The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Monthly Archives: May 2015

Stages of Curiosity

28 Thursday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, 3-6 classroom, authentic Montessori, curiosity, hands-on learning, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, stages of curiosity, teachers, three period lessons, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

leo shapes edmodo

Reading this blog entry reminded me of the wisdom of Maria Montessori. The entry posits four stages of curiosity: process, content, transfer and self. “This has changed me” is the defining sentence of this fourth stage, self. Dr. Montessori did not identify four stages of curiosity or refer to it as directly as may be found in today’s writings about learning and education. What she did was create an educational system that utilizes what she termed ‘three-period lessons.’ From the youngest children to the oldest, this is a defining principle of Montessori practice, one that can be found in authentic Montessori schools, such as WMS, throughout the world.

Three-period lessons consist of stages:

  1. “This is…” Information is presented, named and shown step by step. The teacher demonstrates the materials to show a child what is possible.
  2. “Show me…” The student is asked to show the teacher things, to recognize and associate an item. For example, if a lesson were done on triangles, a student would be asked to show the teacher the equilateral triangle. At this point a child is not asked to name the triangle, but to demonstrate her understanding of the concept by correctly identifying the triangle when asked.
  3. “What is this?” The student is asked to name an object or idea that has been presented in other lessons. As children learn to name items, they also begin to associate them with previously learned ideas and thus begin to creatively associate concepts and ideas.

What the aforementioned blog entry on the stages of curiosity and Montessori’s three-period lessons have in common is the understanding that children need someone nearby to help them negotiate the beginnings of their learning, no matter the topic. The first stages of learning require a patient and knowledgeable teacher to provide the information and help the student define his or her world. As the child gains more information, he associates it with previous knowledge and begins to wonder, to make sense of what he is learning. Finally, the child assimilates this learning into his world and extends his definition of the world and his part in it. The student begins to create, and to seek knowledge for knowledge’s sake. This is the pinnacle of learning, and it is guided by curiosity.

Once again, Montessori’s understanding of children and how they learn is brought to bear when considering the 21st-century skills touted in education today. Wilmington Montessori School, a school with strong and tested Montessori principles, leads the way in educating children for their future.

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Arts Integration… Hip-hop style!

22 Friday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Wilmington Montessori School

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artist in residence, arts, arts integration, Ashley SK Davis, clyde evans, dance, Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education, DIAE, hip hop, poetry, story-telling, storytelling

Heather Siple-Clyde Davis-013Over the past two weeks, Wilmington Montessori School has had the incredible opportunity to bring another artist-in-residence experience to our community. Through the Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education, Ashley SK Davis offered workshops to students and faculty that demonstrated the connection between dance, poetry and storytelling. She brought these art forms alive for us. Ms. Davis’ work led to a day with Clyde Evans, a hip-hop dancer and founder of the Chosen Dance Company in Philadelphia. The culminating event was a performance for our entire community.
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Montessori Roots and Self-Management: Alumnus Brad Wason Reflects on Lessons Learned at WMS

18 Monday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Research, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, alumni, Brad Wason, Bradford Wason, Frederic Laloux, management, montessori, Montessori education, preparation for life, Reinventing Organizations, self-management, Teal, tomorrow's leaders, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School, Zappos

Alumnus Brad Wason, who recently started working for Zappos, wrote the following blog post about how Wilmington Montessori School has helped him deal with the changes that are happening in his work life today. His words serve as yet another example of how WMS prepares students for their future – both in school and in life.

Growing up Teal.
by Bradford Wason

If the title of this post is perplexing to you, I assure you, that you’re not alone. Only recently have I been enlightened to the meaning and it provided a bit of context to my life up to this point. For the past few weeks I’ve digested a mountain of information and ideas from concepts presented in Frederic Laloux’s book: Reinventing Organizations. I’ll admit my first pass of the book was tough, though I blame that on the subtext of my perspectve at the time. I had just found out that the new job I had started nine weeks ago would be evaporating in a sense as of May 1st. I work for Zappos and if you haven’t heard, we’re going Teal. Hello self-management and goodbye managers (that’s me).

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Montessori Marathoners – Growing and Learning as a Team

13 Wednesday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in community service, Montessori Education, Wilmington Montessori School

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collaboration, connections, Delaware Marathon, fun run, GYMM, marathon, Meerkat Milers, relay, running, sports, team, teamwork, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

marathon group

The 12th annual Delaware Marathon Running Festival was held in Wilmington this past weekend. On Saturday, many of our students kicked off the running festival by participating in the 1.2-mile GYMM (“Get Our Youth Moving Marathon”) Run/Walk. On Sunday, WMS had seven eight-person relay teams comprised of parents, staff, current students, alumni and other friends. By running a little more than 5K each, the teams of eight ran the equivalent of a marathon – 26.2 miles!

Our runners came together to try for their best time, to run alongside children so they could participate, or just to be a part of the group. It was a glorious day. Cheering and encouragement were offered to everyone who ran by our tent. It didn’t matter who they were, how fast they ran, if they were running a leg of a relay, a half marathon or the entire race. What mattered is that they were working toward the goal of making it to the finish line.

It reminded me of what school should be like for each child, no matter who they are. The goal of education is to provide the parameters and lay out the course. There is more than one goal; there are multiple paths toward the goal and each child reaches it in his or her own way. What matters is the willingness to try, the effort given and the support offered along the way.

Visiting a WMS classroom reminds us of this. Children have the structure and predictability of the day laid out for them but each child is on his or her own path. The goal is learning and growing; the joy is in being a part of this team and in an environment that supports each of us as we embrace the discovery and wonder of the process.

jacobruns

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Education for Life

07 Thursday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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lifelong learning, montessori, Montessori education, teachers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

When percussionist Tony Vacca visited WMS, staff enjoyed learning from him almost as much as the students did!

When percussionist Tony Vacca visited WMS, staff enjoyed learning from him almost as much as the students did!

One of our core values at Wilmington Montessori School is “education for life.” When reading this on our website or simply considering those three words, one tends to think about the students, for they are our focus. Lately I have been doing a bit of reading that reminds me to consider each member of our community when reflecting on this core value.

To be the best educators we can be, we need to be the best learners. This doesn’t mean we learn the most difficult concepts or excel at everything we try, but that we embrace the process of learning and move beyond the comfort of knowing to the uncertainty that comes with learning. From a baby taking her first wobbly steps to a child hesitantly reading his first words, the unsteadiness of the learning process is a part of our lives. As we move through school, we experience of the challenges and wonder of learning.

At WMS, our teachers spend most of their time as learners. They learn through professional development workshops, meetings with colleagues, researching topics to teach a concept or to guide a student, reading blogs and publications about their profession and the content areas they teach, and best of all, they learn from their students. Being open to learning and embracing the unknown are values that are critical to our success; we are learners for our entire lives.

The Terroir of Wilmington Montessori School

01 Friday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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blogs, core values, mission, montessori, Montessori education, seth godin, teachers, terroir, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

terroir definitionI subscribe to many blogs – more than I could possibly read. I love to read, to learn, to be entertained and informed. There are so many people sharing their views and knowledge. Seth Godin is someone I make sure to read each morning as I prepare for my day. He lends me bits of wisdom and often inspires me in my work and life. This week, he shared a French word, terroir, which is loosely translated as “a sense of place” that is embodied in certain characteristic qualities. He was speaking of foods and wines of certain regions and their flavor – the way the region, its soil and climate impact the product. But he ended this post talking about a bakery and its uniqueness, its essence.

This prompted me to think about the terroir of Wilmington Montessori School. What makes us who we are? Why are families and staff members so dedicated to our school? What is it that people who come through our doors feel? It is so much more than our mission and our core values. It is living that mission and those values day after day.

Every day at WMS, children are cared for, valued for who they are and supported to move on to the next step, whether that step is an actual step of a toddler, the “writing” of a 3-year-old or the research of a 10-year-old. Teachers are there to observe children and guide them in their development socially, emotionally and academically. Everyone at WMS is there because they see the value in what we do and the essence of who we are. They feel the welcoming atmosphere, the excitement about learning and the acceptance of each other.

So many people visit our school who have never been here before and say they just know it is a wonderful place as they walk through the doors. They can feel the terroir. It is the essence of WMS that matters. Other schools may have a similar mission or state the same core values; we are distinctive.

There is no other WMS.

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