Tenacity

We in the elementary faculty have been as busy as the students!  While they have been either getting going with animal research or learning vocabulary associated with the skeletal system, we have been engaged in lots of first and secondhand professional development, as well as preparing for our fall conferences.  What do I mean by secondhand professional development?  Mrs. Dankoski just returned from a conference which gathered some of the finest minds in Catholic Montessori.  She brought home lots of ideas and resources about how to help today's children.  Similarly, our very own Mrs. Mello has been enjoying two night classes on elementary education in a Montessori environment.  I've loved the insight I have received from them.  While I have only been a teacher for ten years, we are living through a rapid time of change.  I am blessed to be part of a school so committed to improvement and sharing.  In this busy, busy time of year, I almost decided to write my update a day late, until I remembered what the subject matter was that I would be writing about. 

The thing I'd decided to write about today is tenacity.  It is a noun that brings up images of sweaty men clenching teeth.  Perhaps you prefer words like "persistence", "determination", or "perseverance", but however you say it, this is a virtue we ought to instill in the children of our school.  Your child will be in elementary for a long time.  In my experience, over that long six years, tenacity will take a child much further than ability.  Tenacity will make a child practice seven problems instead of five today.  It will make them want to get them right.  It will make them passionate about improving.  

I can understand if you want to say, "yes Mr. Short, but if doing those two extra problems is so transformative, why don't you just make everyone do the two extra problems?"  All I can say is that the source of the desire to complete those two problems matters.  A teacher will not always be there to force a child to do that little bit extra.  Eventually the desire and initiative must come from within.   

One way you can cultivate this at home is to find out what your family's version is of what I might call a "morality theater."  For my family growing up in New England, it was hockey.  Whether we were watching a college game in a half empty college barn that always smelled a bit like exhaust fumes or watching professional hockey from the comfort of our sofa at home, my dad always involved us in a verbal analysis of what was going on.  Some was what you might call the "x's and o's" of the game, but much of it was about the dichotomy he set up for us between effort and talent.  He pointed out how often the players who were all talent and no effort would fail in their defensive responsibilities.  He thrilled us with descriptions of the games of bygone days--ones that had decided seasons, ones that had crowned heroes.  It was not lost on me how often these heroes were not the expected stars of great talent, who had been groomed for this moment from childhood.  Often these were the exact players who seemed invisible in the moment of decision.  More often than not, the heroes were the ones we called "lunch pail" players.  There were many ways that my parents taught me that hard work is what counts, but giving me role models to emulate was exactly what I needed as an elementary aged student.

While my parents were completely unfamiliar with Montessori principles, they hit the nail on the head here.  The second plane child needs heroes and role models.  Don't let the world give them to your child--you might find that their heroes are immoral, or, even worse, a Youtuber!  Find your own "morality theater" where you and your child can safely discuss ethical decisions and cultivate virtue.  Perhaps it will be watching football together.  Perhaps it will be discussing figures of history or characters of literature.  

One thing we are doing at RMS to introduce your child to role models of virtue is preparing for our Living Souls Museum.  The children have been loving their preparation for it.  I must admit that for a brief moment as I watched the children work on their reports today, I asked God if this was the entire reason RMS exists, so we can do this together.  Perhaps so.  In the choices of these children I see many saints of great love, and others of great tenacity.  I am thinking particularly of Saint Paul, and the many other martyrs represented in our class.  There is a sort of love present in this tenacity; a refusal to be denied union with what we love.  May we feel that way about learning; may we feel that way about the Lord.

Some of you may know that my wife is an occasional extracurricular guest in the classroom.  Over the summer she used her designer's eye to help Mrs. Dankoski choose some new furniture and art.  She is also our link to veterinary advice, thanks to her contacts at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island.  (It was through these channels that we got the advice to handle the bearded dragon's mouth rot.  You will be happy to know that our lizard is fully healed!)  During the school year she makes appearances to lead large group art projects, or special small group projects.  Last year on Candlemas she led us through a wonderful candle dipping project.  In the spring she planted a bunch of dye flowers near the chicken coop.  Last month the upper elementary was able to hammer these flowers into some white socks, to make dye flower patterns onto them.  It was not until last Friday that she was able to make it back to do a flower craft with our lower elementary students.  

As I pulled up to the school, I did not think the project would work out.  Frost covered the grass.  Surely the flowers had been ruined.  I sent her a mopey text that the time had come and gone and we had missed it.  In what I can only describe as a beautiful act of God's providential love, somehow the frost had killed all the flowers except the dye flowers.  With some fourth year girls there to help supervise, the younger students came out in groups to hammer flowers onto paper.  These pieces of paper have been drying out on the window sill for almost a week now.  Today, I think, we will brush off the crumbly remnants of petal and calyx and admire the flower art that remains on the paper.  

In chapter six of Jeremiah's book of prophecy, he famously counsels us to take the old paths.  There is no older road than living in contact with our place and with our land.  There is something special in the way we use our land here at RMS.  May we grip tenaciously to our community and our faith, and may we find that like trees and their roots, that which feeds us is also what keeps us upright.

Observation

Montessori classrooms rely heavily on the art of observation.  You may see it in action some time, or you may have an opportunity to try it yourself (which we welcome and encourage!).  If you ever walk past a classroom and see the children working intently, while the guide is quietly sitting in a corner with a clipboard, know that guide is working intently as well.  

Why we do it

Dr. Maria Montessori was a scientist and a physician.  Her education and background helped her look at the world in a way that is different from most traditional educators.  Observation of children was what inspired her work in education, and she used it to develop her methods. Not only that, but Montessori guides all over the world rely on observation to learn about their students, gain insight about developmental phases, inform our decision-making, and to assess the children’s mastery of skills.  So what are the main goals of observation in the classroom?

• Planning appropriate lessons - Montessori educators are trained to have extensive knowledge about child development.  While most traditional teacher education programs require students to take a course on the topic, development is essentially the foundation of everything we do as Montessori guides.  Practiced guides know so much about the behaviors of growing children that seemingly insignificant occurrences signal a transition into a new plane of development. The toddler that has mastered toileting and can be observed spending long amounts of time with practical life activities is making the transition necessary for the primary classroom.  A child nearing six that has lost a tooth and seems suddenly very motivated by social interactions with their peers is moving into the second plane of development and will respond well to lessons involving storytelling and deeper information about cultures around the world. The challenge of the guide is to identify the moment when a child is entering a sensitive period; this is their development showing they are ready to learn specific skills that must be taught in a way that honors their growth.  

• Making sure the environment serves the children - While the guide’s role in a child’s education is important, the environment plays an even bigger role.  It is the guide’s job to make sure the classroom environment allows children to find what they need, feel inspired to work, fosters independence, and allows for safety and comfort.  If, during an observation, it is noted that a piece of furniture disrupts the flow of movement, it will be moved at a later time. If many children prefer to work on the floor, it will be important to note whether there are enough work rugs for them all to use.  If no children have used a specific material in a number of weeks, it may need to be reintroduced or removed from the shelf. Each item in the classroom must be placed intentionally and with a specific purpose in mind. If it is no longer serving its intended purpose, reflection and a solution are required.

• Assessment of skills - The word assess is derived from the Latin form to sit beside.  Montessori schools do not determine mastery with the use of tests, but rather by utilizing observation.  Instead of giving children a piece of paper with questions on it, we watch them in action. When a child is able to independently place number tiles in random order on a hundred board, we know they have grasped the concept of ordering those numbers.  A child who is able to complete complex patterns within the shape they traced using a metal inset, and who also frequently uses the sandpaper letters correctly is likely ready to learn the written formation of letters using a pencil on a piece of paper.  This assessment, of course, ties back into planning appropriate lessons, as the guide has concrete information to inform their instruction.

What it looks like

• Formal observations - A Montessori guide will likely observe in the classroom most days, or multiple guides may take turns observing.  These observations typically last between fifteen and thirty minutes, but the amount of time can vary. While each guide has their own preferred method, they typically sit quietly and use a notebook to record what they observe.  Children are taught about the importance of this work and they know not to disturb the adult at this time. Sometimes a guide will sit in a specific chair or use a special clipboard to signal to the children that they are working.  For new guides, the temptation to intervene can be powerful, but we learn that unless a child is in danger it’s often best to wait it out and see what happens. Most classrooms have a second adult that is able to redirect a child who may be overly disruptive, allowing the observing adult to continue.  During this time the guide simply watches and takes lots of notes. It is important that the notes be strictly observational and that any judgement or inferencing be reserved for another time.

• Informal observations - During the course of the work period, guides will make a great many observations in the moment.  While walking across the room to retrieve something, while speaking to a child, or even whilst in the middle of a lesson, there are many helpful bits of information a guide can gather and record that will help make the children’s educational experience the best it can be.  As you may imagine, this results in many, many notebooks full of amazing and adorable anecdotes. 

Visitor observation

Whether you are considering Montessori for your child, they are in a program but getting ready to move to a new level, or if you’re just curious and want to learn more about the philosophy, observation is one of the greatest tools available to you.  Even the most experienced guides make time to visit other Montessori schools when possible so that they may observe other classrooms and gather fresh ideas and inspiration. We invite you to contact us should you be interested in giving it a try.

When you enter a Montessori classroom to observe, it is very important to know that the children will be engaged in their work and the goal is to watch without disturbing them.  In many other scenarios in life, we announce ourselves upon entering a room, perhaps even greeting others enthusiastically. When observing in the classroom, we ask that visitors refrain from doing these things, tempting as it may be!  You will likely be greeted by an adult or child and directed to a chair. Having a notebook or clipboard is helpful, as you are sure to experience moments you will want to record. If a child approaches you and greets you, by all means please feel free to briefly greet them in return.  In general, however, you will need to sit quietly and observe in a way that the children forget you are there, leaving them free to focus on their work. Montessori children are quite used to visitors, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Some questions that will help guide your observation include:

• In what ways are the children displaying independence?

• How do the children choose their work?

• What do transitions between work look like?

• How do the adults respond to the children?

• How do the children respond to the adults?

• How do the children interact with one another?

• How do the children care for their own basic needs?

• Does anything about the classroom environment surprise you?

When your observation is complete, it is best to slip out of the classroom quietly.  In this situation you are not expected to say any formal goodbyes.

You can do this at home!

While home is very different from the classroom, there are ways that parents can apply the basic concepts of Montessori observation.  While trying to engage with our children, it can be easy to fall into patterns in which we begin directing their play. Every once in a while, sit back and watch as your child plays.  You may notice them using their toys in surprising ways, and this may give you insight to their interests and maturity. Similarly, it can be tempting to jump in and help any time your child spills something, falls down, or struggles to do something.  Instead of rushing to the rescue, wait. If they ask for help, of course, lend a hand, but oftentimes they will want to address the situation themselves. Watching to see what our children are capable of and nurturing their independence is one of the greatest gifts you can give them.  

As you pay attention and observe your child’s play, eating habits, sleeping habits, and social habits, you may learn many new things about their development.  This, in turn, will allow you to reflect on how you might best support them on their journey through childhood. Slow down, observe, and enjoy those moments.

The “Should Be” Trap

The spontaneous urge towards development, which is within the child, dictates its own pace.”
-Maria Montessori

The beginning of the year in the Children's House unfolds in a way that resembles the unfolding of development. Our first days are spent just enjoying one another, getting to know each other, and getting to know the environment around us. We play games, sing songs, and simply learn how to be in our space. We spend a lot of time out in nature and participate in lots of practical life! It is through practical life that the children connect with and take ownership of their environment and themselves. The tears that we see in those early days comes from a grief within a child who is just wondering, "Where can my love go? Can I give it to these adults? Can I give it to these friends? Can I give it to this space?"

Now we have been together for several weeks, and little by little, the children are coming to know me and I am getting to know them. The youngest children have had enough presentations to get them through the morning, with a few songs, games, and stories mixed in. The older children who now have a long repertoire of activities to choose from, are helping the younger children with cleaning up spills, folding the clean laundry of washcloths, setting up for lunch, and the many other ways to care for our beautiful space that they have learned over the years.

This is one of those little pockets of time where a directress can observe the environment and see many beautiful examples of self-mastery, but in those in between moments, begin to think things like, "This child wrote and illustrated a sentence in the first week of school, he should be writing sentences each day. . .This child should be walking in our classroom. . . This child should be choosing the materials that I presented to him yesterday. . .This child should not be wrestling on the floor with his favorite buddy. . .

It's just our human nature to show a child how to do something or to give them an instruction knowing that they are capable of doing it. But then they don't; and our immediate response is often, "they should be . . ." But when I hear the word should in my mind, I shift my perspective. What does this child need? I gave him the presentation, but now he's not choosing it? Why? Living with children in a Montessori way, requires us to ask ourselves hard questions, like "What does this child still need me to do? Am I giving them a safe place to put their love?" I love a method of being with children where the adults need to look at themselves and notice, "This child needs me to sit next to him a little longer while he does his work or this child needs me to show more grace and courtesy to the community or this child needs me to back off and give more time and space after an instruction."

We are all working on self-mastery and there are glimmers of it everyday and the children are stretching themselves and improving themselves and we are all developing ourselves. This is a time to trust in the method, to trust that this environment that we prepared will give them everything we need, to trust that the children will find it, and to trust in ourselves that with patience and love that we will turn the glimmers of self-mastery into long stretches of concentration and self-mastery. It is hidden within the child, and comes when we are least expecting it.