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Life in the open air, in the sunshine, and a diet high in nutritional content coming from the produce of neighbouring fields improve the physical health... —Maria Montessori From Childhood to Adolescence, p. 67. March is National Nutrition Month in Canada and the United States. This year’s theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right,” which brings to mind some articles I read recently. Headlines such as “Kids who are time-crunched at school lunch toss more and eat less” (Godoy & Aubrey, 2015) and “These days, school lunch hours are more like 15 minutes” (Westerveldt, 2013) make me wonder how children possibly savor any flavor with only 10–15 minutes to eat. Montessori encourages adults to model the behaviors we wish to see in the child. We walk slowly, speak softly, and touch gently. What does it say, therefore, when we eat quickly? Modern eating habits have taken on a sense of urgency: breakfast is a rush as we try to get out the door; lunch is hurried so we have time to prepare af...

One of the most important roles the Montessori teacher has is to observe. We observe how students spend their time and note what they are drawn to. We ensure that each child is learning at their own pace, in their own way. We carefully observe their particular interests and level of comprehension, and we assess their level of readiness for new presentations. It is through careful observation that the Montessori teacher is able to prepare the classroom environment with materials that relate to the children’s interests and determine which presentations they are ready to receive. The Importance of Observing the Child and Learning as a Montessori Teacher Each teacher has his or her own style and time for observing in the classroom. When I was a new teacher in a Montessori Casa class, I had high hopes for observation times. I copied extensive checklists for each child and had a large binder in the classroom to note which presentations I had given the child, her level of understanding, wheth...

In my Montessori elementary classroom, I spend the first week of school building on the foundations that I set on the first day — further establishing rules and routines, empowering the students, developing relationships, and presenting inspiring work. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I begin talking with the students about classroom routines and expectations on the very first day of school. Throughout the week, we build on these discussions, usually during circle time. Like all Montessori teachers, I have high expectations of courtesy, respect, and order. Taking time during the first week to fully establish these expectations helps the students understand what is required of them and of others in the classroom. It serves us all well for the remainder of the year. Montessori Teachers Lay the Foundations for a Successful Elementary School Year in the First Week A great interactive strategy for discussing expectations is to invite the students to role-play different scenarios. For exam...

In our previous blog , we discussed the first part of the first full day of school during which the students were introduced to the routines and expectations of the classroom. In this article, we discuss the remainder of the day when students are ready to do some work. Ideas for Work Periods for the First Day in the Montessori Elementary Classroom I find that inviting the students to write in their journals about something they did over the summer is a good way to start them working on the first day. Usually, the new students need direction on page orientation and sentence building. I often ask an older student to help a younger friend if they need help. Once they are all finished, we go outside and have a snack while those who would like to share their stories do. While we are outside, my assistant kindly takes a photo of each student for the scrapbooks that we work on throughout the year. When we return to the classroom, I ask the returning students to start their work, beginning whe...

The first day of school is very exciting for both students and teachers. I always look forward to the first day when I am able to greet students and establish our routines and expectations. As the students arrive, I invite a returning student to give the new students a tour of the environment. They show the new students where to put backpacks, coats, lunch boxes, etc. and where they will find things such as pencils and erasers. Once all the students have arrived, I begin our time together with a circle. To start, I light the peace candle. As this is the first circle of the year, I explain the candle’s purpose to the students. I tell them that we light the peace candle at the beginning of circle time to signify peace and reverence. This means that there should only be one person speaking at a time and we show respect to the speaker by sitting silently and respectfully. Then, I ask the students to brainstorm other expectations for our circle times. Circle Time Routines and Expectations ...