Montessori - DD's Visit

Today is the day DD went to visit at our local Montessori school. I admit, I have been anxious about this visit. My daughter is very shy, very self-conscious, and very stubborn. This combination means that in any new situation it is pretty much guaranteed that 1) DD will hang on to my tightly, to the point where she will literally climb up me. She will hide behind me. 2) If anyone speaks to her, she will bow her head down and turn into me. 3) She will refuse to engage in any way. I have lived with her all of her life, and know this about her. So I informed anyone who would listen over there ahead of time that it was very likely I would not be able to leave during her visit. I wanted them to know so there would be no surprises on that front. DD did not disappoint. She clung to me, she hid behind me, and she didn't respond when the teacher greeted her. Nobody responded to this in any way. The teacher did inform me that it would be idea if I was able to sit aside and observe while DD joined the group, and I told her I would try. That never happened. The teacher realized right away that I was going to be part of this visit, and that where I went, DD went. No problem. The kids, for the most part, ignored us. We were not formally introduced to the group. The teacher, after a few minutes, brought DD an "art bin" as she knew that DD enjoys drawing. I took the initiative to run with this, and got her some paper and drew with her. A short while later the teacher rang a bell, indicating it was circle time. I informed DD that it would be nice if she joined the circle while I watched. No go. I sat in a chair close to the circle and DD sat on the floor, at first on my feet, then next to them. I observed that as circle time went on (teacher read a story and discussed rain forest animals with the children) DD became more relaxed, and leaned away from me a bit while watching the group. I also observed that one of the students did not come to circle time, but instead wandered around the room and did something on a piece of paper. When I later asked about this, the teacher said that this particular student sometimes comes to circle and sometimes not, but it is the Montessori policy to have the students go with their own flow, and so they allow him to do what feels right at the time. I later pointed this out to DD. After circle time the students went back to their work (each doing as he/she pleased as long as it was on his/her plan for the day) and we chose then to draw on the carpet where circle time had been. DD continued to stay close, but did engage in her drawing. After a while, three girls walked slowly in our direction, obviously looking to say hello. When they saw it was fine with us, then came up, and began to talk (with me.) They showed interest in DD's drawing, and praised her work. =) We chatted with them for a while (I chatted, DD listened and drew) and I asked them some questions about their classes. It was wonderful to have the kids show interest, and in such a gentle and calm way! They then returned to their tasks. The teacher approached me and informed me that she typically "interviews" perspective students, but that she really didn't want to pressure DD, and wanted her to have "fun" on her visit, so she thought she would chat with me instead. (Huge brownie points for teacher!!) She asked me a couple of questions about where DD is academically, and asked what she enjoys doing. DD interjected, in my hear, that she loves gym, something I didn't know! We chatted for a couple of minutes, and the teacher informed me and DD that as a kid in school, she herself was timid, and was very uncomfortable being called on, and that is part of the reason she sought out Montessori education as a teacher. (More brownie points!) She then folded herself back into the classroom, and DD and I continued drawing and observing. Shortly after this, DD got up, walked a little distance from me, and actively watched the other kids in the room. We said our goodbyes, and walked to the car. I asked her what she thought. On the ride home, she said, "I could like Montessori." Then a minute later, "I like it." After getting home, she said she would have liked to have recess there. Wow!

PHEW. I could feel her anxiety dropping the whole time we were there. The teacher invited us to come again to visit at the end of the summer. She said, as I knew, that the classroom would be in a different part of the building, so things would look a bit different. She said also that DD would have a cubby by then, as well as her books and such, so she could see that stuff before school started. Awesome.

I am hoping to maybe connect with the mom of one of the girls in the class who is also going into 1st grade next year, and who seemed so sweet. I think between having met the teacher, having seen what the day is like, and connecting with one of the kids, we could have a pretty smooth transition in the fall. Wouldn't that be something.

Montessori School - Update

This morning I visited our local Montessori school. Here are my impressions.

The first thing I have to comment on is that the environment in both classrooms that I visited was very, very calm. The students and the teachers were both quietly going about their business. It was quiet, and calm.

I arrived and went to the door of the "Children's House," (ages 3 and 4) and found the door to be locked. I rang the bell. Through the door I could see kids sitting in a circle, just inside. I wondered if I had gone to the wrong entrance. Right away a woman came to the door, and introduced herself. I was in the right place. She would be my tour guide. We walked into the room, right into the middle of the classroom. Around us were children engaged in all sorts of activities. I was told that the younger kids can choose whatever activity they want to work on. Everything is laid out on shelves so that everything can be seen from any point in the room.

The set-up in the Early Elementary room (this year, grades K-2, next year grades 1-3) is the same. In this room, the kids are also allowed to work on whatever they choose, though there is more attention paid to the kids visiting different academic areas; math, science, language arts... If I understood this right, the older group has a daily "plan" that he/she is involved in. The teacher and student come up with areas that the child plans to visit on a given day. Each child progresses at his/her own pace. I observed the kids sitting around the room working on various academic pursuits. Some had workbooks and worked on writing. One had a math workbook. One had his "clipboard" with his plan for the day. And so forth. But all were busy working on something. Occasionally, a child or two would get up, go to a specific table, and have something to eat. The children are allowed to do so when they want to. They are expected to take out what they need, and clean up when they are through. And they do.

I asked if they felt the students keep up academically with each subject. They replied that not only do they keep up, but are sometimes quite advanced at the finish of their Montessori education, compared with kids in the public schools. And the students have been encouraged to be self-guided and independent all along, and thus should be able to adjust to any educational environment. There is no homework at any point in the Montessori school system. The kids, apparently, are so engaged in their hands-on studies during the day that no homework is necessary. And, I was told, the type of work they do at school would be difficult to bring home. Children, of course, can further their studies at home if they wish.

Both groups go out for recess each day. The play area is small. Compared to DD's current school, it is tiny. I am told the kids go out most days, skipping recess only if it is very, very cold outside. Apparently the children go out in the rain if it's not too heavy, as they can walk under covered areas. Otherwise, the kids are in one largish room for the day. Oh, and the children change their shoes each morning, from outside shoes to inside shoes. Not slippers. Just different shoes.

There are parent/teacher conferences in the fall and in the spring. There are no tests. At the start of the year, only some materials are in the classroom, and as the year goes on, more are brought out. The idea is that some of the materials need instruction, and the children will receive this instruction as time goes on. Each month there is a theme. (Currently in the Children's House: Rocks and minerals. In the Early Elementary school: Amphibians.) Each academic subject will revolve around the monthly theme.

It was difficult, in some ways, for me to wrap my head around what I was seeing and being told. I was raised, after the age of 5, in the conventional school system, and know how that works. (I attended a Montessori school from age 2 1/2-5) Science class teaches science concepts. In math, you do math. How the teachers can oversee the progress of all of these students in an environment where each does, mostly, what he or she wants at any given moment, is hard to comprehend. They do have some "classes," such as music, Spanish and art. But the rest is incorporated. Hm.

I love the calm. I love that the kids are given so much self-guidance, which is great for confidence and self-reliance. I like that the day is done when the day is done, no expectation that the child will spend his/her evening doing more work. It just almost seems too good to be true. How do the kids learn about history? Geography? How can a teacher spend time with one who wants to learn about that, when there are many others who need help elsewhere? I don't get it. But people say the kids come out advanced. They learn in the area they are interested in and are ready to learn in, so they learn it better. And faster?

I told hubby that comparing this school with DD's current school is sort of like comparing apples with oranges. They are so different. Perhaps the calm environment of Montessori is what will help DD grow through some of her anxieties and gain more confidence. Should that be the primary goal? Won't that help her to learn and grow more successfully?

Information sent to me from our local Montessori school. Double click the photos to enlarge.

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My Daily Checklist: (to be updated throughout the day)

Drink water - yes! Lots. 

Name a "happy" moment - My daughter was in a pleasant mood after school today. Her happy/calm mood made me feel good.  

Exercise - Wii yoga 15 minutes

Enjoy peace - I noticed the sun when it broke through the clouds today. 

Time alone - Evening break, 45 min. Drive to and from Montessori visit.

Good sleep/rest - 8.5 hours of good sleep

Eat well - So-so. Lots of pasta, and pizza for dinner. Also salad, rice, cereal. 

Do something for purge plan - I finally started...nothing out of the house yet, but several items slated to go. Hubby helping to select items to go.

Leisure activity - Blogging

Montessori School - Update

Two positive things to report about the Montessori mission. One is that as of today I have a confirmed date to go tour the local Montessori school and talk with the head of school. I really look forward to that. The other is that (stick with me, here) the other day I was chatting online with my neighbor, D, who knows someone I know for the MOMS Club, P. D told me that P has a friend, M, who has a child in the local Montessori school. So D promised to send me M's contact information. Right after that I saw that P was online, so I chatted with her, and found out that M is also in our MOMS Club chapter, and I know her. (Not well, but I know who she is) SO...P gives me her phone number. Cool. So today I take the kids to the Y to swim, and who is there swimming with her two kids, but M! So I ask her about Montessori. We talked a lot. The basic gist of the conversation was that she LOVES the local Montessori school. So much so that she said her commute (15 min.) is worth it, and that she'd pay MORE to keep her child there if she had to. Wow. She invited me to contact her anytime to talk more about it, and said she loves to talk about it. She said that she's at the pool every Thursday, so we could meet there! Funny, and so encouraging. Very encouraging. =) If DD did go there, she'd be in M's son's class. (she'd be in 1st, he'd be in 2nd, but 1st-3rd is all together.) I hope I'm not getting over excited about this. I want to do the right thing. But everything seems to be pointing in that direction. I just want DD to be in an environment where she feels good about herself, self-confident, and comfortable.

Montessori School

Since DD was born, I have been interested in Montessori education. When a Montessori school opened just a few miles from us, I went to an open house. This was a couple of years ago. I remember at the time being unimpressed by the large class size, and being informed that conflict resolution by the children is encouraged. Not that I'm against that, but when you're talking about little kids, or big kids for that matter, I think some guidance is needed. Anyhow, I left the place and turned my attention elsewhere.

Recently, I have been become interested, once again, in seeing what is out there for DD education-wise. My renewed interest comes after seeing that DD's anxieties, which are pretty overpowering sometimes, continue to surface fairly frequently despite her having been at her current school for pre-k and now Kindergarten. Not that I expect them to go away - I don't. She faces the world the way I do, with trepidation and hesitation. But I feel that at least looking into other environments is warranted. I add that she is thriving where she is - I truly believe that - despite the fact that she often refuses to eat at school, she flat out refuses to use the bathroom there if I'm not there, and she won't throw things in the garbage. That is clearly DD's way of taking control the only way she feels she can. And that's not good enough. If she can thrive in an environment in which she continues to feel out of control in, I'd love to see what she would do in an environment in which she feels more relaxed and in charge. So.

I have read a little bit about Montessori education. I was overwhelmed with the blurb I read about academics, and how they are force-fed from the age of three. I maybe shouldn't put it that way, but that is the impression I was left with after reading a blurb online. And I have been talking to people. Then last week I went to a preschool open house, and cornered the head of school of our local Montessori school. She left me with the impression that much of the day-to-day learning is child-led. A child is allowed to pick his/her task, work on it alone or with other students, and complete it at his/her pace. I asked her how they would handle a situation where a student refused to eat, or didn't speak up in class. (DD's current school has made a big issue over the fact that DD is too shy to greet the other students at the morning meeting) The answers she gave were, in turn, that the students prepare the morning snack, and can eat, or play, whatever they choose. They do eat lunch together. She said that the students are free to raise their hands and speak up in class if they choose, and not if they don't. The students are also free to observe rather than participate in an activity if that's what they choose. Hmmmm. Although I will miss an open house at the school this weekend, I was encouraged to call to come for a tour, and told that I can come observe the classroom. Let me add that Montessori is multi-age, and if DD were to go there, she would be grouped with 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders. (Her current school is multi-aged as well, and I can't say enough about the benefits of that.)

Ok...so. Here are the pros and cons as I see them so far:

Montessori:

Pros:

Multi-age
student-led learning
each student learns at his/her level
each student works at his/her pace
academics introduced early, but at child's pace
monthly themes
parents invited to observe classroom throughout the year
4 miles from home - 7 minutes drive
I went to Montessori school from 2 1/2-5, and have mostly good memories of it.

Cons:

Tiny play yard (outdoor play very important to DD)
large class size (21 in one class this year)
DD has to make new friends (she is very timid)
very expensive
adjust to new teachers

Stay at current school:

Pros:

familiar with school, teachers and students
familiar with routine
huge playground area
smaller class sizes (13 this year)
she has made tremendous progress with bonding with other kids, working with other authority figures, gaining confidence

Cons:

expensive
10 mile, 17 minute drive each way - DD would have to take the bus at least one way
pressure to perform in areas where she is intensely uncomfortable. Some pressure is necessary, perhaps, but give me a break about talking in front of the entire school every morning! I'd run away!

Anyhow, I'll add to the list as I think of things, but I would LOVE to hear from anyone with any information or experience with Montessori education!!