The Whole, Wide World

I wanted to share this with you to note my sister's work.  Years ago, after she returned from a Peace Corps assignment she made this scaled copy of the world.  While she was in Cameroon, she helped paint a larger version of it on the side of her village school.  It makes me happy to see this painting in our Casa.  It almost feels like the earth itself is looking over, protecting, and blessing our environment.  It also is a great reference tool and conversation starter.  What a very cool planet we live on.  That is my assistant of nine years with two of our children in the photo.

Sunnier Days

Being that it is "supposed" to be spring, we have been working on the flower in our Casa.  One of the children took this work a step further.  I have classified cards of the scientific names of flower shapes.  This child did watercolor renditions of the flowers and labeled them.  As much as it has rained this spring, this work brought a ray of sunshine to the day.

Back on the Farm

A few pictures say it all.  We had a great day out in the country.  The children saw, fed, touched and interacted with chickens, cows, sheep, lambs, HUGE dogs, pigs, and also cooked and planted seeds.  All in a day's work on the farm.

Empathy in Action

Last week, I overheard this conversation:  "I feel like nobody likes me, " states one girl.  "Why do you feel that way?" asks another.  "I don't know."  A third girl says, "It seems like you need a hug."  "Group hug!"  they exclaim.  Everyone then goes back to their work.  I don't care how many tests these girls score 100% on, or how many times they win sporting events--the perfection of this exchange tops all of that.  In its essence, this is how education prepares a child for life.

Still "Good at Doing Things"

I wanted to remind all of you of the wonderful resource we have in Dr. Steven Hughes.  As a pediatric neuropsychologist, he has special insight into what school environment is the best for children.  He became a huge proponent of the Montessori method as he noted that two facts:  how the method correlated to the actual stages of the development of the brain, and how a Montessori education emphasizes what parents, children and teachers find to be important for success in life.  Here is the recording of his entire talk.  It takes a while to get going, so be patient!  Check out his website, goodatdoingthings.com for other information.


Good at Doing Things: Montessori Education and Higher Order Cognitive Functions from Steve Hughes on Vimeo.

Meditation and Children

We have been using meditation as a tool in our Casa to relax and release stress.  Our favorite chant is "Om Shanti," with the "om" indicative as the sound or symbol of the universe, and "shanti" meaning deep peace.  It is usually chanted in threes.  We use a song from a yoga cd that we like.  Our children are beginning to go off and take a few minutes to meditate when things in the Casa are too loud or chaotic for them, or when they need to calm themselves because they are frustrated over some incident.  I hope we can all carry some sort of coping device within ourselves that helps us be calm, relaxed, and aware of the great gifts inside and around us.  I came across an article about meditation and children that you might enjoy:  http://www.mumzine.com/2010/06/02/benefits-of-meditation-for-children/.  The photo is from a children's meditation garden in Wimbledon, London.  They are a Buddhist club, but I think it would be lovely to develop meditation gardens in our Montessori schools, complete with a labyrinth!  I know I would love to spend a portion of each day there.

Hands

I had to post this beautiful poem by Sara Kay, as hands are the cornerstone of our Montessori work.  Montessori says, "The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence," and "The human hand allows the mind to reveal itself."  In a myriad of ways, our hands create lasting expressions of life, both concrete and abstract.  For more Sara Kay, see the TED website.