The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Monthly Archives: October 2017

The Feynman Technique

20 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Teachers

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Feynman, math, mathematics, physicist, physics, simplicity

Richard Feynman Quote.jpg

Richard Feynman is considered to be one of the most important physicists of all time. He was a pioneer in quantum electrodynamics, won a Nobel Prize, and contributed to  solutions to many physics-related questions and problems. Though much of his work would be unintelligible to most of us, it has at its core a simplicity that merits our attention. Feynman believed that even the most difficult concepts needed to be broken down to their simplest forms, expressing concise thought and using easily understood language. His premise is that once you identify a subject you want to learn about and try to make it easily understood by a child (using plain language and making the lesson as brief as possible) you can then identify what you don’t know, go back and review your information sources, and provide a clear explanation of a more complex idea. Continue reading →

Are you listening?

13 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education, Teachers

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children, learning, listening, montessori

Two-ears (1)You may have heard the common wisdom that “we have two ears and one mouth… so, use your ears more than your mouth.” How many of us reach that goal?

I come from a long line of talkers – rowdy, boisterous talkers. When I got in trouble in elementary school, it was for talking. I like to attribute this to my quick thinking and need to share my powerful insight and humor, but I’m not sure my teachers would agree!

As I have moved beyond my elementary school years (well beyond), I have tried to get better at listening. I’m much better at it than I used to be, and I try hard to really hear what people are trying to say. Mostly I enjoy listening because I also enjoy watching, people-watching to be specific. Watching and listening lead to powerful learning. Recently, just by listening, I’ve learned about an immigrant’s move to the United States, a child’s gratitude to a grandparent and several people’s ideas about a political occurrence. Continue reading →

Relationships: The True Benefit of Education

06 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education, Teachers

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relationships, teachers, teaching

WW - Betsy first dayChildren spend more time in school than in any place other than their homes. Schools strive to make this time productive and worthwhile, but too many schools define productivity and success through the subjects they teach and the grades children earn.

Running into an acquaintance, speaking to former students and catching up with a former teacher recently provided me with perspective on what really matters in school – the true benefit of education: Relationships. As Rita Pierson is famous for saying, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” The job of a teacher is complex. Universities are good at helping prospective teachers learn how to teach academic content. They rarely include more than an overview on how to build relationships and teach the actual children in our classrooms.

Like adults, children are affected by what is going on in their lives. Their ability to pay attention, interact and learn is dependent on their lives, not just what is happening in the classroom at that moment. A teacher’s primary responsibility is to provide a safe, caring environment for those children. Each child must know that, no matter what, she will be cared for, nurtured and supported as she works to succeed in that class and in life. It’s what all children deserve and what we, as educators and adults responsible for their growth, need to ensure.

Teaching is a tough job with long hours. Many of these hours are not spent in the classroom with children, but are instead spent outside of school hours, learning and preparing for the days ahead. It is a job where great effort is put in and often the outcome of the hard work remains unknown. Teaching is a service to our future. Although a teacher almost never knows if or how he/she has made an impact on a student, our words and actions can leave lasting impressions. Teachers educate for the future; they help children see possibilities. They make it their business to learn about the children in their classrooms, respecting their individual differences and supporting their growth. They may never know the results of their efforts, but they will know the child is stronger, more confident and capable as a result of their time together.

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