Author: sharondarby

By Richard Goodyear – Tōtara teacher

I want to take a moment to share with you how it has been for me to move from working with adolescents to children in the 9-12 class again. I guided in a 9-12 class at Berhampore Montessori for nine years before moving to Tōtara class in 2013. There I worked with Carol, then Joel until the end of 2015 when I moved to Kawakawa class, staying there for just over four years. More recently, amongst other things, I worked with adolescents including NCEA level students at Harbour Montessori College in Auckland before returning to Tōtara in November of last year.

It’s been a roundabout Montessori journey that has seen me mainly work with kids in their middle childhood years but in two very different aspects: the second half of the second plane of development and the first half of the third. How much did you change between your bright-eyed 10-year-old self and the probably more world-wise 14-year-old? For me, it was a huge shift when I was young, and professionally it has been a massive and fascinating change of mindset and skills required between those two phases.

What I’m absolutely loving about Tōtara is the way we truly challenge them to work independently. Sometimes it’s hard for them. Sometimes they would prefer more structure, to be told what to work on. But we believe, as Montessorians working in the second plane, that the potential of tapping into their inner motivation is too important to squander. We want ākonga to find the sparks of interest that call to them. So questions like ‘what fascinates them?’ ‘how do they best express themselves?’ ‘what are they passionate about?’ and ‘what are they capable of?’ become hugely important to us.

And so after years of working with adolescents where the key priorities are quite different, I find myself in the familiar, lovely, challenging place where free choice is the priority.  How to interest a child in something when they are already busy working on their own freely chosen activity? It isn’t easy, but that is the challenge. I love it when I find something that occupies them in meaningful ways for an hour or two. A good example today was introducing the concept of measuring area (eg how many square metres is…?) with a story (of course) and seeing their little eyes light up. Then setting them a challenge that involved creating diagrams on the netball court with chalk (super fun) and because they are working independently, I could then move on to the next group and entice them, for just a little bit, in something new.  A beautiful day for me, epitomized by Dr Montessori’s famous quote in regards to the second plane child:

 “The secret of good teaching is to regard the child’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seeds may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination.”

By Robin Wilkins – Pūriri teacher

“Even when helping and serving the children, the teacher must not cease to observe them, because the birth of concentration in a child is as delicate a phenomenon as the bursting of a bud into bloom.”

 Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind

Maria Montessori was a scientist and a medical doctor, trained in making careful observations. She applied these observation skills to children, much like an anthropologist or botanist, who observes the smallest details. She, watched, learned and changed.   

One of the most vital teaching tools available to Montessori teachers is scientific observation. It is an integral and ongoing part of a Montessori teacher’s work. Observation allows the adult to assess situations, ākonga and strategies without judgment. Observation is a critical component of lesson planning and management of the classroom. We need to have insight about ākonga’s behaviour, social interactions and learning styles. With observation we can help them overcome difficulties and redirect their interest when necessary.

We remember to see who they are, not who we want them to be. We see them with new eyes as they are developing every day, every hour and every minute. They show us what they want or need to learn and then we can see how we can support that. Constant physical movement in a busy classroom can mean we miss out on cues (physical, verbal and social). As the adult, it is important to take time to step back, slow down and silently view the environment with fresh eyes.

Recently I observed two ākonga, at different times, take out the same piece of equipment. A piece was missing and it was very interesting to see the reaction. One put it back on the shelf, the other created the missing piece and then proceeded to practise the concept. This was something that I could have easily missed and gave me new insight into each ākonga.

What can we observe?

Observations can be made for many different reasons. We may need to look at how we can support social, emotional development in the classroom.

We may choose to focus on one thing at a time or observe one child for an extended time. Other times, we may be wondering about the classroom dynamic or an issue. We often see much more detail when we observe so we come to know a child better. We can see when there is a change in their development, for example having success with something they have previously struggled with.

Some questions we might ask about a child or the class include:

• Is there a feeling of respect and community in the classroom?
• Which materials are being used, which ones aren’t?
• Is the activity still productive or are they being safe?
• What stage of development is each ākonga in? Are they working to master a concept or skill or are they working towards abstraction?
• Is a child able to concentrate on their work? For how long
• Is there concentration being protected?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the class?
• Maybe some Grace and Courtesy lessons are needed to help create more peace in the classroom.

It’s also important for the adult to reflect on their observations and their own practises. We need to allow our mind to be open to change. Have I guided ākonga carefully enough to create a community of respect and peacefulness.

How often would I normally want to interrupt ākonga at work? Sometimes it takes a lot of self-control to stop the impulses of wanting to help or be in control. Are we speaking too much – are our voices constantly interrupting their focus?

We can learn to trust ākonga, especially if we take the time to really observe and understand them.

By Krista Kerr – Pōhutukawa teacher

For me, one of the best things about teaching (and there are so many) is the reminder tamariki give us numerous times each and every day of the wonder and delight to be taken in ‘small’ things – if we are open to seeing the importance of them!

Wearing the same shirt as a friend, enjoying a book, tying a perfect bow, noticing a rhyming word in their sentence, making someone else laugh, figuring out where a puzzle piece goes, being able to reach the tap for the first time… these are all examples of what we as adults may casually accept as everyday occurrences. However, for tamariki they are all moments of joy; self-made discoveries that add to their experiences and to their character. We have seen a child become completely absorbed in making funny faces for 20 minutes in the mirror they were walking past – and then laughing so hard that their whole body was shaking! Perhaps they had never before realised or explored the different expressions that their face could make, or perhaps they were simply absorbed in enjoying the moment.

Our classes are a hive of activity as tamariki use their hands and minds to explore the world around them; the materials on the shelf as well as the social aspects of being part of a community. Alongside this learning we also place importance on learning outside. Well-being is a term that is being used more widespread these days, with the recognition that holistic well-being (mind, body and spirit) is an area which needs more attention, increasingly for children. Getting outside, exercising our bodies and calming our minds is great for hauora (health and wellbeing), as well as a great place to wonder, make discoveries and explore.

Exploration is a feature of our early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. The strand of Exploration/Mana Aotūroa has as its goals:

Children experience an environment where:

• their play is valued as meaningful learning and the importance of spontaneous play is recognised
• they gain confidence in and control of their bodies
• they learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning
• they develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds.

This theme of mana aotūroa is also a feature of Montessori education, and the acknowledgement that exploration thrives on as well as feeds the sense of delight that tamariki so easily find in their days. “We observe that a child occupied with matters that awaken his interest seems to blossom, to expand, evincing undreamed of character traits; his abilities give him great satisfaction, and he smiles with a sweet and joyous smile.” (Maria Montessori, Citizen of the World, p. 96)

So why wait for big events to celebrate when so much is going on all the time – if we only take the time to see and appreciate it!

 

 

By Allyson Ashfield — Kawakawa teacher

Let’s face it teenagers are a bit of a mystery to parents!

Dr. Montessori called adolescents social newborns and wrote of them, “What is it? A mystery. Just as the newborn’s mind is a mystery, so is the social newborn a mystery…. A decisive, delicate period, worthy of our respect, presents itself as our responsibility.”

If teenagers knew about their teenage years prior, they might write you a message something like this:

Dear Mum and Dad

Please stick with me as I can’t think clearly right now because there is a rather substantial section of my prefrontal cortex missing. It’s a fairly important chunk, something having to do with rational thought. It won’t be fully developed until I’m about 25. 

It doesn’t matter that I’m smart; it doesn’t insulate me from the normal developmental stages that we all go through. Judgement and intelligence are two completely distinct things.

And, the same thing that makes my brain wonderfully flexible, creative and sponge-like also makes me impulsive. Not necessarily reckless or negligent but just more impulsive than I will be later in life. So when you look at me like I have ten heads after I’ve done something “stupid” or failed to do something “smart,” you’re not really helping. I am more inclined to respond with my amygdala (emotionally) rather than with my prefrontal cortex. The question “What were you thinking?” has the answer – I wasn’t!

At this point in my life, I get that you love me, but my friends are my everything. Please understand that. Right now I choose my friends, but, don’t be fooled, I love you and I’m watching you. Carefully.

Here’s what you can do to help and support me:

1. Model adulting. I see all the behaviours that you are modeling and I hear all of the words you say.
2. Let me figure things out for myself. If you allow me to experience the consequences of my own actions I will learn from them. 
3. Tell me about you. I want you to tell me all the stories of the crazy things you did as a teen, and what you learned from them. Then give me the space to do the same.
4. Help me with perspective. – Keep reminding me of the big picture. 
5. Keep me safe. Please remind me that drugs and driving don’t mix. 
6. Be kind. I will learn kindness from you.
7. Show interest in the things I enjoy. Someday I will choose to share my interests with you and it will make me feel good if you validate those interests, by at least acting interested.

When the haze of adolescence lifts, you will find a confident, strong, competent, kind adult where a surly teenager once stood. In the meantime, buckle up for the ride!

(This is an abridged version of an article I read earlier this year written by Helene Wingens)

https://grownandflown.com/letter-from-teen-to-parents/

By Amy Johnson — Kōwhai Head Teacher – Preschool

Dr. Maria Montessori was a genius. There I said it. And I feel like I can justifiably make such a claim. After 20 years studying and considering her words and ideas, plus 20 more years experiencing her legacy through my schooling and upbringing, I am still challenged and inspired by her quotes. One such quote found me recently and I figure this newsletter is a perfect place for me to share my thoughts with you all.

“And so we discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment. The teacher’s task is not to talk, but to prepare and arrange a series of motives for cultural activity in a special environment made for the child.”

The Absorbent Mind. Amsterdam: Montessori-Pierson                 Publishing Company, 2007. p 7

Ok. Now read it again. Education is a natural process. A spontaneous process. One that happens in humans…  every human. Ever! Wait, if education isn’t just happening with a teacher in school then does that mean it is happening everywhere? Well, actually… yes. Is your child being educated holding the neighbour’s kitten? Yes. In the car on the way to school? Yes. In the grocery store or all the other places that we consider mundane and ordinary? Yes! That is how your child becomes, to use Dr. Montessori’s term, “a citizen of his time and place.” It is how our tamariki learn their culture, their language, their art, their humour and in the first 6 years it is how they create their personality. She says that education is not what happens when someone talks to you about their skill or knowledge or even their understanding or passion, but rather through the child’s own experiences, their actions and their effect on their environment. With our youngest tamariki, this is most often their experiences with the physical and emotional environment. For older tamariki it is their social environment that expands into their cultural, societal and even global environments with which they engage. But of course Dr. Montessori doesn’t let the teacher off the hook here – she leaves us as creators, caretakers and guides for ‘motives of cultural activity’ in the special environment of the children’s community, designed exactly to suit both the individual and the collective phase of development. No small task, let me tell you. But one that I know myself and my colleagues are still inspired by every day.

By Zena Kavas — Biology Teacher — High School

“Preventing conflicts is the work of politics: establishing peace is the work of education.” 

Montessori, M. (1992). Education and Peace. Oxford: Clio Press. p. 24.

This quote seems very apt, given that we celebrated Peace Day last Friday. It was a stunning spring day, and it provided an opportunity for the whole school to gather at the Waddington Drive campus to share songs, speeches, a flag ceremony and best of all, playing with the giant earth ball. It is a reminder to us that while the curriculum and the content and the credits are important, there are broader and more holistic purposes of education, like establishing peace. We approach this in a range of different ways; directly through the curriculum and what we teach, using restorative practices when dealing with conflict, participating in a range of activities during reflection, and by modelling behaviours which promote peace.

The New Zealand Curriculum document states “community and participation for the common good is associated with values and notions such as peace, citizenship, and manaakitanga.” These values are researched and taught in a range of classes and situations, including humanities, P.E. and psychology.

Staff in the school are trained in, and follow restorative practices. These practices place high value on building respectful relationships, helping others identify the impact of their actions and supporting others to accept responsibility for their actions and to make more considered choices in the future. Restorative practices are sometimes seen as the ‘easy way out’, often because the perpetrator of the harm is not seen to be punished. However, restorative practices are far more effective than punitive practices. All parties in the conflict are encouraged to actively listen to what others are saying, to see a situation from a different point of view, and to find creative ways to repair the damage done to the relationship. The skills learned in the process are vital steps on the path to establishing peace.

Reflection is practiced each week by students, and the benefits are numerous, from taking a short break from the constant activity of the school day to arriving at a better understanding of oneself and others. Establishing peace must first occur within oneself, inner peace, before we can strive towards outer peace, whether in the family, classroom, country, or world peace. Reflection allows us to start to recognise the thought processes in the mind, and to link these to our behaviours and what is happening around us. It can help us to decide to do something differently. Reflection can help us to understand our classmates better, and to be more tolerant.

Kaiako act as role models, demonstrating and encouraging respectful relationships, and at the same time open to learning from ākonga, acknowledging that the learning relationship is always a two-way relationship.

Peace Day is a beautiful celebration of peace, and a reminder to us that “establishing peace is the work of education.”

By David Starshaw–Mathematics Teacher–High School

Do we want adolescents to be independent learners? The obvious answer is yes. Even if you are not quite sure what it means to be an ‘independent learner’, you probably have a sense that independence is a good thing we want our students to embody. Perhaps you think adolescents should be interdependent learners? A student who doggedly insists they are independent and so refuses to ask for help when they are stuck is not going to be very successful. Clearly, we want students who are neither too dependent, nor too independent.

One way we foster this is through student choice. A common phrase you will hear in Montessori circles is “freedom within limits.” And, here too, a balance must be struck. Montessori says “to let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom” (The Absorbent Mind). But equally, not enough freedom to make good choices denies the opportunity for adolescents to make mistakes of self-management and learn from them. As teachers, our role is to allow students to fail, but not so badly that they do not get back up and learn from it.

As I have increasingly become more interested in educational research, I have learnt that students, as a rule, do not make good choices on how to best develop their learning. Students that are novices in the topic and struggling, will tend to choose more open-ended tasks that are easier to hide that they don’t know. Students that are becoming intermediate in the topic and understanding the basic ideas, will tend to choose familiar, short, closed questions rather than extending themselves into more open-ended problems. One of the roles of the teacher is to limit the student’s freedom to choose ineffective uses of their time so that they can make good choices and be successful. But, as before, there must be a balance to allow enough freedom without allowing too much.

I was recently surprised to learn that learning styles are still being discussed. This used to be a common way in which students were allowed choice. The educational research has been clear for a long time now that learning styles are not a thing. Or, as was published in 2008, “there is no adequate evidence base to justify incorporating learning styles assessments into general educational practice. Thus, limited education resources would better be devoted to adopting other educational practices that have a strong evidence base.”   ¹ This is as close to a ‘burn’ as it gets in research.

Student choice is a good and necessary thing. But, like fire, too much is harmful and puts unnecessary roadblocks in the way of progression and future success.

¹ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/pspi/PSPI_9_3.pdf

 

By Anna McLean – Preschool Deputy Principal

The Practical Life activities are a key part of a preschool classroom.  Quite simply they are what they say they are.  They are real life activities that children are naturally drawn to wanting to do and ones that are hands-on and need to be repeated in order to gain proficiency.

Practical Life activities are the first area that a child will be given lessons in.   Right from the very first day they enter a classroom they need skills to be able to operate independently.   In order to have a drink of water they need to be able to pour water from a jug.  They need to know how to carry a chair, roll a mat, carry a tray to a table etc and the key thing is they want to be able to do these things!

“It is interesting to notice that where life is simple and natural and where the children participate in the adult’s life, they are calm and happy.” 

Maria Montessori, The 1946 London Lectures, pg 152

The Practical Life activities in a Montessori classroom use real, child-sized tools and equipment that give children the skills that allow them to be independent.  This independence from adult support allows them to gain that sense of satisfaction that they have done it themselves. Using the sweeping analogy, the broom is the right size!  They can be successful in sweeping the floor because the handle is the right length and the broom head isn’t too heavy or ungainly to move.  Even better, they can practice the actions of sweeping for as long as they want to.  It is not about sweeping the floor.  It is perfecting the movement of sweeping that they have seen others do and being able to do it without help.

“One sees that these small children have a tendency to work in their play, imitating the actions of the adults.  They don’t consider what they do to be play – it is their work.” 

Maria Montessori, The 1946 London Lectures, pg 151

Alongside meeting the need to imitate what adults do, the Practical Life activities also assist self development through control of movement, development of hand-eye coordination and muscle coordination which prepares the child for other activities.  Practical life activities have an important place throughout the whole three year cycle of a child’s time in preschool.  There is a progression in the activities from simple to complex.  Some lessons such as cloth washing have many steps and need the development of concentration and perseverance in order to complete the cycle of activity.  Any activity that is refining the movements and strengthening the hand is providing indirect preparation for holding a pencil and writing.

Rest assured that any time your child comes home from school and talks about all the practical life activities they have been doing at school, they are actively building their intelligence through the use of their hands!

 

By Rose Langridge – Humanities & English teacher

Maria Montessori said that “it is now absolutely imperative to give serious thought to the human side of things in order to help men themselves change for the better. This is the task of education.” Montessori M (1949, preface, xii) Education and Peace. This is just as relevant now.

We live in a world filled with wicked problems. These are problems that are difficult to solve because they involve masses of contradictory evidence, diverse groups of people have a large economic burden and are interconnected with other complex problems. We as humans created these problems so we must learn to adapt. This is big and important work and it can seem overwhelming.

With that being said, Senior Social Studies at level three actively encourages ākonga to engage with wicked problems. The class this year chose to tackle one the biggest: healthcare. They did a lot of research as a group and decided that they would focus on two key issues: stigma and access to care regarding mental health. They decided to run a mental health awareness week, take part in the nationwide Gumboot day campaign (run by Mike King which is to raise money for adolescents to have access to counsellors) and petition the government to improve access to onsite school counsellors.

They organised a week-long Tāwari campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and did a series of events: Monday saw the glass walls of the classroom chalked with inspirational messages; Tuesday the class generated an appreciation wall; On Wednesday anonymous gratitude cards did the rounds; Thursday saw a game of capture the flag run acknowledging the link between physical and mental health; Friday was linked to the national Gumboot day campaign.

Finally, they wrote letters to people who have a direct impact on access to counsellors and generated a petition addressing the ratio of one counsellor to every 400 ākonga. This is something that they feel needs to change and that by generating more opportunities for access to counsellors so that those in need can get help. They hope that by increasing access that this will give people the tools to learn skills and strategies so that they can actively contribute to the wider community as adults.
They would really appreciate you looking at their petition, signing it and passing it on to others http://chng.it/TLzbByrffd.

 

By Jason Johnson – Kawakawa Teacher

When I think of the moments of true engagement that I witness as I work in Kawakawa they are, almost without exception, when ākonga are busy creating real things.  There are many opportunities in the adolescent program for rangatahi to make real things.  Things that are beautiful, functional and have value to themselves and others in the community.  To the adolescent, producing real objects brings “a valorisation of [their] personality, in making [them] feel capable of succeeding in life by [their] own efforts and on [their] own merits” [From Childhood to Adolescence p.61].  These are the feelings that help us to build our intrinsic motivations.

This term I have worked with a group of students making flatbreads.  We have come back to this activity every week, and it has yet to lose its appeal, or its value as an opportunity to learn. Its success lies partly in its simplicity.  The ingredients are nothing more than is necessary – flour, water, salt and yeast (if we’re feeling fancy) we cook them on hotplates in the classroom.  But it is this very simplicity that allows ākonga to easily come back to it again and again, to practice and refine their technique.

While working our dough and cooking and taste-testing our bread, we discuss many things: The cross-cultural appeal of traditional flatbreads; the nature of proteins and polymers, like gluten; the relationship between surface area and volume.  We also talk about our lives, comparing family traditions and our preferences for takeaway curry.  This “casual” conversation becomes deeply linked to the work we are doing – we are learning new skills, so our brains are building neural connections at a phenomenal rate. It becomes a part of who we are, and who we are becomes more deeply linked to the things we can do, and the people around us. As a friend of mine likes to say “Neurons that fire together wire together!”

Throughout her writing, Maria Montessori implored us to provide opportunities for students to work with both the hand and the head.  Our ability to manipulate our environment, and thus construct it alongside our own personality, is posited as a driving force of civilisation:

“It is characteristic of man to think and to act with his hands, and from the earliest time he has left traces of his work, rough or fine, according to the type of civilisation…. All changes in man’s environment have been made by the hand of man. It is because the hands have accompanied the intelligence that civilisation has been built, so it may well be said that the hand is the organ of that immense treasure given to man.” [Education for a New World. p62]

So I value the work that we do with our hands in Kawakawa. When we make real things, we are making ourselves. This is important work.