This time of year always gives me fits. It's parent-teacher conference report time. That means endless hours of paging through a year's worth of notes, digging through those mental files of what I know about the children, and typing, typing, typing, typing. I always have intentions of starting early, sometimes I do, but the majority are always held off for the last minute. I am a procrastinator by personality. Somehow, I work better under pressure. I am always reminded of college finals week.
This coming Friday, I will sit for about 8 straight hours of conferences for the first round. I meet with the parents for 25-minute intervals (5 minutes in between to cushion and to allow for a quick bathroom break). I have the parents come in about 5-10 minutes early so that they have time to peruse the reports. That way, they can have their questions ready before they come in. It is difficult when they don't come in early and you waste the first half of the time watching them read. It's also a little uncomfortable to watch their expressions while they go through it, especially if the child is having some kind of difficulty.
Our reports are all narrative. Sections are divided up by subject area and child development. How much detail you go into tends to vary from teacher to teacher. I am as concise as I can be, but include a ton of information. I have been burned in the past by not including every single little detail that is on my mind. These reports will often follow the child to the next school or next classroom and I want future teachers to know everything there is to know about this child. We also have a special section for our K's who are leaving us. It is somewhat redundant, but follows more of a checklist format, organized in such a way that it is more easily interpreted by public schools. Yes, we wish that our students stayed with us forever, but are realistic and know that only 1/3-1/2 will stay for first grade. Again, we want to make sure that the next school knows everything we know about the child.
The advantage that I have in doing them is that I am a writer. I can type and organize my thoughts pretty quickly. I have also developed a system that works. We have our form that we use. I go through and fill out the generic sections first, such as a summary of everything we have done in social studies, science, art, etc. When I go back through, I can add specific points about that child in each area. Not having to type all of that over and over is a huge time-saver.
I am sure there is always something that could be tweaked in how our reports are presented. We comment on them annually during our meetings. We wish there was some way to streamline the process, while still presenting all of the necessary information. Nothing better has yet come up.
What do your reports look like? How often do you write them?
Showing posts with label teacher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teacher. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Montessori A to Z: D is for Demonstrations
When I was in training, lessons were known as "demonstrations." The school I work at now often refers to them as "presentations." Whatever you want to call them, they are how you give your lessons to children. And certain rules need to be followed. These are five of my favorite tips for giving a demonstration.
1. Practice before you present.
Always practice a lesson before you present it to a child. Especially if you have given it 100 times, you want to go back through it with a fine-toothed comb to be sure you are not accidentally leaving something out.
Check the work before you invite the child for the lesson. A material that you presented earlier in the morning could now be mixed up. The other day, I got out the Rectangle Box, only to find that somehow one of the shapes was completely missing. An exploring child had gotten confused and put it away in his friend's Large Hexagon Box, thinking it belonged there instead. Beads sometimes inadvertently roll under a shelf as a child is cleaning up the 45 Layout. You will detract from the lesson if you have to go searching for parts of the work.
2. Speak little.
Words are not highly necessary when giving a lesson. Yes, you need to name the activity and give proper vocabulary. But do not waste your breath talking all the way through. Let the child engage in observation of your demonstration. Using your voice will call attention to only the important details. Let the child figure out her own explanations of what is going on.
3. Slow your movements.
Even when you think you are moving slowly while giving a demonstration, slow yourself down more. Each movement must be precise. Slow movements emphasize the care of the materials and give the child a chance to internalize what you are doing.
Avoid wearing too much jewelry or flashy nail polish, as that can detract from the lesson at hand.
4. Know when the lesson is over.
If a child is paying more attention to the classroom behind him than to your lesson, it's time to put it away. If the child takes a turn and makes too many mistakes, present the lesson again on another day. If the child makes it through the lesson, remember to show her how to make the work ready for the next person and where it belongs on the shelf. Completion of task ends when the work is placed on the shelf in working order.
Avoid interruptions during the lesson, as well. Both children and adults must wait until your work is complete before engaging you in conversation.
5. Demonstrate active interest in the materials.
Showing an interest in the work does not mean gushing with excitement over every little nuance of the lesson. But a child can tell if you are bored with your work. Be engaged with the activity. Concentrate on what you are doing. A little smile never hurt anyone, either. If your mind goes elsewhere as your body goes through the motions, you are not showing interest. You are making it seem more like work. The child will pick up on this and have the same attitude.
What other tips do you have for giving a demonstration?
1. Practice before you present.
Always practice a lesson before you present it to a child. Especially if you have given it 100 times, you want to go back through it with a fine-toothed comb to be sure you are not accidentally leaving something out.
Check the work before you invite the child for the lesson. A material that you presented earlier in the morning could now be mixed up. The other day, I got out the Rectangle Box, only to find that somehow one of the shapes was completely missing. An exploring child had gotten confused and put it away in his friend's Large Hexagon Box, thinking it belonged there instead. Beads sometimes inadvertently roll under a shelf as a child is cleaning up the 45 Layout. You will detract from the lesson if you have to go searching for parts of the work.
2. Speak little.
Words are not highly necessary when giving a lesson. Yes, you need to name the activity and give proper vocabulary. But do not waste your breath talking all the way through. Let the child engage in observation of your demonstration. Using your voice will call attention to only the important details. Let the child figure out her own explanations of what is going on.
3. Slow your movements.
Even when you think you are moving slowly while giving a demonstration, slow yourself down more. Each movement must be precise. Slow movements emphasize the care of the materials and give the child a chance to internalize what you are doing.
Avoid wearing too much jewelry or flashy nail polish, as that can detract from the lesson at hand.
4. Know when the lesson is over.
If a child is paying more attention to the classroom behind him than to your lesson, it's time to put it away. If the child takes a turn and makes too many mistakes, present the lesson again on another day. If the child makes it through the lesson, remember to show her how to make the work ready for the next person and where it belongs on the shelf. Completion of task ends when the work is placed on the shelf in working order.
Avoid interruptions during the lesson, as well. Both children and adults must wait until your work is complete before engaging you in conversation.
5. Demonstrate active interest in the materials.
Showing an interest in the work does not mean gushing with excitement over every little nuance of the lesson. But a child can tell if you are bored with your work. Be engaged with the activity. Concentrate on what you are doing. A little smile never hurt anyone, either. If your mind goes elsewhere as your body goes through the motions, you are not showing interest. You are making it seem more like work. The child will pick up on this and have the same attitude.
What other tips do you have for giving a demonstration?
Saturday, March 3, 2012
The Language of Money
In Montessori education, we focus on the importance of language with children. Everything has a proper name, which we teach first. That first period of the three-period lesson is the naming period. "This is an apple. This is a banana." In the second period, we look at the child retrieving the vocabulary as we ask him to point out the objects we name. "Show me banana. Show me apple." And finally in that third period, we ask the child to give us the name. "What is this?"
Beyond simple vocabulary is the manner in which we talk about concepts and ideas. Children pick up on our attitudes and learn how to mimic them. They listen to the words we use and figure out how to apply them elsewhere. The same can happen when you are talking about money. In this excerpt from Chapter 2 of Piggy Banks to Paychecks by Angie Mohr, she discusses the language of money.
Learn more by visiting Angie Mohr's website for Piggy Banks to Paychecks.
Beyond simple vocabulary is the manner in which we talk about concepts and ideas. Children pick up on our attitudes and learn how to mimic them. They listen to the words we use and figure out how to apply them elsewhere. The same can happen when you are talking about money. In this excerpt from Chapter 2 of Piggy Banks to Paychecks by Angie Mohr, she discusses the language of money.
The Language of Money
How we talk about money- the words, the phrases, the attitudes- is just as important as what we say about money. It’s the same with food. If you talk about food like it’s a reward for good behavior or a comfort for a stressful day, those attitudes will color what you do with food and how much you eat. The words you use about food, such as “You deserve a big bowl of ice cream”, will shape how your children view and talk about food. Just as bad food habits can be carried over from generation to generation, so can bad money habits.
Money is nothing but a facilitator of commerce. It does not have any magical properties that will make people happier, more positive, healthier, or wiser. While having enough wealth to live a fulfilling and satisfying life is a fantastic goal, it’s not the money itself that gets us there. It’s what we do with our money and how to handle it.
For the next week, listen consciously to the words you use when you talk about money every day. Do you talk about it as if it’s something that just appears and disappears outside of your control? Do you discuss how you will reward yourself with a shopping trip after a hard work week or “splurge” on an expensive dinner out? Do you talk about your retirement account with comments like, “I’m not even going to look at it- the markets are so bad right now”? The words we use define how in control we feel about money.
Remember that children are sponges. They listen to us when we think they’re doing other things. They absorb our attitudes about wealth, budgeting, and financial security. Controlling the way you talk about money is the first step in teaching your children positive financial lessons. Money is not the end goal and it is something that we can harness and control. We are not helpless in our financial journey. Everyone has the ability to take the reigns and direct our financial situation in the right direction.
Here are some money phrases that are a great start to talking about money more positively:
“Our budget gives us $100 this month to plan our entertainment.”
“Because we saved $50 on our groceries this month, we can take $25 of it and go to the amusement park.”
“The housing market is significantly down right now, but we’re not buying or selling and can ride it out just fine.”
“Let’s go through next year’s budget again and see if we can find some savings so that we can go to Mexico in the winter.”
“Mary, you did a great job managing the bake sale and it showed in the amount of money you made.”
“The car is still in good running order, so we’ll keep it for at least another year.”
“We received more back on our income tax returns than we expected. Let’s work the extra into the budget.”
“You saved up for that CD player all on your own and then researched and found a better price than you were expecting. Great job saving money!”
Note that all of these phrases denote that you are in control of your money. You know where it came from and where it’s going. You have your money on a leash, not the other way around.
Watch your thoughts for they become words.
Watch your words for they become actions.
Watch your actions for they become habits.
Watch your habits for they become your character.
Watch your character for it becomes your destiny.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
© Angie Mohr 2012
Learn more by visiting Angie Mohr's website for Piggy Banks to Paychecks.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Piggy Banks to Paychecks
In the Montessori environment, we are teaching children skills for life. We also expose them to as many concrete concepts as possible, to lay the foundation for later abstract learning. Even in the early childhood classroom, young students start to learn about money. First they learn the names of each coin and bill. Later they start to assign values to them. Activities for a money unit can often mimic the other math areas.
Parents can easily start to implement natural education about money in their daily lives. In the upcoming book Piggy Banks to Paychecks, author Angie Mohr, CA, CMA shares tips with parents about teaching their kids about money. Here she shares one of her tips with readers:
Parents can easily start to implement natural education about money in their daily lives. In the upcoming book Piggy Banks to Paychecks, author Angie Mohr, CA, CMA shares tips with parents about teaching their kids about money. Here she shares one of her tips with readers:
Visit Angie Mohr's website for Piggy Banks to Paychecks for even more information.Piggy Banks to Paychecks, Angie Mohr (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012)
RAISING MONEY SMART KIDS TIP #2
Start Early and Make it FunThe one question I get the most often from parents is "How soon should we start teaching our kids about budgeting and money?" The answer to the question isn't cut and dried. Money lessons start with simply exposing your kids to the financial realities of life.
"Why can't I have that chocolate bar?""Because it's not in our budget this week."
"Why did that lady give you money?""Because she just bought some books from us."
Exposure to finances is the first step for kids to learn what money is and how to handle it. There's no need for formal lessons or lectures. Kids pick up their financial knowledge through everyday living.
When kids are around five, they can begin to understand more complex monetary situations, such as commerce and saving. Take your kids to the local discount store and let them decide on minor purchases, such as whether to buy the name brand laundry detergent or the generic one. Explain the reasons why one might be better than the other (more loads of laundry for the cost, quality, etc.).
Let young children count out change and get used to monetary equivalents, such as ten dimes make a dollar. Buy them a piggy bank (or make one from a jar) and let them start accumulating coins. When they're older, they can start working for their money, doing chores around the house. Keep money a daily part of their lives, just as it is a daily part of your life.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Imitation is the highest form of flattery
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery. I guess I should start feeling flattered. We have an epidemic in my room: a bunch of Mini-Me's.
Last week I was trying to finish evaluations of where children are with their sounds and letter recognition. I sat at my floor table with the box of sandpaper letters and my notebook, making notes as I turned around each letter. About fifteen minutes after I had started, a kindergarten boy pulled out a rug and placed it about five feet away from me. He brought the digraph sandpaper letters to his rug. Soon after he included the capital sandpaper letters. He made a little card with his name on it to give to children. (Sometimes I place a card that says "Please come to a lesson with Miss Coventry" next to a child. When that child comes to a stopping point or finishes her work, she can come see me for that lesson.) He started inviting children over to his rug, one by one, showing them the letters and making notations in his notebook.
This started on Friday and we thought it was cute and would be short-lived. Instead, it started to grow. By Tuesday, four Extended Day children had set up rugs with sandpaper letters, sandpaper numerals, sight words cards, etc. They were inviting people over for lessons and making marks in their notebooks. Some of them are completely overshooting their academic skill level, but that is okay. Should the child who is struggling through sounds choose those digraphs, he may learn some of them if that other child knows them. It's a new way of learning and teaching each other.
The other amusing aspect is how seriously all of the children are taking this. They are very respectful when they get their lesson invite and sit with their hands in their lap. They wait until the lesson is finished before returning to other activities.
I have always maintained that the children learn better from each other than they learn from me with a lot of things. For example, my teachers always tried to teach me how to tie my shoes with the bow-tying frame. I couldn't do it. And then one of my special boy friends taught me how to tie my shoes in about two minutes. I have had this happen in the reverse numerous times. I do lesson after lesson and the kids don't get it. And then they sit with their friends and are tying shoes.
This is why we use our three-friend rule in the classroom. I think I mentioned this once last year when this blog was hosted on my regular website. Before you ask an adult for help, you must ask three friends first. Chances are you will find someone out of those three who can help you. This removes the adult from the equation. It makes the children have to do some problem solving. And if you can teach someone how to do something, you have to really know it yourself.
It will be interesting to see how many little mimickers there are this morning....
Last week I was trying to finish evaluations of where children are with their sounds and letter recognition. I sat at my floor table with the box of sandpaper letters and my notebook, making notes as I turned around each letter. About fifteen minutes after I had started, a kindergarten boy pulled out a rug and placed it about five feet away from me. He brought the digraph sandpaper letters to his rug. Soon after he included the capital sandpaper letters. He made a little card with his name on it to give to children. (Sometimes I place a card that says "Please come to a lesson with Miss Coventry" next to a child. When that child comes to a stopping point or finishes her work, she can come see me for that lesson.) He started inviting children over to his rug, one by one, showing them the letters and making notations in his notebook.
This started on Friday and we thought it was cute and would be short-lived. Instead, it started to grow. By Tuesday, four Extended Day children had set up rugs with sandpaper letters, sandpaper numerals, sight words cards, etc. They were inviting people over for lessons and making marks in their notebooks. Some of them are completely overshooting their academic skill level, but that is okay. Should the child who is struggling through sounds choose those digraphs, he may learn some of them if that other child knows them. It's a new way of learning and teaching each other.
The other amusing aspect is how seriously all of the children are taking this. They are very respectful when they get their lesson invite and sit with their hands in their lap. They wait until the lesson is finished before returning to other activities.
I have always maintained that the children learn better from each other than they learn from me with a lot of things. For example, my teachers always tried to teach me how to tie my shoes with the bow-tying frame. I couldn't do it. And then one of my special boy friends taught me how to tie my shoes in about two minutes. I have had this happen in the reverse numerous times. I do lesson after lesson and the kids don't get it. And then they sit with their friends and are tying shoes.
This is why we use our three-friend rule in the classroom. I think I mentioned this once last year when this blog was hosted on my regular website. Before you ask an adult for help, you must ask three friends first. Chances are you will find someone out of those three who can help you. This removes the adult from the equation. It makes the children have to do some problem solving. And if you can teach someone how to do something, you have to really know it yourself.
It will be interesting to see how many little mimickers there are this morning....
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Let go of your agenda
Even Montessori teachers have to adhere to some sort of agenda. We make plans about what we are going to teach our kids. We have certain requirements that we need to meet, especially when kids are moving on to public schools. And yes, we do need to answer to parents to an extent. That is the crappy part of the job. But the beauty of Montessori is sometimes you can just absolutely let it go.
My first major agenda change happened last week. I was all set to do my Extended Day sound of the week lesson. The kids had just came back from lunch, so they were still changing their shoes. Instead of us always tying the children's shoes, we encourage them to ask a friend. This is one of those skills that children always seem to learn better from each other than from an adult. I vividly remember the boy who taught me how to tie my shoes in Montessori kindergarten.
One of our boys learned how to tie his shoes at the end of last school year and has been very helpful with the other children. On that day, he was feeling a little frustrated with everyone asking him to help tie their shoes. He finally exclaimed, "Okay, everyone! You all need to learn how to tie your shoes!"
I quietly said, "You know, there are dressing frames over in practical life that will help you practice tying shoes."
The boy in question walks over to the bin and gets out the bow-tying frame. "Okay, everyone, watch me!" And he proceeds to give his own lesson on the tying frame. The kids were so excited that they wanted more dressing frames. I didn't yet have them all out, so I went to the storage closet and filled the bin. They gave each other lessons on the dressing frames for a solid 20 minutes. I did finally get around to my sounds lesson, but this somehow took priority.
Today there was a similar story. I did my sounds book and they brainstormed new words. They got out their notebooks to write some of them down. I noticed that the aforementioned boy and another one were doing more than just writing words in their notebooks. The second boy just recently started taking Chinese classes. He is madly in love with his new talent of writing Chinese characters and was teaching the first boy how to make some. He then started showing me some of them and I told him I could add some works to the shelf if he was interested. He got very excited.
I pulled out my laptop and showed him a couple of activities that I already knew. He helped to teach us how to correctly pronounce the Chinese numbers from 1-10. He commented that he wanted to know how to make more of the numbers, but hadn't yet gotten there at Chinese school. So, I hopped on YouTube and found a video about making numbers. I played it and asked him if that looked right. He said yes and got very excited to see how some larger numbers were made. One by one more children came around to watch. Some of them even grabbed their notebooks and were trying to make the characters. They also asked to watch a short video that taught them the color names in Chinese. We watched a few of them repeatedly. Have I maybe found a use for that damn SmartBoard? (Although my assistant and I agreed that we preferred the intimacy of using the laptop, instead.)
It was very exciting for me as well as the children. This is what I love about Montessori education. You follow the child and his interests. And you can learn from him just as much as he will learn from you.
My first major agenda change happened last week. I was all set to do my Extended Day sound of the week lesson. The kids had just came back from lunch, so they were still changing their shoes. Instead of us always tying the children's shoes, we encourage them to ask a friend. This is one of those skills that children always seem to learn better from each other than from an adult. I vividly remember the boy who taught me how to tie my shoes in Montessori kindergarten.
One of our boys learned how to tie his shoes at the end of last school year and has been very helpful with the other children. On that day, he was feeling a little frustrated with everyone asking him to help tie their shoes. He finally exclaimed, "Okay, everyone! You all need to learn how to tie your shoes!"
I quietly said, "You know, there are dressing frames over in practical life that will help you practice tying shoes."
The boy in question walks over to the bin and gets out the bow-tying frame. "Okay, everyone, watch me!" And he proceeds to give his own lesson on the tying frame. The kids were so excited that they wanted more dressing frames. I didn't yet have them all out, so I went to the storage closet and filled the bin. They gave each other lessons on the dressing frames for a solid 20 minutes. I did finally get around to my sounds lesson, but this somehow took priority.
Today there was a similar story. I did my sounds book and they brainstormed new words. They got out their notebooks to write some of them down. I noticed that the aforementioned boy and another one were doing more than just writing words in their notebooks. The second boy just recently started taking Chinese classes. He is madly in love with his new talent of writing Chinese characters and was teaching the first boy how to make some. He then started showing me some of them and I told him I could add some works to the shelf if he was interested. He got very excited.
I pulled out my laptop and showed him a couple of activities that I already knew. He helped to teach us how to correctly pronounce the Chinese numbers from 1-10. He commented that he wanted to know how to make more of the numbers, but hadn't yet gotten there at Chinese school. So, I hopped on YouTube and found a video about making numbers. I played it and asked him if that looked right. He said yes and got very excited to see how some larger numbers were made. One by one more children came around to watch. Some of them even grabbed their notebooks and were trying to make the characters. They also asked to watch a short video that taught them the color names in Chinese. We watched a few of them repeatedly. Have I maybe found a use for that damn SmartBoard? (Although my assistant and I agreed that we preferred the intimacy of using the laptop, instead.)
It was very exciting for me as well as the children. This is what I love about Montessori education. You follow the child and his interests. And you can learn from him just as much as he will learn from you.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Curse of the Full Moon
Do you suffer from the curse of the full moon? I do. I am suffering from it right now. The full moon peaks on October 12th (tomorrow) and the kids are intensely feeling it.
Some people think I am crazy. Others who pay attention will find that I am not crazy. I have paid attention to this phenomenon for several years now. And I can safely say that the crazy level of the classroom dramatically increases at this point every month. Try to document it sometime and tell me what you notice!
My class has been settling in quite well so far this year. That first full moon was right at the beginning of the year, so we didn't have a chance to experience its glory. Today, though, was a different story.
The energy level was higher. The general volume was higher. There was less focus and more messing around. I saw behaviors out of some of my children that I have never seen before. There were plenty of moments of saying (thinking) "Who are you??"
At the same time, I realized that I needed to take a step back and forget about my own expectations. I had to remove myself from situations and "trade kids" with my assistant. Remember what I posted the other day about the kids being happy? For the most part they were. When I took a moment to step back and look at the whole picture, again they were involved in activities that made them happy. Sometimes what seemed like inappropriate behavior was actually something worthwhile that needed to be tweaked. It's all about perspective.
It just requires more effort during that full moon.
Some people think I am crazy. Others who pay attention will find that I am not crazy. I have paid attention to this phenomenon for several years now. And I can safely say that the crazy level of the classroom dramatically increases at this point every month. Try to document it sometime and tell me what you notice!
My class has been settling in quite well so far this year. That first full moon was right at the beginning of the year, so we didn't have a chance to experience its glory. Today, though, was a different story.
The energy level was higher. The general volume was higher. There was less focus and more messing around. I saw behaviors out of some of my children that I have never seen before. There were plenty of moments of saying (thinking) "Who are you??"
At the same time, I realized that I needed to take a step back and forget about my own expectations. I had to remove myself from situations and "trade kids" with my assistant. Remember what I posted the other day about the kids being happy? For the most part they were. When I took a moment to step back and look at the whole picture, again they were involved in activities that made them happy. Sometimes what seemed like inappropriate behavior was actually something worthwhile that needed to be tweaked. It's all about perspective.
It just requires more effort during that full moon.
Monday, October 10, 2011
H is for Happiness
Maria Montessori said something along the lines of the true test of success in the classroom is the happiness of the children. I think that is something that we as adults often forget. We get so wrapped up in trying to meet standards and parent demands and squeezing in certain educational units that we often forget to take a step back and observe how the children are functioning. And yes, I will even dare to say that we sometimes focus more on our own happiness and sometimes overzealous ideals of how the Montessori classroom should function.
One challenge that I have to give myself on a regular basis is to truly step back and take a look at the children. This is especially important on those days that I am feeling overwhelmed and like I have lost control. Often it is a misinterpretation on my part. *I* do not feel content about what the children are doing. I feel like they should be working on other activities. I feel like I should be giving more lessons. Do you see the repeated use of the word "I"?
I miss the loft that was in my old classroom. When I felt like the classroom was becoming all about me and my feelings, I would climb up there for a birds' eye view. That perch gave me an excellent view of the classroom where I could make numerous observations. In the new building I can go outside to the hallway and peer in through the large windows. I can step back into the kitchen area and watch from there.
I often encourage my coworkers to do the same. Many times they will comment at lunch or after school that they felt like their day was hectic. But when I walk past on my way to the restroom, their children look happy and engaged. So I tell them this. Whether or not they believe me is a different story.
I remember my late father visiting my classroom on a few occasions. His comments were always the same. He said that there was always a lot of activity in my classroom and at times it was loud. But when you really looked at the kids, they were busy doing something. Even movements were purposeful. And they were all happy in whatever it was we were doing.
One of the keys to teacher happiness in the Montessori classroom is to let go of your own expectations. Remember the fundamentals of Montessori philosophy. It is all about the children and not about us. Gauge their happiness and then make adjustments as necessary. You will find that the tweaking will happen with less frequency as you do this.
One challenge that I have to give myself on a regular basis is to truly step back and take a look at the children. This is especially important on those days that I am feeling overwhelmed and like I have lost control. Often it is a misinterpretation on my part. *I* do not feel content about what the children are doing. I feel like they should be working on other activities. I feel like I should be giving more lessons. Do you see the repeated use of the word "I"?
I miss the loft that was in my old classroom. When I felt like the classroom was becoming all about me and my feelings, I would climb up there for a birds' eye view. That perch gave me an excellent view of the classroom where I could make numerous observations. In the new building I can go outside to the hallway and peer in through the large windows. I can step back into the kitchen area and watch from there.
I often encourage my coworkers to do the same. Many times they will comment at lunch or after school that they felt like their day was hectic. But when I walk past on my way to the restroom, their children look happy and engaged. So I tell them this. Whether or not they believe me is a different story.
I remember my late father visiting my classroom on a few occasions. His comments were always the same. He said that there was always a lot of activity in my classroom and at times it was loud. But when you really looked at the kids, they were busy doing something. Even movements were purposeful. And they were all happy in whatever it was we were doing.
One of the keys to teacher happiness in the Montessori classroom is to let go of your own expectations. Remember the fundamentals of Montessori philosophy. It is all about the children and not about us. Gauge their happiness and then make adjustments as necessary. You will find that the tweaking will happen with less frequency as you do this.
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