Child of the Week: Montessori Lesson Plan

Child of the Week

Materials:  

Poster board

Photographs

Pictures or drawings

Art Supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils, paint, etc.)

Preparation:

This is a lesson that will be done at home with their families the week before their assigned date.  The teacher will give the parents instructions and questions two weeks before their assigned date.  On Monday, the child will bring in their poster.

Exercise:

1.       The child will tell the class about themselves and read or the teacher will assist them.

2.       The child will share photographs and pictures.

3.       The child may also share a favorite book or share their     favorite thing.

Points of Interest:

1.       Spending time with parents

2.       Art

3.       Looking at photographs

Direct Aims:

1.       Order

2.       Sequence

3.       Following directions

4.       Thinking

5.       Organization

Indirect Aims:

1.       Awareness of Self

2.       Nurturing the Spirit

3.       Confidence

4.       Able to share with peers

Control of Error:

Parents and Teacher

Ages:

3-6

Variations:

The children can make a booklet form and share a story about themselves. They can bring in something to share (excluding toys), something they made (food or art) or their pet.

Parent Instructions:  Sample

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Smith,

Next week Kate is going to be the “Child of the Week”. We would like for you to help her answer questions about herself, include a photograph and create a poster board display. She will be sharing this with her class on Monday. Be creative and take your time.

Have Fun,

Mrs. Wilson

Free Printable Giveaway!!!!

Follow Mindful Montessori and you will receive the “Child of the Week” questionnaire...Montessori style. If you already follow, comment below and I will be happy to send it to you.

Please Excuse My Appearance

Today I came back from a three day trip with my daughter to a cabin on a lake. We had a wonderful time where we enjoyed the simplicities of summer...swimming, canoeing, fishing and the warm summer sun. As we pulled in the driveway, I checked the mailbox... I have a new book called: How To Train a Wild Elephant & Other Adventures in Mindfulness, by Jan Chozen Bayes, MD.

A vacation after a vacation is always advised; I found a comfortable place hoping this new book will entertain me. It did. Included in this book are simply daily mindfulness practices. My first exercise: Use your nondominant hand. I will be using my nondominant hand to do my ordinary daily tasks such as brushing my hair, brushing my teeth and eating my meals. I would tell you more, but the book advises me to stop reading and read later this week. Try it! I think this might be fun.

How is my typing by the way?

Freeze Up! Warm Up!

This is a great lesson from http://alluemkids.blogspot.com. This is a great blog with great lessons to give your children. Some of the lessons also include a follow-up activity. Below is an example...Others include The Balloon Ride and What's That Feeling.

Freeze Up! Warm Up!

Each day is made up of different situations - good and bad. And just like yoga poses, some situations may be difficult causing us to freeze up or want to get out, while other situations (or poses) makes us feel good and relaxed. Being in new places or meeting new people may make us feel so shy we don't know what to do or say. Being in the dark or in deep water may make us feel so scared that we panic. All of that is okay. It's important to notice what makes us "Freeze Up", so we can learn how to handle those situations and learn how to "Warm up!"

On a hot day on the patio by the river, the Alluem Kids stuck their hands in a bowl of ice. Why? To cool them off, sure, but to also teach them a lesson about letting go of stress and maybe even how to deal with the people, places, and things that cause stress. They were encouraged to hold the ice for at least 30 seconds, but knew that if it became too much, they should listen to their bodies and put it down. After holding the ice cubes, it was interesting to see the way each child dealt with the cold sting. Some said, eh, no problem and dealt with it. Some screeched and wanted out after 15 seconds (which of course, I reminded them they could put the ice down at anytime!). Some felt the cold for the 30 seconds and then threw the cube back in the bowl, immediately caring for the cold hand - holding it with the warm hand or wrapping it in a towel. After putting as many feeling words as possible to how our hands felt, we realized that everyone deals with stressors differently.

At times when we "Freeze Up" (like our ice cold hands), we might forget that we can in fact make ourselves "Warm Up" and be the ones to care for our bodies and minds. Some may instinctually react and self soothe, but for some we may need a gentle reminder. Making a list (writing or drawing) of things that freeze us up (things that make us feel bad or scared) right next to the things that warm us up (things that make us feel happy or loved) serves as a great visual to help us through those "Freeze Up" moments. And seeing or thinking of those things that help us "Warm Up" is always a good way to keep us happy and healthy!

Child of the Week - Beginning With Inner Peace

I find myself realizing that my journey of nurturing my own spirit and nurturing the children will coincide. I don't know about you but the beginning of the school year "itch" has already begun. I always find myself planning the cultural scheme first. In the first month of school I also plan lessons that will relate to the caring of themselves, the environment and each other. In Aline E. Wolf's, Nurturing the Spirit, she says "If children like adults, feel peace in their hearts, they can more easily relate peacefully to those around them." One of the lessons on building self love uses "Child of the Week" to acknowledge the importance of each of the child. This will allow the child to develop awareness of themselves, self worth, confidence and to be able to share with their peers. Wolf warns us about the "shallowness" of the questions, such as "What I watch on TV," or "What I want for presents." At this time I am complying a list of questions that would be suitable for a 3-6 year old to answer. It will include their name, birthday and the town and state in which they live in.

I like to be helpful by ___________.

I would like to learn about ________.

I find peace in __________________.

I would love for us as Montessorians to come together and brainstorm questions that will not be superficial. My goal is to help guide the children to an inner peace and spirit for themselves. In the next week I would love to have 10-12 questions and I look forward to sharing them with you.

The Presence of Mindfulness in Montessori: Concentration

Concentrated attention is present in both Montessori education and mindfulness practices. In a recent activity in Shining Through, A Teachers' Handbook on Transformation, by Sonnie McFarland, it lead me to practice the development of our powers of concentration. It is an exercise that has allowed me to focus on the present moment and to create greater control of my  thoughts. Just as we the Montessori teachers would want to have our rhythm of life respected, we must respect the child in the moment. In Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work, by E.M. Standing, Montessori shares a story of how she was observing a child. The child was working on composing numbers 1-100 and Montessori felt it was dreadfully slow, she decided to help her only to find the little girl to tell her to leave her alone. "I felt justly rebuked," said Montessori, "for my stupidity. I had made the mistake of thinking the child's interest lay in getting to the end of the process and not in the process itself." Practicing to be mindful will allow us as Montessori teachers to allow ourselves to be present in the moment with our thoughts, emotions as well as our actions.


Montessori education has been an over 100 year-old-system that naturally incorporates mindfulness practices and the natural development of concentration. Concentration is highly valued in a Montessori classroom. When concentration is present in the environment, it is the Montessori teacher’s responsibility to protect it. A Montessori teacher acknowledges that this is a healthy state of Normalization which is when a child is "being a contributing member of society". The Montessori teacher will observe the children as constructive and kind in their behavior, calm, intelligent, and expansive and bring out "extraordinary spiritual qualities." In Montessori's, Spontaneous Activity in Education: The Advanced Montessori Method, she writes, "After this phenomenon of concentration the children are really "new" children. It is as though a connection had been made with an inner power...and this brings about the construction of the personality."

A traditional Montessori environment has a 3 hour work cycle. In this cycle it is the goal for the child to have full absorption. This exists when the child is focused in interesting and absorbing work and is consistent with the practice of mindful training of a child's attention. But don't be fooled if you ever enter or experience what Montessori calls "false fatigue". A phenomenon observed in Children’s Houses around the world, often at approximately 10 a.m. The children seem to lose interest in work, behavior becomes disorderly, and the noise level rises. It may appear as if the children are tired. Remind yourself that this is false fatigue and the children will go back to their work where there will be a higher level of concentration and focus.

An exercise from Shining Through, A Teacher's Handbook on Transformation, by Sonnie McFarland

Find a quiet spot where you will not be distracted by external noise. Sit in a chair or on a pillow on the floor with your back straight. Imagine a flow of energy traveling freely up your spinal column. Breathe deeply. Let your eyes close and pay attention only to your breath. Let it become gentle, even and smooth. Consciously relax your body. Release the tension you notice.

Now concentrate on a visual image that inspires you-a sound or a word. Whatever you choose, use it consistently. This image or sound serves as a point to focus for your mind. As you sit quietly, continue to concentrate on the sound and/or image and continue to keep your breathe deep, even and smooth. As thoughts arise in your consciousness, see them and let them go. Return to this point of concentration.

Continue to do this for 10-15 minutes at first, gradually expanding this time. Practicing concentration daily is extremely helpful in the development of your mind's creative capacity.