and the children love it. 

Where Has the Concentration Gone?!

As the end of the school year quickly approaches, I find myself doing a lot of chin scratching and hair pulling. Ok, not really pulling my hair out but wanting too! I consider myself to be a pretty patient teacher and I'm often complimented on this by visitors, but I guess the end of the year is affecting me some too. Who are these children and what have they done with my focused, hardworking students?! Am I the only one going through this?

As we wade through the last few weeks (sorry if I'm being pessimistic; just being realistic) here is my "attack plan":
*keeping to our routine as much as possible
*reviewing ground rules at line time
*having a daily goal of a ground rule that our class needs to work on
*having shorter line times
*keeping them busy learning
*rotating out lessons, especially if they are not being used meaningfully

I know the concentration will come back and that we ALL need some R&R, so until then we'll just keep doing the best we can do.

-Upcoming: lessons ideas

Just Sharing Some Ideas

If you’re like me then surely you are constantly looking for some lesson ideas and extensions for your classroom.  Here are some!  Maybe you’ve seen them.  Maybe you haven’t.  Hopefully you can find something to use.

Not a Member of the Montessori Cult and Not a Perfect Parent Either

Follow the child was Maria Montessori's mantra and while I firmly believe in it, I've had to add an addendum as a fairly new parent. Follow the child and your parenting instinct.

Truly Blessed

FYI- this was not intended to be my first post. I have another piece that is incomplete and was intended to set the tone of this blog. Oh well! As I was laying beside this sweet slumbering baby with a melting heart, reading posts on the July 2010 Birthclub Board on Babycenter, I felt compelled to write. It is Mother's Day after all and so the topic is...

Dear Little One,
There are not enough words or even the right ones to express how much I love you. But even so I will try. You are my greatest accomplishment. The best thing I ever did. A blessing from God above. And so I say to you on this Mother's Day, thank you for being you. I love to love you and I have learned so much from you already. I can't wait to continue this journey with you and your daddy.
Love,
Mommy

Happy Mother's Day!