Funny Bunny

Well, I caved in to the pressure.  The children wanted a new pet so badly after Robby (old as the hills guinea pig--see earlier entries) died prior to Thanksgiving.  I wasn't quite ready, especially for another guinea pig.  My children wanted the dog named Chip that had visited the room a few times (see earlier posts) but a school dog didn't seem a particularly good idea (that comment is my dry humor at work).  So, I started investigating rabbits.  There are several societies dedicated exclusively to the "house bunny" and I was able to find loads of information.  My family and I started by touring the local Humane Societies and "test driving" the bunnies.  After several weeks, we found Marley.  He is a Mini-Rex and all of 3 pounds, although the vet says he is overweight (evidently, carrots are like bunny candy--who knew)?  Marley is litter-box trained and loves to hop around our room.  He hates tile, so we have a natural invisible fence in the environment.  He loves to be pet, and goes into a submissive petting position when he is lonely.  He nibbled at my assistant, so he may need to be neutered, although he is three and a half.  I think he wanted to make her clothing his bed.  Other than that, he is the best bunny and soft as down.  There is a lot of bunny love going around Casa II!

Respect for Self

We started a dressing table activity this year.  Each child's bag has his or her name on a label inside and includes items like brushes, combs, toothpaste, toothbrush, hair accessories and so on.  The bags are in a basket on the bottom shelf of our scavenged table, along with a stool my Grandma gave to me, and a mirror from Target.  We also keep a small spray bottle of water on the table.  The children love to take care of their "crazy hat hair" in the morning, and brush their teeth after lunch.  They also love to brush one another's hair, as the photo above shows.  My fabulous assistant made all the dressing bags from leftover quilting scraps (note to all guides--hire someone who sews).  I expected this activity to be a mess when we first started but the children take extreme care with their items.  As Montessori noted when she started the Casa dei Bambini, the children wanted to take care of themselves, but needed to be shown how to in a respectful manner. I'm glad I overcame my initial hesitation.  As they usually do, the children exceeded my expectations.

Saving Kindergarten

In these difficult economic times Kindergarten, or the Montessori third year, is facing competition from non-Montessori public kindergartens.  My heart just breaks every time we lose a child for his or her last year.  The beautiful foundational work the children have been doing is left unfinished without the outlet and materials for the child to flourish and move forward in his work.  The children don't get to experience being the oldest, where they feel so competent and responsible because they can teach and help, thus reinforcing their own skills.  They go from a child-centric situation to a teacher-centric situation, and lose the opportunity to self-govern.  Their natural curiosity and creativity is contained by the need to teach to all, instead of each child progressing at his or her own pace.  The give and take of their Montessori community, where they solve issues, negotiate problems, and choose activities is replaced by an environment where decisions are already made, and the natural movement of the children is restrained.  The five to six year old is developing into a social learner and in a public kindergarten is negotiating this complex developmental change in an environment where he or she is the youngest, has a new set of friends, and a new teacher, instead of one year later, when it is developmentally appropriate to move on.  I believe sometimes parents think we just want their children to stay because of the  money.  The money is not the point, the well-being of the child is the point.  If money was the goal, we could run schools much differently. taking children at any time and for any amount of time, thus sacrificing the integrity of their community ties.  We could make less of a commitment to our staff and reduce hours based on numbers of children who are sick or on vacation.  There are plenty of ways to make more money.  There is no way to regain the lost year of Kindergarten.

Countryside Montessori Videos

I added these videos from Countryside Montessori in Northbrook, IL because they beautifully show what Montessori and Learning for Life really means. I hope to post a few from my own school soon. I'm so amazed at how beautifully these young children live life. I am talking specifically about the first one--I couldn't seem to add just the first one without the others.

First Time

First Facebook, now a blog?! As a person who was scared by George Orwell's 1984, I'm definitely not safe from big brother anymore. But we Montessorians are bound by community, and I want to make as many connections and converts as I can! That said, it is going to take me awhile to get going but putting it off doesn't breed forward momentum. I'm looking for the political activists out there, who either love Montessori or are new to Montessori. Montessori's ideas have been tested, tried, and they work! We need a community that not only has academic aptitude but social aptitude, with ethics embedded in everything they do. We have been one hundred years at the periphery but change is in the air and we need to unite to forward the genius of the Montessori approach. It will take a change in attitude (the insanity of all the testing) and a realization of what qualities lead to a full and productive life as a weight-bearing member of society. I know that in the AMS circles Senator Christopher Dodd is a supporter. In the AMI circles, Dr. Steven Hughes' ideas are huge cross-disciplinary motivaters. We all need to work together to present a united front to the legislature and the general public, and NAMTA could be a huge unifying orginization, should they choose to accept their mission. Who feels the same way? Let's work together.