Each year the teacher of the child care class at one of the county’s high schools contacts me about bringing her class of students to the school to observe the classrooms. Having a large group of observers at one time is stressful on the class, to say the least. Before they come into the room, I prepare them by making observation expectations clear. But even though these high school students are very good about doing what I have asked, simply having that many (seven at a time) big people in the class affects the children.

So here I am caught between my desire to maintain the classroom environment as a comfortable place for children and the need to help others learn more about the Montessori method of education. This is another balancing act.

This is an opportunity for these older students to see an alternative to traditional child care. I found their questions to be thoughtful and sincere. If even one of them learns enough to question standard practices (like the normal vibrant colors on walls that prompted a question today about our calming décor), I will consider the intrusion well worth it. Balancing, balancing.

While I was in the early childhood classroom Tuesday I had to perform some of those difficult balancing acts. We are constantly trying to balance between the needs of the children in the classroom and the needs or desires of their families. Because the school is primarily designed for the children, the balance usually weighs in for them.

During morning arrivals some family members came into the office (past the “Stop Here” sign) to help put spare clothing into a cubby box. They didn’t realize how their excitement at participating in this process was spilling over into the room. And then there was calling out a farewell audible to every child already working in the classroom.

I smiled and put my finger to my lips to help them understand the importance of our quiet respectful-to-children classroom, but I fear I failed the balancing act in the respectful-to-families part of the equation.

Then later in the morning the representative from the Tennessee Department of Education arrived with the new representative who will be taking her place. On a previous visit this kind-hearted person went around the classroom interrupting the work of children to ask what they were doing. That is, until I asked her to respect their work by watching quietly. The presence of these two “strangers” who stood instead of sitting was visibly disconcerting to the children. While they were in the building I was busy assuring the students that they could go where they needed or wanted to go. Our visitors had a knack of blocking the normal passageways used by the children. This time I was definitely in a very delicate balancing act. While it is unwise to offend representatives from the Department of Education, I am unwilling for the children to feel insecure in their own environment.

I sometimes wish I did not have to worry about all this balancing. It is just more fun to teach!

I am privileged to have an hour or so in the early childhood class on Tuesday mornings (and then I get to do “group” later on). Even though I am not a regular teacher in the classroom, our record keeping system makes it easy for me to stay current on what is happening. Since I’m well versed on the lessons, I can also choose lessons from the list without their being “marked” for presentation.

So this morning a student saw that I was present in the classroom and asked if I could give a lesson. Of course I could. After a quick check in the computer I saw that all the preliminary work for matching the six sound cylinders had been done so I invited the child to the lesson. Bingo. As soon as we replaced the boxes on the shelf, she chose to practice it on her own. It is really gratifying to choose the right stuff at the right time.

But that really brings up another issue that Montessori teachers must face. Some children rarely choose to use the lessons independently. In our current culture of being entertained, there are children who consider their experience in Montessori one of being presented the lessons. To them, that is all there is. The concept of “working” with the materials is foreign.

It takes us time to help those children learn that “doing” is better than “watching.” Fortunately the lure of the materials is a powerful aid in that process. In the mean time, we have to be careful that we don’t simply keep presenting new lessons. We have to search carefully for the right stuff to coax those who want entertainment into engagement.

It is wonderful, though to watch the inevitable development of self-initiative in the children. All it takes is the right stuff.

It was a very busy day in the elementary today. The students seemed to be really glad to be back at school after the long weekend. Lots of work was going on, from maps, to math. I was really thankful to be able to share some of that busy, busy time.

Another reason that it felt so busy in the classroom was because we had a new student. I think she was thankful also to have found herself once again in a Montessori environment after a hiatus in traditional school.

This afternoon I was working with the kindergarten students on their Mortensen math materials. I am really amazed at how well they are doing. One fellow kept working and working because even though it was hard to do, he wanted to complete the whole booklet. What a boost in self-esteem he exhibited when he finally finished that task! Some of the students use the materials while they work in the booklets and some have internalized the concepts well enough to simply use the schematic drawings. I enjoy watching the process of the children as they work. They, too, seemed thankful for the opportunity to apply themselves.

And the weather today was glorious for November. We should all be thankful for these golden days of autumn.

Over the weekend Carl and I were doing our usual shopping for home and school. It was a bit more than usual since we were buying the supplies for the Thanksgiving lunch that the children will fix for Wednesday. As we went about our normal routine we were very discouraged to see the frantic atmosphere in many of the stores.

It seems that parents were trying to buy the latest “must have” item for children on their list. We adults get caught up in the need to buy things without stopping to consider why. The media have done a very good job at what they are designed to do – make us want things. It is a vicious cycle. Not only do children NOT need the latest video gadget, but those gadgets have been shown to be detrimental to normal development.

I offer theses suggestions for lasting memories. Read together. For a gift that keeps on giving, purchase quality children’s literature. Then commit to reading with the children in your life. Give quality every-day utensils that children can use to replicate the normal activities of adults. Gardening, cooking, cleaning. These are the kind of things that give children a true sense of self-worth as they work alongside the adults the love. Give materials that open the door for creativity and self-expression – colored paper, crayons, markers, scissors, glue, paints. Provide a space where children feel safe in exploring the materials.

Give the gift of time. Our children today have little time to let their imaginations develop. We feel pressured to schedule classes or activities of every imaginable type. But children need time to simply play. As I looked out on the kindergarteners playing happy games of their own construction yesterday, the sad thought occurred to me that their playtime at school might be the only time they had for free play. It isn’t enough.

In thinking about giving this season, remember, less is more. Say it out loud. Less is more. Say it often. Less is more. Say it for your children. Less is more. Say it for the earth. Less is more. But mostly, say it for yourselves. Less is more.

Now that many of the materials from the For Small Hands have arrived, things are slowing making their way into the classrooms. I am very grateful to all the parents who purchased these treasures for the school.

Today I ordered even more new things from another company, In-Print for Children. In-Print is celebrating its 30th year this year and many of the things that we have been using have been in our classroom almost that long. I am replacing some of the paper materials that are simply worn out along with purchasing new things that have been developed since my last order.

When I talked with the owner of In-Print this morning and told her that some of our overlays are the kind with the frame, she exclaimed in astonishment, “Do you know how old those are?” Indeed, I do. The newer models are nicer, so I wanted to replace them for the children.

Yes, some of those materials are over 25 years old - older than all of the students and many of their parents. They have been used lovingly for all these years. One of the behaviors we model is an appreciation for the materials in the classroom. That makes it possible for the materials to last for so many years.

It is always a challenge to us to see children being deliberately careless with classroom materials. Our culture tends to be a “throw-away” culture leading many children to a “so what” attitude toward material things. That is sad in and of itself, but when we see that attitude with materials that cost hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, it becomes even more problematic.

As the holiday season approaches, I hope parents can embrace the idea that less is more. More on this later.
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Today Carl had an early doctor’s appointment and coincidentally, Emily had a later one. After Carl had been gone for more than an hour, he called to alert us to the fact that he had not yet gotten in to see the doctor, and there were several folks ahead of him! And it was almost time for Emily to leave.

We try not to leave the early childhood understaffed during those more problematic times like lunch, so I assigned myself to eat with the early childhood class today.

What a treat for me and for some of the children. Those who attended last year thought it a little strange to see me eating with them again after a hiatus of several months, but many of the newer students did not know what to make of it.

One student, who has a special attachment to me, could hardly eat for excitement. It was sweet to experience the difference between eating with the elementary students and the younger ones. I had many containers to help open today, and spoons and milk to pass. We did not have any conversations about characters in the latest reading selections as happens in the elementary. But the comparisons of lunches were much the same. “Look, Aleta, I have a banana, too!”

It was a treat to have lunch with the early childhood class. Carl returned about the time we were finishing up. It was not my scheduled day to spend with the kindergarten, and I hope I detected some disappointment when I was leaving to return to the elementary.

I visited another school today. I always come away from visits with good ideas. Another plus is that by looking at a classroom through the lens of an evaluator, I often gain insight into our own classroom experiences.

That was certainly true today. There was a little fellow who repeatedly used materials as play objects. His teacher reminded him often that he would need to use the material appropriately or put it away. At one point he was actually damaging the material through his misuse.

In my conference with the teacher, I mentioned that the student was used to having adults tell him things without following through. She confirmed that his consistent misuse of the materials was affecting other students in the classroom. I advised her to simply put material away the first time it is misused. Otherwise the frequent reminders send the message that we don’t really mean what we say the first time.

Then I remembered something that Carl shared with me earlier this week. One of the students in our class said that he did not like our school because he did not get nine chances. Nine chances!!!! His recognition of the process strikes me as interesting. He knows what the expectations are, but then figures that choosing not to meet those expectations should still allow him nine chances before there are consequences. Hmmm.

I wonder how that would translate into behavior in the larger environment. “But officer, I realize that it is dangerous to run a red light, but you need to pull me over nine times before giving me a ticket.” “Yes, doctor, I know my blood pressure is dangerously high, but this is just the first time that I’ve had it tested. I only need to do something after the ninth time my blood pressure is high.”

As adults we owe it to our children to help them learn to interact appropriately with others and reality. Children are not cats. Once they understand social expectations, there should be no negotiating. Otherwise, we are doing them a grave disservice. Imagine saying on the job, “Yes, Ms. Supervisor, I know that I am supposed to (fill in the blank), but I’m can to choose not to nine times before you are allowed to do anything about it.”

Nine chances is not good odds.

Last night I sat in a meeting attended by some of the parents from school. During the meeting the parents had an opportunity to tell someone else about Montessori education.

It was an awesome experience to hear that different perspective. I was truly moved by how passionate they were about the benefits to their children. As a classroom teacher this meant a great deal to me. I get caught up in doing things for the classroom, forgetting that what we do for the children reverberates within the rest of the family.

It made me think about the impact that Montessori has had through the community over all the years that I have been teaching. It was one of those times that I really felt the meaning of causing ripples in a pond.

But the meeting also brought home to me the great responsibility that I have toward all my families. We are educating children for the future and I must work hard to ensure that theirs is a bright future.

I was delighted to return to the classrooms today. This morning I was in the elementary class, but I confess that instead of teaching new lessons, I was finishing up some of the treasurer duties from my trip. I have always felt that it is beneficial for students to see adults working, too. While I was in the elementary, one of the students shared that she had missed me while I was gone. That was so touching.

In the afternoon my duties moved into the kindergarten class. I had prepared some Mortensen work for them. The Mortensen materials were developed by a Montessorian as an adjunct to the Montessori math materials. They dovetail nicely with the traditional hands-on things we use and provide a variation for students. Some students simply love using golden beads, and others are drawn more to the Mortensen materials.

At any rate, after I introduced the concrete materials, I gave the kindergarteners some little workbook-like materials to extend what we had been doing. One of the reasons I like the Mortensen materials is that they tie in with abstract written work, but at a very basic level that becomes more abstract very incrementally.

The kindergarteners were absolutely thrilled with the little workbooks. They dived right in with joy and excitement. Over and over again I heard, “How much can we do?” I told each of them that they could do as much as they wanted, and any of the booklet that they didn’t do they could finish at another time. Every one of them completed the entire booklet. Afterward several of them chose to practice writing their numbers as a way to extend their work. What a different attitude to learning there is in Montessori! “Do I have to?” becomes “How much can I do?”

I have not posted recently since I have been away from school this week. Before leaving I was also very busy preparing for this trip to the mile high city of Denver, Colorado. I sit here this evening preparing for my return home in the morning with a few minutes to contemplate my trip. For the five days that I have been here I have only had the chance to venture outside once, lest you think I have been on a vacation.

Instead I have been attending the annual meeting of the International Association for Montessori Educators (IAME) for which I serve as the secretary-treasurer. We work hard during these meetings, and this evening I have been trying to compose all the minutes of all the meetings I attended. I’m tired, but also energized by the sense of accomplishment forged by the collaboration of many teacher trainers from many training organizations from around the world.

On my flight to Denver I was reading a wonderful book called, "Educating for a Culture of Peace," edited by Riane Eisler and Ron Miller. After finishing one of the articles, I folded the book and sat alone, but in the company of others, reflecting on the article which led me to think ahead to the coming meetings. I was suddenly humbled by the realization that I would once again be in the company of over a hundred of the most qualified Montessorians in the world – those who carry the responsibility of educating the next generation of Montessori teachers. And I wept silently. It was an epiphany that the group of leaders I would be rejoining after a year of separation was probably the group of individuals most likely to change the face of education for the future.

I have known many of them for decades. I met some of them for the first time this week. Many of these adults not only teach children as I do, but they teach adults how to be Montessori teachers as well. In that way, we are serving children in a much broader sense. It is hard to even fathom the number children we touch through our work as teacher educators. I am humbled. And awed.