The Montessori Message

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Tag Archives: tradition

The Traditions that Unite Us

27 Thursday Apr 2017

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

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culture, easter, family, learning, peace, tradition, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

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Last week, I was reminded of my family’s many traditions as we gathered to dye Easter eggs, hunt for hidden ones, and wish each other a “Happy Easter” while breaking cascarones on each others’ heads. We enjoyed brunch with extended family and friends. Some of these traditions have religious significance, arising from traditions in European countries long ago. Others are relatively new to our family, having learned of them when we visited San Antonio several years ago. Regardless, it is what we have come to expect each year when Easter weekend rolls around.

Children love traditions. Once we do something one way, it becomes an anticipated event. At Wilmington Montessori School, we have a birthday assembly each year to celebrate the school’s founding. We share a moment of silence and sing a song of peace each year on the U.N. International Day of Peace. Children stop at the front desk on the morning of their birthday to receive a ribbon and have “Happy Birthday” sung to them. They look forward to the bubbles on the first day of school and the graduation ceremony on the last day. These all have become traditions at our school. They are anticipated and adored. We keep them alive because they are an integral part of the life of the school.

In your family, you can name traditions that have been handed down to you from past generations. You have most likely begun many of your own. They unite us. They help us to appreciate each other and learn about our similarities and differences. Think about the traditions known to you and your family and those you might want to explore as your children grow. Cultural influences and traditions are an abundant source of learning, sharing and creating acceptance in our world.

Do you know how to have fun?

07 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Uncategorized

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easter egg hunt, family, fun, play, spring, tradition

Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.

–  Stuart Brown, MD

easter-egg-hunt

 

Last week, my family celebrated Easter. Although my children are now “grown ups,” it is a holiday we look forward to with great anticipation each year.

Years ago, we began the tradition of having an egg hunt with friends, and we continue that tradition to this very day. Now, however, there is no one under 25 in the hunt, and some of the participants are well into their 30s! Some friends come just for the hunt and egg dyeing. They gather around the kitchen table, create beautifully dyed eggs, and vote on who created the best egg this year. Then it’s outside for the hunt! The hunt ends when they get tired (20-somethings wear out fairly quickly) and someone finds the GOLDEN EGG. Continue reading →

Traditions

18 Friday Dec 2015

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

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Tags

holiday, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, observation, practical life, sensorial, tradition, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

Room 5- MenorahIt’s the time of year when we fall to traditions and all they hold. Most of us follow traditions within our families. We know the sources of some of those traditions, while others’ origins remain a mystery. Once we introduce a tradition to our children, they count on it; that’s why it’s a tradition. Children relish the comfort and predictability of knowing what to expect and what comes next.

As I think about the traditions that are tied to school, it can be a bit less comforting. Most schools today are very similar to the schools of 50 or 100 years ago. They operate on the same schedule, test for the same knowledge base, have teachers as the “knowers” and students as the “learners,” and have the same definition of success. At Wilmington Montessori School, we adhere to the traditions that could be described as Montessori: using Montessori materials, having dedicated spaces in our classrooms for Sensorial, Practical Life and academic materials, furnishing with appropriately sized furniture, focusing on peace education, and learning about the world and its people.

We also adhere to the tradition of observation. We are responsive not only to the children in our classrooms, but also to their needs in an ever-changing world. The world today is not the same as when Maria Montessori observed children in Italy and developed the Montessori Method. However, what is the same is the adherence to the method of noticing what children need as they move through school and life. Though we are a Montessori school and all that implies, we are constantly watching, learning and noticing children’s needs. Our lessons, materials and experiences reflect those requirements; therefore, they change and adapt to the times in which we live.

In some ways a Montessori education may appear to be the same as a traditional education. The difference is that we are not stuck in a system built on traditions that are being held onto no matter what. We are not looking for the next best educational theory or practice. The Montessori method is built to embrace necessary changes. We learn, shift and grow; we embrace the world today and we learn from the past. Our traditions are molded from past experiences to shape the future for our students.  

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