Monthly Archives: February 2018

Oh, what fun!

22 Thursday Feb 2018

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

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Heather Siple-writing museum-013.JPGSchools are interesting places. When I was in school, students remained many steps removed from the adults in the community. A distance was set by the adults, and it was not crossed. Not so today. Research shows time and again that building relationships between teachers, families and students is the best way to support learning.

Last week, I spent time in a number of classrooms. I raced children on a typing app, seeing who was the fastest typist. Phew! It was so much fun! Then I had the chance to work individually with a student, administering an assessment and sharing reading. I joined a current events discussion, listening to students’ ideas about the happenings in our world. Later that same day, I was invited to participate in a hands-on “museum” of writing. Children used various communication tools to write: a typewriter, feather pen and ink, small letter tiles, clay and stamps. They experienced the communication of yesterday and loved the experience. All of this happened, and it wasn’t even lunch time!

At Wilmington Montessori School, relationships are at our foundation. No matter the age of the students, they are building connections with each other and the adults in our community on a daily basis. These relationships are the foundation of what motivates students to learn more, encourage others and wonder about possibilities. What connections have you built today?

Staying in the Moment

15 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by in Mindset, Teachers

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Nick Foles
The Philadelphia Eagles are the Super Bowl champs! It was a long time in coming, but loyal fans have been rewarded with an amazing game, a wonderful team and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Before the game began there was a clip of future MVP Nick Foles saying he was going to just go out and play the game. He wasn’t going to overthink it but instead would respond to what happens on the field and initiate the plays they had practiced. He and his team did just that.

As I listened to him and later thought about what he said, I was struck by the simplicity of his plan. He was not watching and re-watching game tapes. He was not over-analyzing the routes New England used in past games. He was not absorbing the messages given by the media, letting him know his odds of winning this ultimate game. He reacted, responded and played. Continue reading →

Food, Architecture and Montessori Education

08 Thursday Feb 2018

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One of the last places one might expect to find an article about Alice Waters, the owner and chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., is in an issue of Architectural Digest. She may be best known for urging us to eat local and healthy foods, but she is also dedicated to education, helping children learn where their food comes from and how to prepare it. She is a Montessori teacher.

Alice WatersI was awakened around design when I went to France when I was 19. I was living in a culture that really cared about food in a big way. They valued how it was served in all aspects, in terms of what was on the plate, what that plate looked like, and what that napkin looked like, and what things were in the room that reinforced what was on the plate. I just absorbed that sense of beauty connected to food and the aliveness of food. I also see this as a Montessori teacher. Dr. Montessori really believed that the senses need to be educated, that they are the pathways into our minds, and so the idea of something looking right and being able to touch, to be able to smell, to be able to taste, to hear, to listen, these are all ways that we can reach people and we can awaken them. I had that real experience when I was in France, and then I thought about the restaurant in that way, using that subtlety of reaching people through aroma and through their actually touching the food, engaging them and sort of winning them over.

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Fly, Eagles, Fly!

01 Thursday Feb 2018

Posted by in Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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My team isn’t in the Super Bowl this year, but I will watch because I am a football fan. During my years as a classroom teacher, I had ample opportunity to share my love of football with many students. They know my home team is the Pittsburgh Steelers, and even alumni will still talk to me about football (mostly teasing me when things aren’t going well for my team or letting me know when their team is successful). None of my training to be a teacher or school leader has ever focused on football. Yet, this is a way I have built connections with students, families and staff.

This week, the Philadelphia Eagles are playing in Super Bowl LII. Everyone is beyond excited. One of our WMS dads was so enthusiastic he had a giant Eagles cake made for our entire school. Our facilities manager is also determined to share his love of the Eagles with all of Wilmington Montessori School. This morning, he set up an Eagles display in the lobby, including a lucky football helmet from the movie “Invincible.” He even cut out hundreds of Eagles ribbons for all of us to wear to show our support for the team.

Though most of us are not as enthusiastic about the team as he is, he is building connections that allow the entire community to see him in a different light and invite us all to share in his love of the game, even if it’s only for a brief moment.

Taking the time to learn about what is important to others is a way to build community. It is the way that we learn about each other, create shared moments and have a little fun. This week as we chant, “Fly, Eagles Fly,” we will experience the game through the eyes of someone whose enthusiasm brought us together to create a moment that we’ll remember and talk about for a long time to come. Good luck, Philadelphia!