AMCS Faculty

Winter break!  We all look forward to time for family, to read a book, go for a walk, get in touch with friends, listen to music, sleep late, cook, watch a movie and all the other wonderful things we rarely have time to do. Our work is joyful and rewarding, and it also takes time and energy as we all do our best to provide a safe, beautiful and enriching experience for our students. This is the perfect time to try something new...have you always wanted to ice skate, play an instrument, knit, write a poem?  Go for it! In our classrooms we expect children to have a period of "unrest" around 10:30 (what we call false fatigue).  Perhaps this is our annual time to let focus go and just recharge. We can come back to our classrooms ready to give those wonderful lessons, to listen, to observe and to enjoy our students. On January 2 we will explore The Montessori Way:  Meeting Each Child Where They Are". Elementary teachers will meet at 8:30 a.m. and Primary ...

How often do we wish for more kindness between our students, with our parents and with each other? On December 8 at 2:30 P.M. join us in the Multi-purpose room for an exploration of ideas to foster kindness and make it the basis of our relationships.  We will have concrete ideas, games, books and thought provoking ideas to create an atmosphere of kindess, understand and respect for all.  We will begin promptly and end at 4 p.m.   See you there!

I hope you take the time to read this beautiful journey through the process of language development of the Montessori child.  Susan Mayclen Stephenson is the author.  She graciously agrees to share it with all Montessori educators. You are welcome to add comments or ask questions. MONTESSORI LANGUAGE, Speaking, Writing, and Reading, Birth to Age 12+ The child can only develop fully by means of experience in his environment. We call such experience 'work.' Such Experience is not just play . . . it is work he must do in order to grow up. — Maria Montessori, M The First Year: the Senses We can feed the child's intense interest in language and prepare for later spoken language, by speaking clearly, by not raising our voice to the unnatural pitch often reserved for speaking to pets, and not oversimplifying language in the presence of the child. We can tell funny and interesting stories of our lives, recite favorite poems, talk about what we are doing, "Now I ...

Montessori and Parents:  Collaboration for the Whole Child As Montessori guides one of our most important tasks is developing an effective and respectful relationship with the parents or caregivers of our students. As the students’ first and most important teachers, parents are the experts on their children.  They have spent thousands of hours in close contact, taught them their first words, fed, protected, laughed and cried with them.  When these precious children come into our school we become part of that critical circle of trusted people.  On November 11 the teachers at AMCS will come together and explore ways to develop and maintain this important link.  Communication, what to expect of parents and how to achieve cooperation and mutual respect will be our focus.  The Primary teachers will meet in the library from 8:30 to 9:30.  Elementary teachers will meet in the same location from 9:30 to 10:30. We will start and finish on time. ...

Practical Life: Starting Off Strong Practical life is the most important area of the Montessori primary prepared environment.  Based on the universal needs and tendencies of man and the sensitive periods of the absorbent mind, practical life exercises form a basis for all that follows in the classroom and in life. The exercises are not an end in themselves, that is, their purpose is not “cleaning a table” but are designed as an aide to life and to help the child in the process of creating a fully functioning person adapted to his time, culture and environment.  Practical life will lead the child to independence, both physical and intellectual. It will increase concentration, the ability to take a task from start to completion, and will reinforce left to right orientation, if properly presented.  Practical life does not end with bridging to elementary.   . The Montessori elementary Practical Life curriculum is a continuation of the practical l...

AN UNUSUAL AUTUMN This has certainly not been the most calm of beginnings for our school year.  Many of us have friends and family dealing with the results of the storms and floods.  Our students, if not directly affected, have been hearing the stories and perhaps, seeing the disturbing pictures and videos.  Our school can be a place of respite and comfort for the children and for us, as well.  The sense of community at AMCS is strong.  This may be a good time to review the Teaching With Love and Logic approach to acknowledging feelings when a student (or staff member) is worried, angry or sad.   No real progress can be made toward solving a problem or even comforting someone, until they feel understood.  So how to go about this important beginning? When we see that someone is upset a good start might be: "You seem to be a bit upset today."  or "Wow.  I don't see your usual smile this morning." That may get man...