The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Category Archives: Wilmington Montessori School

What happens when school starts?

10 Tuesday Sep 2019

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Wilmington Montessori School

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after school, back to school, recess, social curriculum, summer, time

Heather Siple-Frst Day010
The carefree days of summer are behind us. Were they as carefree as we romanticize them to be? Summer means time – time spent outdoors, long stretches of time with “nothing” to do, time spent with siblings, neighbors and other kids with minimal adult intervention. Maybe you have memories of playing baseball on summer afternoons, hitting, missing, and throwing down the bat and heading home in a huff. Or perhaps you spent hours at the pool with your friends. Or maybe you lived in a more rural location and were able to amble through the woods, fighting imaginary villains, climbing trees and building forts – all without adult help.

Things change. And one of the things that has changed is the amount of unstructured time available to children. They are enrolled in programs after school, on weekends and sometimes in the summer months. If a child really wants to excel in a sport or interest, participating in it as part of a school program may not be enough. And everyone is expected to excel.

As school is starting, there are more and more articles appearing such as this one, focusing on the increasing levels of anxiety in our children. The upshot of this and much of the research about this topic points to the same things: “Kids need recess. They need longer lunches. They need free play, family time, meal time. They need less homework, fewer tests, a greater emphasis on social-emotional learning.” And all of these things that are stated as “needs” are things less and less available in our culture today, for many reasons. We know what children need – what they’ve always needed: time to dream, imagine, play, and enjoy the company of their friends and families – just like they always have. 

Who are the teachers?

20 Thursday Jun 2019

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, learning environment, Montessori Education, Wilmington Montessori School

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learners, learning environment, lifelong learning, montessori teachers, multi-age classrooms, students as teachers, teachers, teachers as guides

IMG_2291

In education today, there is a common understanding that the best environments promote learning among everyone in the school. We are all learners and we all benefit from being with each other. Wisdom comes in all shapes, sizes and ages. In a Montessori classroom, you can be sure that is true.

Montessori classrooms typically have a lead teacher or guide and an assistant teacher. Both are responsible for keeping things humming along. They differ in their responsibilities, but each has the training and knowledge to help the children learn. Montessori classrooms have other teachers as well – the students. In Montessori multi-age classrooms, children learn from other students. The student helping another is learning to do more than help; he or she is learning more deeply. Teaching strengthens knowledge of the teacher, whether the teacher is a child or adult. Asking students to help others who are younger or less experienced is a surefire way to benefit both students.

We often hear that schools are filled with learners, and lifelong learning is certainly recognized as a core value in many schools. Empowering students to share their knowledge and allowing them to lead the way is the best way to promote a dynamic learning environment.

My, how they grow!

17 Monday Jun 2019

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Wilmington Montessori School

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alumni, graduation, graduation speaker, graduation speeches

As another school year comes to a close, it is often a time to reflect on the students who fill our hallways each year. The end of the year at our school means celebrations for those moving up to the next level and those moving on to high school. It is bittersweet to see those you’ve watched for many years get ready to leave the nest. Graduation season brings ceremonies, speeches and, of course, celebration. (Watch this year’s Wilmington Montessori School eighth-grade graduation ceremony.)

Each year, our school has an alumni speaker as part of the graduation ceremony. Former students come back to share their journey since middle school. It is always fascinating. In preparation, we review what was said about the speaker when she/he was a student with us. We reflect on the contributions they have made to our school and others they have attended. We eagerly await their words of wisdom, knowing they will share not only what their life is like now, but how our school played a part in their future experiences. It is not only interesting but often surprising. Students we thought were quiet and perhaps reluctant to share their ideas with others demonstrate the ability to step up and lead a project, visit a far away country or invent something that will serve those in need. Students who maybe were a bit reluctant to take the stage and speak to a group, come back and speak to an audience easily and comfortably. They continue to grow and change, though always remain true to themselves.

Schools have the responsibility to not only teach academic subjects, but to help children learn about themselves – their strengths, challenges and uniqueness. Schools are places where children can try on a variety of “hats,” learning which fit best. Students can be readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, dreamers, artists, singers, athletes, caretakers, gardeners, friends and so much more. In the right environment, children can learn about themselves and take that strong sense of self with them as they move through life. The right school environment nurtures a sense of self, provides opportunities to grow, and sends students off confidently to their next phase of learning. The right school environment allows children the opportunity to know themselves well and continue to build on that throughout their lives. As this year’s graduates move on to the next phase of their lives, may they find the places that will continue to challenge them while allowing them to be true to themselves.

The Best Laid Plans

10 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by Lisa Lalama in 21st century learning, Montessori Education, Schools of the Future, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century, education, educational systems, individualized learning, teachers

Some days go along smoothly and stay that way. Others, not so much. One of the interesting things about working in a school is that there is seldom a dull moment. That may sound like things often go wrong, but that’s not the case. Things just go “differently.” A child who navigates assignments and social relationships nicely may hit a snag and need support. A teacher who is reliable and always on top of things may encounter a challenge that requires her to further develop her skills to best address the needs of one particular student, though these skills may eventually serve many. A well-designed schedule may be interrupted by a fire drill or an unexpected visitor. Things change, and we need to be ready to embrace the changes.

Continue reading →

A Little Help from My Friends

07 Friday Dec 2018

Posted by Lisa Lalama in making a difference, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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eco-schools, educators, elementary, leadership, middle school, teamwork

During the past few days, I’ve had several different educators outside of my school reach out and ask a question or two about something they are working to figure out. The topics have ranged from policy and procedure questions to challenging employee situations and “How did you handle this?” questions. None of the people expected a solution to their particular problem. Instead, what they were seeking was a listening ear and more information to help them as they work to solve their particular version of a problem that I may have struggled with.

This week I was also struck by the fact that we also ask students to help us as we try to accomplish our goals. Our school has a team of students who are working toward making the school a greener, more environmentally friendly school. Those students met for the first time this November and are buzzing with ideas, excited about the changes they will make to impact our school. Middle school students have been asked to run assemblies, create an admissions video and support other students in various ways. They’re invested in making a difference and making contributions to the community.

We do not stand alone. We are all part of groups, small and large. At times we lead, at others we follow. Sometimes we are the helper, and often we are being helped. The common thread is that we seek information and support from others, counting on them to help us learn and grow, not to do our jobs for us. As adults we recognize the need for this and seek information that helps us to make decisions or do a particular job. Schools must replicate these experiences for their students. Children need to see us asking for and receiving help, refining our thinking based on new information, and leaning on each other to do the best job possible. They need to know that doing “their own work” often relies on information and a helping hand from others. Schools, workplaces and all of life depend on our interactions with each other and conversation and questioning that leads to greater understanding, learning and action.

Personalized Learning

29 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by Lisa Lalama in 21st century learning, Learning, Montessori Education, Research, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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brain research, individualized learning, learning and the brain, personalized learning

We often hear the term “individualized learning” when referring to schools. It has been deemed to be the pinnacle of educational practice, serving students well. The assumption is that we are approaching each student as an individual and meeting his or her needs. I’ve said it myself many times. What if, instead of individualizing learning, our goal is to personalize student learning?

Attending workshops at the Learning and the Brain conference last week caused me to consider the idea of personalized learning more thoroughly. As we work in service to the children in our classrooms, we must consider their interests, abilities, passions and needs. We need to co-create their learning with them, sometimes with more teacher influence, others with more student direction and still others with a finely tuned mix of each ingredient. Personalized learning is collaborative and cooperative by its very nature. Individualized learning is meeting a child’s needs by matching them with the educational systems goals. It may be a subtle difference, but it is one that merits our attention. Continue reading →

Making Learning “Just Right”

08 Thursday Nov 2018

Posted by Lisa Lalama in 21st century learning, Learning, Montessori Education, Research, Wilmington Montessori School

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brain, factory model of education, individualized learning, learning styles, school, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

brain based learningSeveral years ago, two friends and I led a two-week summer camp. The theme was the brain and how it works. We focused our efforts on offering activities that would allow campers to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to a variety of experiences. The goal was for them to discover what they find easy or enjoying doing, as well what they find hard or uninteresting. We all participated in activities that were easy, just right, or difficult.

Much of school is about just that. Easy. Just right. Difficult. One person’s experience is not the same as another’s, and yet schools persist in trying to make everyone’s experience the same – a factory model applied to individuals. Factories don’t exist to fit the individual; their purpose is to create conformity and uniformity. That simply doesn’t work in schools. It isn’t an effective way to learn. I may need more time to conduct an experiment or read a book but less time solving a math problem or applying logic to a given situation. We are each individuals, and many of us didn’t learn much about our learning style until we were out of school. If we were successful in school, there could be many reasons but one reason for many is that we simply knew how to “do school.” We understood the way school worked, could manage to meet most requirements with relative ease and fit into the mold. Some of us did not have that luxury. Instead, we may have struggled with things that others found easy; we may have not understood how to meet the mark and succeed in school. But, once we found something we loved to do, we figured that out, no matter how hard it was.

Many schools, like Wilmington Montessori, are trying to do things differently. We are looking for that “just right” level of instruction for every student, not just a select few. We strive to be responsive to the needs of the children in their classrooms today – not those who were there last week, last year or 10 years ago. This is a tall order but it is one that is necessary. We know much more about learning and how brains work today than we did a century or even a decade ago. We have the ability to design instruction with the student in mind. We know that we are preparing students to enter a workforce that is quite different from that their parents or grandparents entered. It is a new world, a world that is moving at a faster rate of change than ever before. We need to be responsive and adapt student experiences, ready to make it “just right” for the children who will be doing all they can to be contributing members of their world as they continue to learn and grow.

Off to a Good Start

27 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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academic skills, assessment, back to school, community, formative assessment, learning, measurement, rules, teaching

Heather Siple-elementary shots-013

We are nearing the end of the first month of the 2018-19 school year, and everyone is settling in. Many schools spend the first six weeks of school focusing on two things: establishing the classroom community and assessment of academic skills. These are perhaps two very different things, but both quite necessary to set the tone and the agenda for the year ahead. Continue reading →

Time Frames, Not Timelines

13 Thursday Sep 2018

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

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learning, montessori, three-year age group, three-year cycle, time

Time. It’s one thing many of us say we don’t have enough of. It’s finite, yet also unlimited. Thinking about the time that has come before today is, in many respects, incomprehensible – just as it is to think of time far into the future. Children know now... it takes years for them to understand yesterday or tomorrow. They truly live in the present moment, which is something many adults strive to do.

It can be said that time is an artificial construct. It is divided into seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries and so on. In other ways, it provides the structure we need to manage our lives. School years mean something different than fiscal years or calendar years. Within each of these “years” are other divisions of time. In schools, each year brings new classrooms and students as well as different aspects of the basic subjects taught there. Continue reading →

Your Educational Journey

09 Thursday Aug 2018

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

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back to school, engaged learners, montessori, montessori madness, montessori philosophy, school, trevor eissler

As we prepare for yet another school year to begin, I find myself reflecting about what school is, and why schools are the way they are. Each year brings new opportunities and new challenges. Each year has a fresh veneer on it; a veneer of expectations and wonder, perhaps mixed with some uncertainty and fear.

We all know something about school because we live in a literate society where we have the opportunity to be educated in the public or private sector. We have choices about school. We know about school. We went to school.

I challenge you to think about the school of your childhood and maybe even beyond. Think about what you learned. Reading? Check. Writing. Check. Math? Indeed. But what did you really learn? My guess is you learned to do what was asked of you in the most efficient way for the adults. My guess is you learned reading, writing and math relatively easily if you didn’t have a learning disability and were a compliant student who could sit in a desk for extended periods of time. My guess is that you could either do school well or not. Continue reading →

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