Tag Archives: montessori

Are you listening?

13 Friday Oct 2017

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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 →

The Definition of Success

21 Thursday Sep 2017

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Screen Shot 2017-09-21 at 8.17.07 PMAssessments are performed at the beginning of each school year. Teachers use them to determine what children remember after a long summer, which skills are strong and where additional support might be needed. Most of the assessments are measured against the “norm,” or the average student of that grade or age. When the results are favorable, the student is deemed to be on the right path; when they are less than optimal, it is determined what skills are lacking and what help is needed to reach that benchmark or average. Though this information may be useful in determining an instructional path for the development of specific skills, it cannot serve as the guiding force for learning. Continue reading →

Montessori Education: An Example of What’s Possible

29 Thursday Jun 2017

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Sir Ken Robinson jokes that when he goes to a dinner party and says he works in education, the conversation stops.

“Of course,” he says, “if you’re in education, you aren’t invited to dinner parties.”

When you say that you work in Montessori education, polite looks of curiosity often follow; not many people know about Maria Montessori and her educational methodology, which was developed more than a century ago. Although there are literally hundreds of Montessori schools throughout the world – and many of those are in your town – people remain puzzled by them. They may not look like the schools of their youth. Continue reading →

Where We’re From

15 Thursday Jun 2017

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learning without reflection

School’s out for most. Another year has ended. Everyone awaits these longer days of summer and enjoys a more relaxed schedule. How did these marvelous students, most children, get to this day?

Heather Siple- graduation-018.JPGWorking in schools – teaching a variety of students – confirms that children take individual paths to graduation day. Some move through school at the established pace, completing the required steps, causing knowing smiles as they accomplish predetermined goals. Others meander, checking out things along the way, perhaps devoting more time to some things than others and getting to the finish line in their own time. Still others may have difficulty determining where the finish line is and an even harder time figuring out what to do to come close to reaching it. Educators find these variations and more. Parents typically prefer the first option as it is tried and true. We know it works and what is expected is carried out. However, which is the best path? That depends. Continue reading →

Curiosity vs. Knowledge

18 Thursday May 2017

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curiosity killed the cat

We all know the saying: “Curiosity killed the cat.” This article sheds a different light on that age-old adage, highlighting the premise that curiosity might be a better attribute than knowledge. It is commonly stated that we are living in the information age. Information, also known as knowledge, is there for the taking. We can search on Google, ask Siri or look up something on Wikipedia, and we will get an answer within minutes if not seconds.

If we simply want an answer to a question, those tools will provide the answer and the quest is finished. However, if we want to make connections, think further or wonder “what if,” that is only the beginning. In other words, if we are curious, we need more than the initial response to our questions and our thoughts. We need to think. We need to connect ideas and ask more questions. We need to wonder, to dream and to be curious. Knowing the multiplication tables is an attainable goal and one that schools hold important for children in elementary school. Connecting that knowledge to wonder about why yet another ice cream shop is going out of business if so many of the people walking on the boardwalk on a hot summer’s day are eating ice cream requires curiosity. It’s not simply looking at what exists and looking for a simple answer. Curiosity is going beyond that thinking to consider the “why,” the “how” and the ways in which one can make a difference by connecting those ideas.

Schools need to continue to help students gain knowledge; it is necessary to maintain an educated populace. However, it is imperative that they also instill a culture of curiosity. Children who are encouraged to think harder, try various ideas and adapt the results using a variety of tools are building skills needed for their future. They need to be given the time to think freely, wonder and guide their learning. Curiosity may be a problem for cats – not so for students. Allow it to thrive.

What do children need to succeed in school?

11 Thursday May 2017

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What do children need to succeed in school? Google that question, and you will find more answers than you have time to read. However, take the time to think about it, reflecting perhaps on your own school experiences, and you will come close to an answer that will serve children well.

Children, like their adult counterparts, come in all shapes, sizes, appearances and abilities. They live in houses, apartments, in the country, suburbs and the city. They are as varied as can be and so is their learning. Some children can “do school.” They enter school at a young age, and it works for them. They know how to navigate through the information, demonstrate their understanding and successfully work within the established parameters. Others struggle with all or some of this. They can’t figure out what is expected, or don’t have the ability or skills to navigate the many demands of school. These children need ongoing support to get through their school years.

At their best, educators are continually asking how they can help children succeed. If a lesson isn’t working and a child isn’t learning, they ask themselves what else they might try. They strive to find the best approach to assist each and every learner. What helps one may indeed help another. These teachers don’t give up. They teach resilience to children by being resilient themselves. They lead by example, showing each and every day that even though school might be hard at times, they push through the difficulty, trying again and accepting the support that is offered.

To succeed in school, children need advocates. They need people who know them and try to understand them and their needs as learners. They need people around them who care, support them and bolster their confidence as they work hard to gain the skills and knowledge needed. What do children need? Caring adults, a warm and friendly environment of confidence, resilience and dedication. They need to know that we will never give up and will find ways around and through any difficulties that exist. They need to know we are on their side.

Expectations Matter

13 Thursday Apr 2017

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A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Sonia Manzano speak. You may know her as Maria from Sesame Street; she was on the show for more than 40 years. Ms. Manzano spoke about the importance of a strong early childhood education, sharing the inequities that persist today. She said of her childhood, “I was smart in the Bronx and stupid in Manhattan.”

She was speaking to Montessorians and spoke with her audience in mind. Ms. Manzano understands that children learn through play and that it takes experienced educators to guide them in their choices and explore mistakes with them along the way. As she warmed to her topic, I was profoundly moved by her statement that, “I was good in school because so little was expected of me.”

Expectations matter. It is one thing to guide children through a curriculum. It is another to learn what is needed for each child to stretch themselves, to learn all that is possible at a given moment and to communicate that we know they can reach their goals, offering support as needed. Educators must know their students. They must offer opportunities to learn and expect the best from them. Communicating expectations for success allows children to rise to those expectations and beyond. When educators set goals that require children to stretch and yearn for more, they are proud of their accomplishments. Children count on us to share the world with them and to stand firmly beside them while they explore, question and learn to expect the best of themselves and their educational experiences.

What do we need to know?

06 Thursday Apr 2017

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What do students need to succeed in school and in life? That is a question that educators have struggled with since societies began offering education to its citizens. Most of us wouldn’t argue with the idea that we all need to read, write and know basic math skills. After that it gets a bit muddier. What content must be “covered” to ensure an educated populace?

If you take a moment to consider your own education, what you loved about it, what you absorbed at the time, and what you quickly forgot and relearned later in life, you will begin to understand the limitations of a singular attempt at becoming an educated person. We have all learned a body of facts about history, geography, varying sciences and more. How many of those facts do you recall? Of those you remember, why do you suppose they are easily recalled? If you happen to have loved learning about Greek mythology as a child, chances are you held onto that information and have added to it throughout your life. If you were not interested in it, the opposite may have occurred; you remembered what was needed for a report or a test, forgot most of it and can perhaps pull up one or two facts years later.

There are national standards for education in all disciplines. Schools and educators throughout our country use those standards to determine what to teach and at what age or grade they should be included in the curriculum. What standards don’t address is how to ignite the interest, curiosity and passion of the children who are the intended learners. Education is much more than sharing facts. Attending school means so much more than being presented information. It is the place where we are inspired by ideas, current and past, by questions that ignite a curiosity and passion to seek answers, and by educators who are learners themselves. It’s imperative that those who call themselves teachers continue to be learners. None of us will ever learn all that is to be learned. Each of us has the capacity to continue to seek knowledge, to ask questions and to ignite curiosity in ourselves and others. Learning for life is preparation for the future and is the best standard we can set for students in our schools.

It Takes A Village

02 Thursday Feb 2017

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ittakesavillage

About 20 years ago the phrase, “It takes a village,” was brought to the nation’s attention in a book written by Hillary Rodham Clinton. She did not author the phrase; instead it is believed to be an ancient African proverb, which translates to, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In the past month, I’ve been reminded of this proverb many times over.

Maria Montessori has shared her vision regarding the world village in which we live. We are called to honor those who came before us, to learn from the lessons others have learned and can teach us, and to rely on and support each other as we navigate our ever more complicated world. This is true for children and adults alike.

Every day in Wilmington Montessori school, I see examples of the village – children and adults alike – “raising” the children and adults in our community. This occurs from the moment a child holds the door for an adult entering the building in the morning to the adult who provides a warm smile when needed, and an entire classroom celebrating a child’s birthday with the birth and life celebration during which a child walks around the sun to commemorate each year of his or her life. Each of these examples may seem small when taken in isolation. When recognized as a tiny part of each day, they represent the village… our world and our planet.

Nothing we do for each other or in memory of others is too small an act. We are the village and we are here to support, nurture, and raise each other to continue to contribute to the global community or village in which we all live.

Continuous Reflection

05 Thursday Jan 2017

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john-dewey-quoteAs 2016 came to an end, my inbox was inundated with advice – things I should buy, resolve, change and appreciate. I’m sure yours was filled with similar items. The message behind all of these emails is the same; this is the time of year to reflect on the past and set goals for the year ahead.

Schools are places of continuous reflection. There is not a day that goes by on which questions aren’t pondered about what has gone well and what could be done better. Learning is a continual process, not a one-time-per-year event. It is ongoing. As another year begins there is much to consider. Children are entrusted to us. The goal is to educate them and send them off with the knowledge and skills needed to negotiate their world; a world that is continually changing. While some of the things I learned in school are quite relevant today, many are not. However, what I did learn is how to take ideas apart, to ask questions, to reflect on the information at hand and to add my findings to my already existing knowledge base.

Reflecting on our practice as educators allows us to move forward into the future that awaits the students in our classrooms. It also reminds us to honor those practices that will always be important. It causes us to question and search for answers. It is through reflection that we are able to create an environment for all learners to pursue their quest for understanding and to make sense of the world in which they live. Schools, in their best version of themselves, are working to help children learn. For it is in developing the skills needed to learn that one is able to go out and successfully negotiate the world.