Classroom Is A Balance Of Freedom And Discipline

In today’s society many people recognize that our current educational system is antiquated and heavily flawed. Many do not believe the education our children routinely receive adequately prepares them to be successful in their adult lives and because of this parents are very concerned. This dissatisfaction has led to the implementation of numerous alternatives to the traditional educational system to which we have become accustomed. Each of these alternatives has their own collection of philosophies and methodologies, proponents and opponents, advantages and disadvantages, but the common thread is that they each aim to provide our children with a better, more effective education suited for today’s world. Montessori education is one of these alternative learning options that been around for many years and has been steadily gaining popularity.

I believe that each child is unique individual who needs a secure, caring, and stimulating atmosphere in which to grow and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially. It is my desire as an educator to help students meet their fullest potential in these areas by providing an environment that is safe, supports risk-taking, and invite a sharing of ideas. There are three elements that I believe are conducive to establishing such an environment namely, the teacher acting guide, allowing the child’s natural curiosity to direct his/her learning, promoting respect for all the things and all the people.

Students spend most of their time working on the floor where they have their own individual carpets. They put them down to outline their personal workspace. Instead of there being various toys and games spread through out the classroom, there are specific sensory materials and manipulatives that are self correcting and purposeful to student’s learning. On the walls students’ work fill spaces throughout the classroom, similar to the walls of a Head Start classroom. Montessori classrooms are made up of mixed grades and ages, something that is not typical of traditional classrooms.

The role of a Montessori teacher is to ensure that the materials in the prepared environment

In reality, the children move about the classroom independently, choosing the order of their learning activities. There may be 15 or more activities, or ?jobs? as they are called in some Montessori classrooms, occurring at the same time with small groups or individual work, yet the classroom remains quiet, yet busy and productive, sometimes with the soft hush of classical music playing in the background. Many Montessori school classrooms place a card around the child?s neck with the day?s objectives written in the form of a checklist for the students to monitor themselves. This checklist encourages the students to take responsibility for their own learning, as well as discourages prompt-dependence, since the student need not wait for instruction. Some of the activities in a Montessori classroom include reading, pre-reading using phonics, math, discovery science and writing. Children learn skills in a way that he or she is not aware that learning is taking place. For example, a child playing in the sand box with a small rake is not aware that he or she is learning fine motor skills and how to hold and control a pencil. Another observation in a Montessori classroom is that most classrooms tend to span three grade levels. This practice allows to children to become mentors to younger students. Also, the large gap in developmental levels allows children to ?learn at their own pace? (Keller, 2001), which is another important Montessori

The infant program (6 weeks to 18 months) starts with a phasing-in process. Throughout the program, interaction with each child offers conversation and manipulative materials at receptive moments. As the child progresses from sitting to crawling to walking, from bottles to feeding themselves, they are encouraged and assisted every step of the way. Toddler (18 – 36 months) learning is based on play and learning activities which make use of Montessori materials. Focus is on these key developmental areas: sensory and perceptual development, self-help skills, physical and motor skills, social and emotional growth. Preschool classroom (2 ½ to 4 years), school environment is dedicated to nurturing a child’s inherent curiosity by enabling children to explore and discover. Classrooms and materials are designed to stimulate the child’s senses as well as to respond to the pre-school child’s need: master coordination and movement, understand social relationships, become independent and care for the self, develop language from writing then to reading, associate quantities with symbols, learn to add and subtract. Elementary classrooms ( 4 to 10 year olds) reflects the child’s work to order their world with reason: move towards abstract reasoning, foster a passion about the natural and social world, become creative thinkers and problem-solvers, develop a moral sense, show respect and responsibility, develop

The success of the Montessori method depends on how the environment us set up, it is essential that it is prepared and simplified for the students’ understanding.

I observed and analyzed the design and delivery of an instructional unit in a Montessori school setting. I observed a classroom of grades 1-3 two times from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the Kennebec Montessori school. I was asked to sit quietly and to not interact with the children so I could get a realistic view of the class day and the children would pursue their chosen work.

The Montessori educational approach emphasizes in individualized education. Children are free to work at their own pace and to select what they would like to learn and do in a competition free environment. The trademark of Montessori’s approach is the child’s self-absorption in discovery and mastery of tasks. Additionally, Montessori’s classrooms encourage self-direction in a pleasant atmosphere, self-discipline and respect for authority (Certini,

Montessori classrooms are made of quite, uncluttered environments, and are filled with several games and activities that cater to self -directed learning. Most of the learning

Imagine straight rows of large desks and chairs, students taking notes and memorizing information, and a teacher standing in front of a blackboard, loftily lecturing students and demanding their obedience. More than likely, you pictured a classroom of older students, perhaps in a high school or college classroom. Now replace these students with 6 year olds and imagine what it would feel like to sit and listen for hours, powerless next to the authority of a strict teacher. This was the case before Maria Montessori changed the way that teachers viewed and taught students. Now, think about what educating young children looks like in a modern elementary school classroom. You probably pictured a group of kindergarteners sitting on small chairs at a short table, building with blocks or counting beads. These children love school, because their teacher creates an environment that builds upon their natural desire to learn. This improved method of teaching children is thanks to Montessori’s principles on educating students by advancing their natural curiosity and desire to learn. Maria Montessori’s perseverance, desire to learn how to effectively engage students, and discovery of the natural ways that students learn reflect teaching methods that continue to benefit students today.

Dr Montessori emphasizes the importance of the development of imagination. How do cultural activities in a Montessori prepared environment aid in the development….

The activities used within a Montessori environment to develop this include such things as weights, colours, grading, matching, shapes, sounds, smells and taste. During his/her playtime outside (smelling flowers, picking up leaves or small stones) and in a classroom. The place should provide enough sensorial materials for children to get them started in recognised different sense stimuli, sorting, pairing.

Montessori believed that there is a sensitive period for order which occurs between the ages of one and three years of age. The structure and order of the prepared environment plays a significant role in children’s learning and development. The materials are classified, ordered and sequenced according to the child’s stages of development and the particular interests or skills they are designed to serve. This orderly environment provides the child with a sense of security. An early childhood Montessori classroom will have areas for Practical Life, Sensorial, Math, Language and Culture. Within that order, each object has its own place on a shelf. Additionally, each activity has its own organization within itself. Children will find all the pieces needed for the exercise they choose… they have to return the materials to the place and condition in which they found them, so the child becomes an integral partner in maintaining the order of the classroom.

How is the child’s exploration and orientation in his physical environment complimented by the Montessori materials and presentation?