The teacher letter that made this momma cry
Let me start by explaining, to those who don't know, that a Montessori school is very different from a traditional school. The Montessori classroom is far more relaxed with an almost home-like feel. The teaching methods and materials are vastly different in the early years. By upper elementary (4th - 6th grade) it starts transitioning into a more typical school way of teaching. The children are in the same classroom with, usually, the same teacher for 3 year periods. Miss S is in primary which is typically from ages 3 to 6.Our school administrator really recommends that you let school be where they come to learn and let home time be family time. Don't push to teach, that is what school is for. Well, seeing as S is child #6 that is/was really hard for me. When you deal with a traditional school they expect the child to know a certain amount of things upon entering kindergarten.
This past summer I was in a total *tizzy* about S's progress (or rather lack thereof) and more often than not you could hear me say something in regards to *Had I been teaching her like I had the others she would know this* and was truly 2nd guessing myself in allowing the school to TOTALLY have control of my daughters education. Yes, Miss K is also in Montessori but she had traditional pre-school from age 2 and did not enter Montessori until age 5. Because of this she struggled a bit to learn the Montessori way which led us to doing things *their way* with Miss S.
Up until school resumed this year S seemed to have no ambition to learn a darn thing which was increasingly frustrating to me. They kept saying to be patient that this would be *her year*, just wait and see, she will blossom but I was seriously doubting it by the time school started. I felt as though I had failed her miserably. Within 2 weeks of school starting I felt as though I could finally breathe and that maybe these folks really did know what they were talking about after all. ; ) She has been flourishing by leaps and bounds. Last week S's teacher had asked for my permission prior to writing this recent newsletter so I knew of it, but reading it made me cry. I know, I know... that's not hard to do! I'd like to share it with you.
There was once a little girl who was sent to a Montessori school when she was three. She was a quiet, almost shy little girl who never caused any trouble in the classroom and her teacher always had to make an extra effort to remember she was there when it came time to giving lessons. She was a happy child. She spent her days in the Practical Life area of the classroom, scrubbing tables almost every day and was always the first to arrange the flowers. Sometimes she would dabble with art or Sensorial materials. She leaned to sew buttons and punch out snowflakes. Her teacher showed her letters and numbers on occasion, but she wasn't interested. She had more important things to do. By the end of her first year she had developed great eye hand coordination and could help struggling four year olds with their coats and lunch boxes. She had an amazing sense of concentration. She had essentially become what Montessorians call normalized.
When the child came back her second year she was a typical four year old girl, ready to socialize a little during the work morning. "You're not my friend" was heard on occasion as well as other remarks that make four year old girls feel so big and powerful. Now she was more active in the other areas of the classroom. While she certainly enjoyed geography and science, sensorial was now her favorite area and she spent the majority of her days putting materials together, working silently or with a friend, discerning shapes, sizes and textures, all of which were were day to day contributing to an extremely analytical mind. But she didn't want to do letter sounds and acted punished when it was time for numbers. Parents and teacher discussed the question of whether or not to push the child and it was decided that all should relax and wait just a little bit longer and watch what would happen.
And so the child came back for a third year. And the teacher watched as the child picked up a pencil and wrote her name for the first time without instruction. And observed the child taking the reading cards off the shelf on her own accord and spelling the words with the moveable alphabet. The child now comes quite willingly to lessons, and yes, even asks for lessons in math and reading. It is a joyful experience for the child. It is an amazing experience for any adult to be a part of. It is a spiritual journey for the teacher of this five year old student.
The child mentioned above is in your child's classroom. She has had the rare opportunity of experiencing a 100% authentic Montessori education, one that is holistic and a partnership between the school and the home. She was never introduced to the names of the letters, she was never made to practice writing before she had a good pencil grip. At home she experienced plenty of free play, arts and crafts, and limited TV. She traveled the world and traveled her backyard. She was and is a joyful child, free to be a child, free to be in charge of educating herself in a more meaningful way than any reading primer she could have been reading at four. This is the education for life, and for the educator, to be able to follow the child, this is priceless.
My heart is overflowing with pride as I watch my daughter blossom just like they said she would! There is not a day now that I don't see her growing by leaps and bounds and I just want to hug her a bit tighter and love her a bit longer as my *little* girl yet proud in the fine young lady she is becoming as well. Maybe because she is my last it hits me just a bit harder. And today I am truly grateful that we made the decision to go the Montessori way for educating our youngest daughters. I wish I had been able to do this for the older ones as well.
Labels: Montessori
posted by Hawaiianatheart @ 5:13 PM
Comments: 2
