Getting the Role of the Teacher Right

"The fundamental role of a teacher is not to deliver information, it is to guide the social process of learning. ..The job of a teacher is to inspire, to challenge, to excite their students to want to learn.  The most important thing a teacher does is make every student feel like they are important,to make them feel accountable for doing the work of learning." Computers can't do that ! the role of the teacher

To buy or not to buy?

The NAMC (North American Montessori Center) is a great resource for Montessori teachers and parents. Find out what they have to say about gift giving To buy or not to buy?

Is Montessori the Origin of Google and Amazon

In this Forbes Leadership article
Steve Denning pulls together a lively discussion on some education theories (including Montessori)
Forbes

Must Toys be "Educational"?

 At the recent "Journey and Discovery" parents asked for guidance as to what to provide for Montessori children at home. Here is some advice from a Montessori Educational consultant at Montessori Services who has has been providing beautiful material for schools and homes for years.

Appreciating Unity in Diversity

Andrew Solomon was one of the keynote speakers at the recent American Montessori Society Conference in Dallas. Here he speaks out about the role of Montessori education in promoting  unity in diverse environments.
Unity in Diversity

Why we need handwriting

Many schools are moving away from teaching handwriting after 1st grade and focusing on keyboarding skills.  This is a mistake.  The New York Times published an article on June 2, 2014 titled, What’s Lost as Handwriting Fades read it here

What is lost when we skimp on handwriting skills?  According to psychologists and neuroscientists, there is a link between handwriting and broader educational development.  Children learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand.

Montessori always taught writing skills before reading, or simultaneously.  When learning sounds that letters represent, we use sandpaper letters.  Students trace the letters while hearing the sound and seeing the letter.  The tracing reinforces muscular memory.  Hearing, seeing, touching, uses three senses to learn letters.  Experts say that handwriting has links to working memory – a skill linked to long term success in school.

Praying on there Past Year

I must confess, I breathed a sigh of relief as the school year came to an end. There were definitely some challenges along the way; many obstacles to overcome. At the same time I began to remember some of the wonderful highlights that brought joy and my praise and thanks to God. I was looking for a prayer that would represent my mixture of feelings and came across this article  by the Rev. Daniel R. Heischman, D.D., Executive Director of NAES.  Praying-on-the past-year He refers to a book by Anne Lamott Help-Thanks-Wow-Three Essential Prayers