Elementary II co-teacher Kathleen Finucane is a Montessorian to the bone. She has taught all levels but is most compelled to teach Elementary II, the 9 to 12 year-olds. As we all work to find our place, our passions and our best teaching practice in these unprecedented times, Kathleen breaks it down for us in Montessori language. Her wisdom and commitment to lifelong learning is an inspiration for all of us.
I have been ruminating on the fact that Bridgeview Montessori students, teachers, parents, and administrators have all been thrust into new roles due to the pandemic circumstances. What Montessori principles will be helpful going forward as we all adapt and re-define our roles, particularly for parents and students at home? I will address four of these key principles: the prepared environment, education as collaboration, freedom within limits, and learning independently.
What is the essential role of a teacher in the Montessori classroom? It begins with the idea of the prepared environment. In the same way all life thrives in nature when the right conditions are present, so Montessori emphasized the creation of a properly prepared environment for optimal learning. The orderly materials on the shelves, the carefully considered systems and rituals, and the calm teacher presence support this idea of a prepared environment within the classroom.
The teacher must be similarly prepared, both psychologically and academically, to invite and assist the child in the discovery and development of new academic skills. Teachers and students are collaborators. At the Elementary II level, children become more astutely aware of both their natural strengths and some of their challenges. They are beginning the lifelong adventure of encountering their own vulnerabilities and how they react to them. Again, teachers gently bring awareness and support when appropriate, always with a keen eye towards allowing the child to do for themselves whenever possible.
So what is the prepared environment when embarking on remote distance learning? Establishing a predictable schedule and an agreeable place to work will benefit the child's confidence in independent learning. Students can gather all the necessary supplies and materials required for the day's work ahead of time. A helpful home practice that we frequently do during morning gatherings is to number and prioritize the various daily assignments. This promotes an awareness of the big picture, of what needs to be accomplished, while allowing the child the freedom to complete them in a self-chosen order. At school, we regularly break for a snack at 10:15. Similar snack and motor breaks can be anticipated and recorded directly on the work plan.
What is the parental role at this point? Once the parent has assisted in creating the conditions for learning, the goal is to walk away! Really. Allow the child to work with independence up to their capacity. Incomplete work is less important than the efforts sustained by the child to undertake work on their own. This is the root of empowering children to connect with their own learning, and take some responsibility for it. This practice encourages the development of grit and resilience. Frustration is always a sign to take a break, or perhaps even end the work session for the day.
Once students enter the elementary level in the Montessori program, there is a decided shift in the tenor between teachers and students. In a sense, the elementary program signifies the beginning of a child's first "business" relationship in the world. There are definite expectations of behavior and learning that are congruent with wider cultural expectations. The child has a new role beyond the unconditional love and support of family, and the free choice of Children's House. As the elementary child demonstrates responsibility towards learning, more freedom is encouraged: freedom within limits.
Children begin to gain in self-respect and self-confidence as they test their fledgling wings in Elementary I. Self-satisfaction arises as they begin to meet new academic challenges and develop resilience in the face of setbacks. The teacher is a collaborator in the process, not a dictator, always standing back to allow the child to do whatever she can for herself. There is no possibility of learning without the possibility of mistakes. The same principles extend to EII as students negotiate increased expectations of themselves and their work.
So can a parent be expected to be both loving parent and business manager? This is a potential source of great conflict and angst. The business part of the relationship remains between student and teacher. Let the teachers shoulder that responsibility. How is that accomplished? Set up the conditions for learning, provide positive messages, and walk away. Quality of independent work trumps quantity of work.
Montessori believed wholeheartedly in education through the senses. This clearly becomes a huge challenge working through the computer. We all benefit from time in nature that inspires wonder and curiosity. It is essential to stimulate the imagination through exposure to the wonder of real things.
Each of us is called to adapt to the challenges of being in quarantine. We all have to develop new coping skills and resilience. Hopefully, children will have the opportunity to investigate and explore some of their other interests. Parents and students can use this time to collaborate on a mutual project, just for fun and interest.
Let's all strive to make the best of this challenging situation. And I, for one, am looking forward to practicing the art of teaching.