Five Little Indians
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: November 7, 2011
You may use this activity if your doing a Thanksgiving or Indian theme!
Five little Indians,
In a teepee,
Sleeping quietly
As can be.
Along came the chief,
And what do you think? (Clap!)
Up jumped the Indians,
Quick as a wink!
Use a long rope to make a teepee. Five children can lie inside of it at a time. The chief walks over with his headdress on and hands folded in front of him.
When the chief comes and the song has the “clap,” the Indians inside of the teepee jump up!
You can use this several times to allow 5 children at a time to leave the second circle.
About Alessandro Montessori
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: October 31, 2011
About Alessandro Montessori by Donald McClurkin
I am Alessandro Montessori, the proud father of Maria Montessori. Born in Fararra, Italy in 18323, I lived a reserved, disciplined, patriotic life as an Italian soldier and, later, as an accountant in a salt and tobacco factory in Italy. I was recognized and decorated with a medal of valor in 1849 for my part in the successful unification of Italy. I really wanted to be free of the Austrian occupation of Italy, but, on the other hand, I am a bit insecure in handling the resultant freedom with its changes and obligations.
From 1850-1853 I volunteered to helped the Pope put the church’s financial work in order. I enjoyed this very much. After that I left to work again in the salt factories in Bologna and Faenza. In 1859 I was promoted to be the Inspector of Finances and Accountant of all of the salt and tobacco factory finances.
When I met Renilde Stoppani, I was a middle-class farming executive, managing all of the grain, grapes, arts, and leather-making of the area. She was a beautiful, creative and imaginative young woman and shared every idea I had, and more, about the unification and liberation of Italy. We were married after twelve months of courtship in Venice. I later discovered that she welcomed change more and more rapidly than I. Five years later we had Maria who became the center of our lives. She was so cute and smart, enough to see our differences and to take advantage of them. Right away she saw that I was not comfortable with change and her mother was more flexible than I. Consequently Maria went to her mother for permission for unconventional activities.
Maria was a good student so we decided to move to Rome when she was five to give her every advantage to rise to her full potential. We had wonderful times as her math skills developed, but when she later wanted to compete with male students and enter a male-dominated profession, I tried to redirect her. But she was stubborn, just like me, and I relented. After a few years she then decided to enter medical school. I flat out said, “NO!” She went to the Pope, got his approval and went anyway. I just let her go and didn’t say a word to her for four years! Would you believe that she topped the class and wrote a brilliant final paper? I surprised her and went to hear her read the paper. She looked at me, and I smiled at her from the back row! I also went to her commencement service where she received many honors.
Even though I missed out on a lot because of my stubborn resistance to her ideas, I have the grandest daughter in the world! She knows how to change this world and will leave a legacy for the Montessori name wherever she goes.
Love of Order
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: August 10, 2011
Most of our society thinks of children as impulsive and chaotic beings. Dr. Maria Montessori found, however, that even the youngest children display a need for and a sense of order in their environment. The infant needs the constancy of his mother’s and father’s faces; the toddler must have his “blankee” and favorite stuffed animals to go to sleep. The room in which the young child spends most of his time must remain constant in the location of his bed, toys, chair, etc. because his environment is, to him, “like the sea to the fish and the air to the birds”, said Dr. Montessori.
Even young children will see items out-of-place and put them back. This is his divine drive for constancy, as part of his construction, and we must recognize it and allow it to be expressed. A parent once asked one of our teachers, “Why does my son take the front door mat to his room and put his toys on it?” Of course we know the answer: The child loves an orderly environment and has learned how satisfying it is to have a safe place to “work.” Adults do not realize how young children thrive on the same environment, and things always in their place. As Dr. Montessori mentioned, during the period of active construction of his psyche, “the child often feels the deepest impulse to bring order into what, according to his logic, is in a state of confusion” (1995).
One year I allowed about twenty teachers in training to visit one of our large classrooms for a short while, maybe thirty minutes. The adults came in while the children were working, and the new teachers took off their shoes and put them by the double doors. Then they found places around the room to sit and watch. Not too long afterwards, we all looked over and saw two children by the doorway. They observed the twenty pairs of shoes and found the matches for each one, placing them in pairs along the wall.
Although the child appears to be primarily fixed on his external world, he also possesses an internal order in his body. The internal sense of order “makes him aware of the different parts of his own body and their relative positions” (1966). He thrives on a definite schedule of eating and sleeping, playing, and learning. Without it, he becomes distracted and loses concentration.
Spiritual Embryo
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: July 20, 2011
One of the most profound concepts in Dr. Maria Montessori’s work is her view of the child’s “spiritual embryo.” Before child psychologists such as Piaget laid out their stages of development, Montessori gave us the counter-cultural view of the child’s nature as “full” rather than blank. She found, through her keen observations that children are born with a “psychic pattern” that unfolds after birth. Unlike animals, the human is not guided by fixed instincts but through his absorbent mind in his environment. The human being, therefore, is free and likely to develop in more varieties of personality. It is imperative that the adult be careful to protect the child’s psychic life as he develops it secretly “over a long period of time.”
2011 MIA Conference Brief
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: May 6, 2011
The biannual conference, “The Science Behind the Genius,” of the Montessori Institute of America (MIA) was held on April 29-30 at the Bellevue Embassy Suites. More than 150 Montessori teachers, students, and practiioners from Greater Seattle Area, other states of the U.S., and from abroad, attended the Conference.
The purpose of 2011 MIA Conference was to provide research information, support and encouragement for MIA teachers in the US and around the globe. MIA invited Angline Stoll Lillard, PhD., the author of “The Science Behind the Genius,” as the keynote speaker who shared a thorough overview of core Montessori concepts and tied them to interesting statistical researches. She also encouraged teachers to read, consider, and share her research with parents and other interested persons.
Dr. Lillard, the daughter of Paula P. Lillard, started out her presentation, reminiscing her childhood when her mother was writing her book, “Montessori: A Modern Approach,” the book now well-known among Montessori educators, and how her life experience eventually led her to researching and studying Montessori philosophy. As Dr. Lillard herself said, her morning presentation was an overview of her research on basic Montessori tenets as found in her book. The eight main principles discussed were:
1. Movement and learning go together
2. Choice brings positive motivation
3. Child’s interest brings positive motivation
4. Extrinsic rewards have a negative effect on learning
5. Peer learning is positive for learning
6. Learning with meaning brings positive results
7. Meaningful adult support brings positive learning
8. An orderly learning environment supports the child’s orderly mind.
In addition to the keynote speaker’s presentation, other presenters at the Conference were Al Hirsch who shared interesting ideas and examples of musical activities that can be organized during “circle time,” and science educators from Pacific Science Center who engaged the audience with exciting scientific activities. Participants were, indeed, enthused with the presenters’ demonstrations these two-days of the Conference.
Another fun activity on the Conference agenda was the drawing where the lucky winners received the product samples from the vendors at present. Gift cards, customizable picture frames, movable alphabet sets, and children’s books were some of the favorites by the audience.
To end 2011 MIA Conference, the Board summarized the operations for the past year and shared organizational news. Currently, there are more than forty schools in the USA, as well as training centers in Philippines, China, and Korea, aside from its individual members. The MIA Board thanked everyone – the keynote speaker, presenters, and participants – for attending the 2011 MIA Conference.
To learn more about MIA, please visit www.miaworld.org. Conference pictures are available on Montessori Plus School’s Facebook. Thank you!
Travel Pictures: Quezon City, Philippines– Monday, 04/04/2011
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: April 7, 2011
Travel Diary: Quezon City, Philippines– Monday, 04/04/2011
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: April 7, 2011
This morning we had 18 students’ competency exams in practical learning, sensorial, and language areas. They did so well. The new students observed and learned a lot. The students were nervous. I told them I am so glad that I made the decision to come so that I could see their beautiful work.
I also told them about our new bilingual classroom in China. Then I explained the difference between bilingual and immersion:
1. We have had Korean and Chinese language materials in our classrooms, but the children treat them as a variation and are not too interested in them. Both English and the 2nd language materials are available to the children. The US children mainly ignore them.
2. Immersion is far, far better! We have not tried it but I saw it in action with one of our Japanese students in a school in Chicago. (a) The US children, 3 and 4 years-old in the new classroom, only hear Japanese spoken and see if written. The shelves are full of Japanese materials. This is the morning classroom. (b) The 3′s learn to understand and then speak some Japanese the first year. (c) The second year they learn to speak Japanese and write some. (d) The third year they learn to write and read Japanese.
3. In the afternoons these all-day children go into the English classroom and use all of the English language materials. The teachers speak English to them, of course, and as our children always do, they learn to read and write English by the time they end their 3rd year.
4. You could turn the Japanese (Chinese) materials around and place English in front, or you could have 2 international classrooms and switch the children between them (that is, another group of children have English in the morning and Japanese or Chinese in the afternoon).
The language on the shelves is the only spoken in class. The teacher for that classroom should be a native speaker of that language, as well as be able to understand and speak the alternate language.
…
Later in the day, I arranged with Ms. Normi Son, Director of MTP of the US in the Philippines, to send a crate of nearly a full set of Montessori materials from her factory in June to Hanoi, Vietnam. This will be the first full Montessori school in Vietnam. Our student, Hanh, will be accompanies by her husband, who has studied in the Philippines for 5 years, their children, and Jennifer, a Filipino young woman, who will help them set up their school in Hanoi. Jennifer has a background in early childhood and college education. When we fly to Guangzhou, China, for the summer or fall course, we will take a 1-hour flight to Vietnam to see their school. The only materials missing will be the large bead cabinet and chains! This is MTP’s next school, but it may not be the last, God willing.
Travel Pictures: Guangzhou, China– Wednesday, 03/30/2011
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: March 30, 2011
Travel Diary: Guangzhou, China– Wednesday, 03/30/2011
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: March 30, 2011
Interesting events of the day:
1. I was amazed and inspired by the beautiful, complete shelves of materials in all areas, especially cultural and language. This was a surprise because the materials were not completed last November when the class began. Every small detail was in place. Wenru surprised even me with her ability. I made the right decision to choose her as our trainer in China, but now I remember that God told me she was His choice as Chinese trainer.
2. I presented in-depth philosophy, especially about parenting, which seemed to touch the students: unconditional love, forgiveness, eating dinner together as a family, words of respect in the family and in the classroom.
3. I outlined the parts of circle planning and gave examples of themes. The students seemed to understand them, including grace and courtesy (pantomiming the tea party), group snack and the words of “thank you,” “you are welcome,” and “yes, please.”
4. The active songs we sang gave the students a chance to move and see another way of relating to children.
5. I saw a joy and confidence in the students’ use of the geopgraphy materials.
6. I was invigorated by presenting the new, lovely history materials to the new students, as if it were a toy given to newborn babes.
Travel Pictures: Guangzhou, China– Tuesday, 03/29/2011
Posted by: Sharlet McClurkin on: March 29, 2011
