The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Tag Archives: engaged learners

Growing & Learning

20 Thursday Feb 2020

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, learning environment, Teachers

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engaged learners, goldilocks, learners, learning environment, learning styles, schools, theory of learning, zone of proximal development

Heather Siple-Tod3-1-29_003
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Division using Stamp Game

One of the first things educators learn about in their quest to become teachers is the zone of proximal development – the “just right” conditions for learning to take place. Just like Goldilocks, if something is too easy or too hard, a student is not likely to fully engage in learning. It’s only when it’s “just right” and the student needs some guidance to achieve his or her goals that the student becomes curious, interested and most able to accept a learning challenge.  Continue reading →

Do You Want to Learn?

14 Thursday Feb 2019

Posted by Lisa Lalama in 21st century learning, Learning, learning environment, Montessori Education, Schools of the Future

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creativity, engaged learners, engagement, freedom, independence, learning environment, maira kalman, montessori, school, standardization, Wynton Marsalis

If you want to learn something, I can’t stop you. If you don’t want to learn it, I cannot teach you.

– Wynton Marsalis

Heather Siple-First Day-Rm19-1As I listened to this podcast about creativity, I not only learned a great deal about the lives of a variety of people we would all consider to be creative in very different ways, I was inspired to apply these ideas and experiences to education and children’s school experiences.

At the same time, in talking to a teacher who was attending classes to become a certified Montessori teacher, she shared the idea presented that small class sizes can be detrimental to the idea of children gaining independence. The thinking is that in order to become independent, make the best decisions and learn from mistakes, it is important to have freedom. Children need freedom from adults watching every move they make. They need space for experimentation, for creativity to allow growth in ways they can’t experience if all they know is the “right” way to do things and the rewards are established by someone else, either a person or institution. We need to establish environments that allow students to set their own goals and assess their progress using criteria that continue to evolve through various iterations of a project or assignment. If we don’t allow for this process, students will struggle to become independent and make decisions throughout life. 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 →

Student Engagement

16 Thursday Nov 2017

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

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elementary, engaged learners, engagement, following the child, gallup poll, high school, learning, middle school, preschool

Photo - 9-12 Bridge.jpg

Recently, I came across a Gallup poll, polling students in grades 5 through 12 about their level of engagement in school. The poll measured hope, engagement and well-being of nearly 500,000 students from more than 1,700 public schools in 37 states. The poll found that nearly 8 out of 10 elementary students who participated in the poll are engaged in school. That number dramatically decreases the longer students are in school, with only 4 out of 10 high-school students stating they are engaged in school. The data suggests that the longer students stay in school, the less engaged they become.

Educators, both in and out of the classroom, are constantly striving to learn how to best serve the students they encounter each day. The best teachers and schools are continually wondering what they can do better, even when things are going well. They are lifelong learners as individuals and as institutions. School is never finished.

Interestingly, the high-school students who said they were engaged in their learning report that high school feels much like their elementary school. As a Montessori school, one of the things we pride ourselves in is student engagement. Students want to come to school. They can’t wait to see what the day holds for them. They engage not only with the teachers and students, they engage with the classroom materials, the environment, the ideas, lessons and the broader community. They yearn for more. And if a student doesn’t have this eagerness for learning, solutions are sought. What is the child excited about? What do they spend their time doing outside of school? How can we serve that student in ways that may be unique for him? What can we do to help them more and what can we do better?

Students come to us from a variety of situations. Schools are set up to help students gain knowledge, understanding and skills that will serve them throughout their lives. To think that simply imparting content will engage and interest them is a mistake. Students are just like adults in that they have interests, curiosities and are continually trying to make sense of their world. They enter school at a young age with hope and fascination as doors are unlocked for them. Our job – no matter the educational setting from preschool through college – is to help them find the keys.

Time to Learn

28 Thursday Apr 2016

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

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engaged learners, engagement, environment, learning, montessori, Montessori education, time, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School, work model

_DSC6351I just read this article, which shares the wisdom that students perform better when having math class in the morning. The premise is that although many high schools have later start times than they used to because we all know teens need more sleep, it may not be serving them well. The data shows that students who have math in the morning outperform those who have it in the afternoon. The question this article really raises is, “What is the optimal time for learning?” That is an entirely different question.

Our education system is devised to suit a “work” model; children are at school when their parents are at work. If you think about yourself and the people you know, my suspicion is that some of them are “morning people” and others night owls. It’s a way that we categorize ourselves. I, myself, am a morning person. If I want to be sure to have the energy to complete a challenging or demanding task, I do it right away. This applies to everything from exercising to doing chores I don’t enjoy, such as grocery shopping. I can manage later in the day; I’m just not as energetic or fresh. When my son was in high school, he was once scheduled for an afternoon math class. I was appalled. I decided I was going to call the school and request a change in his schedule. He told me, in the way our children do, that he would be quite unhappy if I made that call. “I don’t wake up until noon. It will be better for me to have that class in the afternoon.” This was a learning opportunity for me…a chance to learn what I thought I knew. We are not all ready to learn at the same time in the same ways.

As I read about the difference in test scores, I was reminded once again that the time to learn cannot be determined by us. Teachers, schools or parents can’t decide when children learn. What we can do is provide an enticing, inviting, safe and creative environment that promotes a sense of wonder and engagement. We can offer experiences that engage children in things familiar and new. We can ask them what they want to learn, listen and create lessons that allow them to do just that…learn. They will learn when they are ready to learn. And when they are ready it won’t matter what time it is because for them it will simply be the time to learn.

What do you want to learn?

25 Thursday Feb 2016

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

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21st-century, arts integration, connections, education, engaged learners, engagement, geography, hands-on learning, Maria Montessori, math, mathematics, montessori, Montessori education, motivation, quilting, research, sewing, teachers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

sewingfinal.JPGTake a moment to think about something in your life you really really wanted to learn. Now think about how you went about learning it. Who was involved? Who or what helped you? Who or what stood in your way? How did you overcome those obstacles? Why did you keep trying in the face of difficulties? Continue reading →

What is hard for you?

03 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Uncategorized

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challenge, education, engaged learners, engagement, learning, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, teachers

Room 13 - Bryce Hundred BoardEach of us has had the experience of learning something new and finding it easy. For some, learning about scientific theories comes easily and “just makes sense.” For others anything math may be fun, challenging and engaging. No two of us are exactly the same in these ways. I, for example, have learned about Greek and Roman gods many times…and I know very little. It’s not because I didn’t listen, read or do my assigned work. It’s simply because it doesn’t and never has interested me. Before you rush to judgment, think for a moment about what you have learned, perhaps multiple times, that you simply didn’t like learning. Now that you are an adult do you remember it? Do you know as much about that topic as you do about something that truly captured your imagination? Often it doesn’t matter how difficult the subject matter is. It’s about our engagement. Continue reading →

21st-Century Skills (Part 8)

02 Monday Mar 2015

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, artistry, arts, creativity, engaged learners, hands-on learning, innovation, montessori, self-expression, STEAM, teachers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

Toddler Maker Faire18Creativity, Artistry, Imagination, Innovation, Personal Expression

As we wind up this series on 21st-century learning, it is time to consider the skills at the forefront of discussion when most people think about this topic – the goals of innovation and creativity. Employers want them, and schools work hard to “teach” these skills. Montessori education leads the way in this respect. At WMS, classrooms are set up to allow personal expression to flourish and creative experiences abound. Learning is student directed, not teacher directed.

Continue reading →

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