Oak Farm Montessori April 2021
Most of us have had that moment when we see our child about ready to make a mistake and we jump right in to save the day! But, are we really helping them or extinguishing an opportunity for them to have real understanding in the process and not just the end product? When Jack decided to keep a plant in an airtight container it would have been easy to say, “that will never work.” But when he discovered the outcome for himself, I knew it would be a life long learning experience. Now he has developed a better understanding on how to care for plants and what plants need to thrive. You may not know that Dr. Montessori was both a scientist and a physician. She called her methodology ‘the scientific method’ because she realized that children build themselves by the experiences and lessons all around them. She did not ascribe to the thinking of her time that children were empty vessels that needed filling with information. Read through this month’s newsletter to discover how teacher ways compliment child ways in each of our classrooms and be better prepared to allow an “Aha” moment to occur organically for your child.
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Candice
HEAD OF SCHOOL
I can only speak for myself, but the times when I found myself bored at school were the most difficult to concentrate and find purpose in the learning being presented. In the traditional model of education, students all learn a specific concept or skill at the same time; regardless of their interest or ability. Maria Montessori saw that through observation of each individual child, great success in intrinsic motivation and a love of learning was the result. Teachers, or guides as she called them, presented lessons to children as they showed interest and mastery of skills needed to move forward. The beauty of her pedagogy was that much of the early childhood materials were created to be didactic in nature; in simple terms, they were self correcting. The child could practice with a work and discover an error on their own without a teacher needing to correct them. Conversely, a guide could observe, without interrupting the child, and know whether they were ready to move on to the next lesson or still needed time to practice.
Ashley Knudson, Infant Teacher
Teachable moments “It is true that the child develops in his environment through activity itself, but he needs material means, guidance and an indispensable understanding. It is the adult who provides these necessities…If [the adult] does less than is necessary, the child cannot act meaningful, and if he does more than necessary he imposes himself upon the child, extinguishing [the child’s] creative impulses.”
As teachers at the infant and toddler levels, we are the first to play a role in encouraging children to move towards independence at our school. There is a lot of planning and thought that goes into our prepared environment to help these small humans have confidence to take those first steps: physically, emotionally, cognitively and socially. Having a prepared environment plays a big role in the success of our children and flow in the classroom. What does this ‘prepared environment’ mean? It can be as simple as providing access to the sleeping area so a tired infant may crawl onto their floor bed and rest, or knowing when to offer the walking bridge for those beginning to pull up and attempt walking. Observation and giving the child opportunities to develop through meaningful work is our priority, along with supporting each individual child’s needs. At times it can be challenging to watch a child not be succeessul with an attempted task. Whether it is falling when taking their first steps or spilling water as they transition to a cup with no lid, these ‘mistakes’ allow the teachers to turn it into a learning opportunity to model the intended skill and aid in their confidence and independence. #supportourschool
Letting your child
lead the way Yova Teusch, Primary Teacher
Probably one of the reasons why you chose Oak Farm Montessori School for your child(ren) is because Montessori education offers your children opportunities to develop their potential and prepare them to become a lifelong learner and an engaged, confident, compassionate and responsible citizen of the world. Montessori is a child-centered approach that emphasizes the development of the whole child. The children who are part of this environment are given unique opportunities to self-construct through purposeful activities in a prepared environment. Based on her research and observation, Maria Montessori recommended a way for adults to assist children in their journey of self construction. The art of child and adult interaction is at the center of Montessori education. The adults are expected to respond attentively and sensitively to the child’s needs and still maintain high
standards of expected behavior. This adult/child interaction approach is closely aligned with the Positive Discipline principles our teachers are trained in as well as the Authoritative parenting approach. How does it work? The adult’s role is multifaceted; children rely on the adults to warmly provide clear and consistent boundaries, but still allow children to operate freely and responsibly within the boundaries. In the Primary classroom, our students are aware that they are expected to put their materials back on the shelves before choosing a new material to work with. At home, if your child refuses to put their toys away and begs you to take a walk with you, you could kindly and firmly say, “as soon as you put your toys away, we will take a walk.” Providing children with warm relationships and solid structure will nurture children’s confidence, independence, maturity, emotional stability, and
“The teacher must understand and feel her position of observer: the activity must lie in the phenomenon.” 4
at the end, correlate positively to their desire to explore their environment and learn about it. In other words, secure attachment will result in children’s cognitive, social and emotional competence in later years. This act of forming relationships with children requires us, as adults, to be a humble observer of their journeys. I am inviting you to be a student of your children and follow their curiosity. This means to sit back and attentively observe and respond to our children’s needs instead of controlling them. Observation and reflection are big parts of our work. By attentively observing children’s needs and tendencies, we will be more informed in suggesting (not choosing) activities that will both interest and challenge them; and, we may think twice before we start intervening or giving them too much direction. Maria Montessori believed that children can self-correct mistakes, that’s why many materials in our Primary classrooms are self-correcting as this provides a powerful learning opportunity for them. You might also notice that we tend to ask them questions and give them limited choices that encourage them to analyze their decision and act in a responsible manner. We also carefully select our words to genuinely affirm their efforts that will, in turn,
nurture their growth mindset. So next time you see your child completing a puzzle and seeking praise, instead of saying “Wow, you’re so smart!”, you could say “Wow, you worked really hard on that. Now that you finished your puzzle, how do you feel?” Our goal is to let children realize that they have control over themselves and the choices that they make. This sense of ownership and autonomy will foster their independence and motivate them to take on greater responsibilities and make a positive contribution to their surroundings. I hope you will allow yourself to enjoy sitting in the back seat and providing solid and loving support to your children while they’re navigating their own journeys.
#supportourschool
Rachael McGuire, Spanish Teacher
Choices, choices, choices! Have you ever talked to someone who came to the United States from another country and felt overwhelmed upon setting foot in one of our mega grocery stores? The sheer number of product brands, scents, flavors, colors, etc. can be daunting. For students, too many options can also be
overwhelming. As teacher-guides, our job is to provide pared down, yet optimal, possibilities so that students have the best opportunity to make great choices for learning. Sometimes we offer options, yet students still struggle. I am growing in my own learning to trust students and to let them lead the way when they are not grasping a concept. Recently, I had the opportunity to experience this firsthand as a student was struggling to remember some verb forms. They came up with their own idea of an amazing review sheet with flaps, papers springing up from the page and pieces that twisted together like a puzzle. I took mental
you?
What works best for
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notes; because if it worked for this student, then it will surely be helpful to another one in the future! As an experienced learner and teacher, it can be tempting to think that ‘my way is best.’ However, I am also learning to say ‘’What do YOU think?’’ or ‘’What works best for you? You decide.’’ A student came to me a few weeks ago asking how they could improve their outcomes in my class. A quick glance at the FACTS system told me that their quiz outcomes were less than desirable, but instead of jumping in with my opinion, I just shared the information and asked what they thought. “Oh, I haven’t been
studying for quizzes. I need to do that.’’ was the quick response. Bingo. The next time we had a quiz, the end result was much better as the student took their own advice and studied. As a teacher or parent, how are you narrowing down choices for your children or adolescents? Are you providing age appropriate options with latitude for growth? When we help our young people with guidance, but give them leeway to make their own path, the beautiful (and sometimes messy!) outcome is that they are more confident, happy and self-sufficient. These life long learners are well on their way to the adult independence that we desire for them.
#supportourschool
Brett Bloom, EcoLiteracy Coordinator
Chew on this!
There is a particular form of learning that I have encountered during Ecoliteracy classes or camps that I don’t see very often, but offers the space to reflect more broadly on learning at Oak Farm Montessori. It is always interesting to me what information, from a lesson, students choose to spread virally amongst themselves. When this happens, you can tell that what they have learned is important to them. Teaching one another erupts spontaneously at these times and knowing the information seems to create social cohesion and added meaning as it spreads; once you know this information, you are part of the group that is in the know. It does not seem to be a form of learning that a teacher can consciously act to foment; it usually comes as a surprise and happens outside the formal structure of a class, in the interstices between planned daily activities. I have only experienced this a handful of times since starting at OFMS in 2016. An example of this phenomena is from a camp I co-ran in the summer of 2018. A daily component of the camp was eating or tasting native and domesticated fruits foraged on campus or picked from the gardens near Lower Elementary. There are native chokeberry bushes planted in the garden. The berries are not particularly pleasant to eat. While extremely healthy to consume, they are astringent and leave your tongue feeling like someone wrapped cotton gauze around it. Eating these berries was certainly a novel experience for the students, but this alone does not explain why they became so interested. The camp happened shortly before school started. Well into the first week of school, I noticed that there were no more berries on the bushes. I thought this was very odd as I had never seen birds strip these bushes of their fruit. I realized that the viral learning was the cause of the missing berries when I was greeted at each Lower Elementary Ecoliteracy pull out with questions about whether or not we were eating chokeberries on that day. Students still ask me about experiencing the chokeberries 3 years after that initial encounter. 8
Oak Farm Montessori is a place where students are encouraged to become teachers of their peers and younger students. This is built into the classroom as each has students at three different levels on the particular plane of development. I imagine that this contributes to the viral spreading of important informal knowledge. Our campus’s wild spaces are—like the Montessori classroom—prepared environments, or as I have been referring to them: infinitely prepared environments. They have an endless array of possible lessons that are dependent on the time of year, the temperature, the weather, migratory patterns of birds, biodiversity thresholds, micro-biome qualities and so much more. Their limits are more the limits of the person facilitating an Ecoliteracy class and Adventure experience. You have to be prepared to be responsive and to pull a lesson out based on what the land is telling you at any given moment. To demonstrate what I am talking about, I want to share one of my favorite moments during Kinderforest last winter. We were out with P4 students. Stacia Diggins and I had half the students. Right next to both Kinderforest basecamps is a forested swamp—where the salamanders come from (subject of another viral student-led teaching explosion). It was frozen over. This made it safe for us to go exploring as our impact on the habitat would be negligible. While we were on the swamp, Lili Morales came and gave the students a Spanish lesson as they sat on the ice.
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CARE OF SELF, OTHERS & ENVIRONMENT 10
Probletunities to the rescue Abby Minich, Lower Elementary 4 Teacher
When thinking about teacher ways vs child ways, I often reflect on one of Maria Montessori’s most famous quotes, “The greatest sign of success for a teacher… is to be able to say, ‘The children are now working as if I did not exist.” I feel like this quote really drives us as Montessori teachers to reflect on making sure our work is being done with the least amount of interruption; the children really are their own best teacher. Our classroom guidelines are a great example of this fact. At the beginning of the year, the students use our classroom principles of ‘take care of yourself, others and the environment’ and create guidelines that they feel are important for our community to follow in order to be successful. This also includes creating chores for each chore team. The students think deeply about all the tasks that need to be done on a given day and then list them out. Each chore team is student lead and they recognize the importance of their job and role in the community each day; the full task is their responsibility. Another way students lead in the classroom is through daily classroom meetings that are led by the students. There is a daily agenda, however the students also bring their PROBLETUNITIES (opportunities to solve problems) to share and discuss. This is a chance for the students to bring their problems to the community, brainstorm solutions and then put them into action. As teachers, we also allow for students to lead and take responsibility in their learning. We do this by asking the students what they feel their follow-up should be or how many math problems do they feel is an acceptable amount to do at a time. I also feel that as teachers or parents we want to rescue or solve problems for the children. It is so important to step back and let them step up to solve problems for themselves. They are capable when we allow these teachable moments to organically happen and have real meaning. for them. As teachers and parents, we’re really just guides to help them stay on the course; rather than veer off and make the wrong turn. We are here to ask and encourage them: Why? What if? and How? Instead of just telling them the answer, we should allow them to think at a deeper level to problem solve solutions of their own.
deep
Diving in Katie Lautzenhiser, Science Teacher
In Upper Eco-literacy class, students are asked to research an ecological problem and present their findings to others. This year, students had to present to their own classes due to health concerns. However, in previous years students enjoyed deciding which level they would present their projects to. Some students preferred to present to Primary, while a few even presented to Middle School or High School levels. Choosing their audience made the presentation more exciting and meaningful to them. Students also had full freedom to choose the problem that was most interesting to them and were able to work with a partner of their choice. Although the students are afforded much freedom, the teacher still must provide a framework to guide the students in making a meaningful presentation. Students are given the following guiding questions: What is the problem? Where does the problem occur? Why is the problem important to solve? What are possible solutions to the problem? What can your audience do to help? The teacher provides the necessary research materials and is available for any needed support during the whole process. Allowing the students as much choice as possible, while still giving enough guidance, encourages students to delve into a topic that they can become passionate about. Students often will continue with their chosen topic in other assignments in their regular classroom. A few students have even continued on with presentations to alert others to their problem. For example, one group went on to campaign to save a rare breed of dolphin. One exceptionally meaningful presentation came from an issue on campus. Some students were questioning the rule of wearing hearing protection during drumming class. During class, the noise level was measured with a decibel reader and found to be above a safe level. This inspired one eco-literacy group to research noise pollution. They researched how the ear works and how loud noises can damage hearing. They put together a slide presentation with many informative pictures and diagrams. They even made a model to help with their explanation. They presented to both Middle School and High School students, making a great impression on them. Some of the audience mentioned that they had never considered noise induced hearing loss before, but now would be more careful with their hearing.
#supportourschool
Revealing Potential Sandra Deacon, Upper Elementary Teacher
One of the most unique aspects of the Montessori classroom is that the teacher is not the focal point in the environment. The teacher’s job is to prepare the environment with beautiful materials the children will naturally gravitate towards. The emphasis is placed on the child’s learning and not the teacher’s explicit instruction. While children are all on the same plane of development in an environment, they each have unique and vastly different abilities and interests. The Montessori teacher is known as a “guide” because of this aspect. A great deal of trust is placed on the child to engage in work they are currently passionate about or intrigued with. Teachers do not provide children with answers; but rather they present them with questions to encourage them to problem solve and think critically. This prompts exploration that allows children to become absorbed in the learning process and transforms them into lifelong learners. “Failures” are not only embraced, but celebrated as learning opportunities. This provides the child with the safety and opportunity needed to expand beyond their comfort zones. 12
“The teacher, when she begins to work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work. She must free herself from all preconceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be. The many different types of children...must not worry her...The teacher must believe that this child before her will show his true nature when he finds a piece of work that attracts him. So what must she look out for? That one child or another will begin to concentrate.” Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind Page 276 #supportourschool
Exploring
beyond the comfort zone Jon Agler, Middle and High School Teacher
One of the most unique aspects of the Montessori classroom is that the teacher is not the focal point in the environment. The teacher’s job is to prepare the environment with beautiful materials the children will naturally gravitate to. The emphasis is placed on the child learning and not the teacher’s explicit instruction. While children are all on the same plane of development in an environment, they each have unique and vastly different abilities and interests. The Montessori teacher is known as a “guide” because of this aspect. A great deal of trust is placed on the child to engage in work they are currently passionate about or intrigued with. Teachers do not provide children with answers; but rather they present them with questions to encourage them to problem solve and think critically. This prompts exploration that allows children to become absorbed in the learning process and transforms them into lifelong learners. “Failures” are not only embraced, but celebrated as learning opportunities. This provides the child with the safety and comfort needed to expand beyond their comfort zones. 14
“The teacher, when she begins to work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work. She must free herself from all preconceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be. The many different types of children...must not worry her...The teacher must believe that this child before her will show his true nature when he finds a piece of work that attracts him. So what must she look out for? That one child or another will begin to concentrate.” Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind Page 276
#supportourschool
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Oak Farm Montessori School | 502 Lemper Road | Avilla, IN 46710 | 260.897.4270 | www.oakfarm.org