Media: Anna Lee Tedx Talk

Poetry: Table Washing

Scrubbing slowly circles round till the middle when she goes to town Suds on table, suds on nails Some get soap suds in the hair Three years old and dampening her sponge, this ol' table's getting washed again Once, twice, a bundle of times, now she's following her inner guide Sing to her, call to her, now I dare So deep in work, she won't know you're there Damp, sudsy, damp, dry a montage plays before my eyes What's this? A break? She hangs her towel. Refreshed, relaxed, just look at this child!

Theory: What is Montessori?

As Angeline Lillard pointed out in Montessori: The Science Behind the Genius , the public school system in the United States is based upon two false premises: schools should function like factories and children's heads must be externally filled with knowledge (Lockean model of education). In a Lockean model, the teacher crafts a lesson, determines what it may stimulate in individuals and the class, and decides how that package fits into the larger picture of his curriculum. Alternatively, the Montessori philosophy is the most all-encompassing curricula in the constructivist model, which states that the child builds the adult she will become. The Montessori philosophy was developed by Maria Montessori in the early 1900s; she was the first woman to receive a medical degree in Italy and began her work with developmentally challenged children of whom society had limited expectations. Left to their own devices, Dr. Montessori observed these children molding bread crum

Training: Movement Activities

This weekend I had the opportunity to attend an AMI training session for Assistants with sessions on movement and transitions in the classroom. Jennifer Shields, the Primary Teacher Trainer, who presented on movement emphasized its importance in childhood development and the Montessori environment. Movement is one of the major acquisitions during the first plane of development, which stretches from birth to age six. During this time, "neurons that fire together wire together," and a substantial amount of brain development must occur. In the Montessori environment, children's work is intrinsically tied to movement. Whether children are walking in the classroom (control within group), walking the line (whole body coordination), carrying materials (order), or using materials (hand-eye coordination; absorb concrete concepts); their movement serves not only as a means to an end, but as a primary vehicle for absorbing new ideas. Montessori directresses a

Minds on Montessori

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