Planning for the School Year in the Montessori Environment

By Admin -
Planning the School Year in the Montessori Environment. Teacher working with student.
So there are two plans: one is to disseminate knowledge, to follow a syllabus. The other is to look to the life of man and serve it, and in serving it, help humanity.
—Maria Montessori
The 1946 London Lectures, p. 31.

For Montessori teachers, the summer break is not only a time to relax but also a time to reflect on and plan for the upcoming school year. Planning in the Montessori environment is very different than in the conventional school environment.

In the traditional setting, the teacher gives knowledge and students passively sit and absorb it, regardless of love, passion, or interest in the subject. Traditional teachers must have daily plans that drive the direction of their teaching.

In the Montessori environment, the teacher guides students to create their own knowledge through self-discovery. Making prescribed daily plans doesn’t work for the Montessori environment because the teacher follows the interests and progress of each individual child. The teacher’s planning is dependent on the observations they make on a daily basis.

Planning the School Year in the Montessori Environment. Teachers planning together.
Moving away from daily plans and focusing on individualized learning can be difficult for a teacher. However, Dr. Montessori told us that “The teacher, when she begins work in our schools, must have a kind of faith that the child will reveal himself through work. She must free herself from all pre conceived ideas concerning the levels at which the children may be.” (The Absorbent Mind, p. 252.)

Dr. Montessori also said, "The concept of an education centered upon the care of the living being alters all previous ideas. Resting no longer on a curriculum, or a timetable, education must conform to the facts of human life." (The Absorbent Mind, p. 12.) In other words, each child develops according to their own timeline. It is the Montessori teacher’s job to follow the child not to make the child follow us.

When planning for the upcoming school year, NAMC's Montessori Lower Elementary Curriculum,Upper Elementary Curriculum and Mastery Checklists in our Curriculum Support Material are helpful planning resources for your Montessori environment.

The following NAMC blog articles also provide helpful guidance on how to plan for the year in the Montessori environment.
Personalized Instructional Goals Based on Scientific Observation and the Individual Readiness of the Child
The Order of Presentations in the Montessori Environment
Approaches to Presenting the Montessori Culture and Science Curriculum
NAMC Mastery Checklists for the Montessori Elementary Classroom

Michelle Zanavich — NAMC Tutor & Graduate

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soccer Jersey

By Admin -
Image
  Soccer jersey with raglan long sleeves and crew ribbed neck Apply your design to different parts. Special layers and smart objects are included for your artwork. Just drag your design to the opened SMART object and save changes. The mockup includes additional masks for more accurate positioning of lines/stripes. Here you can find more mockups of soccer jersey: Soccer Jersey Please check out my Apparel Mockups : Flat Lay Garments // Shorts // Sleeveless Shirts // Sport Jersey // Baseball Uniform // Cricket Jersey // Hooded Sweatshirt // Basketball Uniform // Soccer Jersey // Sweatshirts // Polo Shirts // T-Shirts // Varsity Jacket batmantoto toto togel 4d toto togel situs toto situs toto togel situs toto 4d situs togel 4d batmantoto 4d situs togel terbesar situs togel resmi situs bo togel situs togel terpercaya situs bandar togel situs togel online agen togel agen togel terbesar agen togel terpercaya agen togel 4d agen togel online bandar toge
Read more

Baking Bread in the Montessori Environment is Cross-Curricular and Delicious!

By Admin -
Image
Baking bread is a well-loved activity in the Montessori environment that provides children with an enjoyable hands-on experience along with some valuable learning opportunities. When children bake bread together, they practice math skills, such as measuring and estimating, and develop practical life skills such as mixing, kneading, and following a recipe. In addition, the teacher can use the activity as an opportunity to introduce topics related to cosmic education and cultural geography. Baking bread is a powerful tool that can help children learn about the world around them while also developing practical skills. Cosmic Education and Bread Cosmic education is the Montessori idea that everything is connected and has a purpose in the universe. Bread is an excellent example of this concept in action. When we make bread, we use ingredients that come from the earth – grains, water, yeast, etc. – and transform them into something new. This process not only teaches children about the inte
Read more

The Value of Working with Montessori Materials to Prepare for Abstract Learning

By Admin -
Image
This system in which a child is constantly moving objects with his hands and actively exercising his senses, also takes into account a child’s special aptitude for mathematics. When they leave the material, the children very easily reach the point where they wish to write out the operation. They thus carry out an abstract mental operation and acquire a kind of natural and spontaneous inclination for mental calculations. —Maria Montessori The Discovery of the Child, p. 279. In Montessori education, the practice of learning through hands-on experiences and concrete materials holds great significance. Adults who are not familiar with Montessori principles sometimes find the materials to be fussy and time-consuming to use. However, to young learners, these hands-on materials are fascinating. Exploring and working with the Montessori materials provides children with a valuable, concrete means of understanding concepts, laying the foundation for abstract learning. The Power of Concr
Read more