Visiting the Montessori School and Getting Oriented: Part 2
As I observed the children playing during their water day, I could easily tell the difference between the children who regularly attend school at this location and those who were visiting for the summer camp. The differences became more obvious when I was able to observe the children at play. Those who attend the Montessori school came right into the play area and almost immediately engaged in some sort of pretend or imaginative play. Those who were there for the summer camp program wandered around as if they were checking everything over before deciding what play to engage in.
As I shared in my last post, there is a large area of tall grass in the center of the play area and all the children who attend this Montessori school through the year knew what their boundaries were in relationship to it. They knew they could run around the outside of it, but not through it and they knew they could stop wherever they wanted around the outside area to observe what was happening on the inside. In two areas of the tall grassy area, there were obvious piles of grass clippings, which reinforced the school's commitment to being environmentally friendly and sustainable. The grass clippings also provided shelter to a family of rabbits, who had recently had babies. The children who regularly attend the school knew where to find the rabbit family and at one point, some of the children who were there for the summer program wanted to know more about the rabbit family. Some children went to get one of the teachers to ask more information about the rabbit family. The teacher spent less than 2 minutes explaining that the rabbits lived in the tall grass and that the children could help keep the rabbits safe by going around their area instead of through it. One child shared what he knew about rabbit predators and the teacher responded by telling him that they would need to talk more about rabbits when they went inside for the afternoon. Several of the children who listened to the teacher talk about rabbits when to share with their friends and tell them what they had learned.
As the children tired of playing in the sprinkler, some children went to the shaded areas to cool off and some went to their towels to lay down to dry (mimicking what they had watched adults do by listening in to their conversations). Other children used their towels as yoga mats and asked one teacher to remind them of some animal yoga poses they could try out.
Around 10:30, it was getting closer to snack time, so a few teachers organized a game with children who could take turns running through the sprinkler. They wanted the children to get a little wet so that they could dry off as they ate their snack and not get too hot. There were three lines of children, on three different sides of the sprinkler and when the teacher counted to the third number in a counting series, the children could run directly across from them to the other side of the sprinkler. The other children waiting helped to count the second and third numbers in the series, so it was an opportunity for them to practice counting on two more numbers each time. Once every child had been through the line twice, it was time to settle in for a snack. The children had helped to create their popsicle snack the day before and the older children had measured out even amounts into each paper cup and inserted a popsicle stick before going into the freezer overnight. The adults served the snacks as the children sat on their towels and all the children waited to eat their snack until every child had been served. The children and teachers all joined together in saying their "Thanks" before eating.
Very interesting. A couple of things came to mind as I was reading this. First, that Montessori often gets a 'bad wrap' in terms of being perceived as discouraging play, especially imaginative play. Although this is different because it is a summer camp program, in my experience, children are children and their playfulness and inventiveness in play even during the school year -- at least on the play ground -- is not discouraged at all. The other thing that pops out to me is the power of observational learning. The 'old' or veteran Montessorians are teaching the newbies simply by the way they interact with the environment, the materials, and the teachers. Children long to 'fit in' and try to do the 'right thing' (typically) and look to their better informed or knowledgeable peers for guidance and direction in very subtle ways. Unless a child has some issues in terms of a spectrum disorder or something else that interferes with the natural processing of information, they engage in this very social form of learning. You remember this all from our child development class when thinking about Albert Bandura's work in observational learning and modeling as well as the socio-cultural learning espoused by Vygotsky. What fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary,
DeleteI have noticed as I asked colleagues about Montessori methods and there are mixed feelings for sure. I asked a student teacher in our building what her thoughts were and she said that in the Montessori school she visited, they were doing lots of worksheets and I wondered why they were calling themselves a Montessori school and if that is truly what she saw. I have watched so many children engaging in imaginative play at this school, through the work they are doing. They are so eagerly replicating tasks they watch adults do, but in their own very appropriate way. The wander away when something catches their attention, but always return, or they stop to have a conversation with a peer and return, much like adults do. :)
I believe observational learning is SO important and I use that 95% of the time in my own Kindergarten classroom as a means of assessment. I learn more from observing my students and occasionally stepping in to have a conversation with them than I do any other form of assessment. It is an important skill that needs to be taught, to all pre-service teachers and those new to the profession so that it is passed on. The teacher in the classroom I am observing is younger (mid 20's) and she is spot on with her observations. Watching her know when to swoop in and teach a new skill is just fascinating. All other times, she is never at rest, always circulating and observing and just listening in. There is so much socio-cultural learning going on in this space, it is unbelievable!