El Boletin: CENTRE MONTESSORI D’HAITI – Teacher Training Center Opens in Liancourt
By Carol Guy-James Barratt Thanks to the magnanimous effort of the Peter Hesse Foundation, teachers now have the opportunity to train in real classrooms and not in tents and makeshift conditions as they have been doing since the 2010 earthquake. Classes for student teachers will be held in a new training center “Centre Montessori d’Haiti”…Read more
El Boletin: News from the regions
Region I: México The Montessori community in Mexico hosts many conferences, workshops and gatherings throughout the year. Here is some information sent by readers. AMMEAC The Asociación Montessori Mexicana, A.C. will gather for its XXIII Congreso 2013 May 3-6 in Toluca, Estado de México. The theme is “Freedom: The Vital Principle in Education.” Contact:…Read more
Pirrello begins project on Common Core
In the last issue, we asked teachers to comment on the Common Core State Standards. We didn’t get any comments, but we got word of this initiative from Anthony Pirrello. “We believe there is a way to maintain the integrity of Dr. Montessori’s work and achieve AYP on our State Assessments.” With those words, Pirrello…Read more
Three win AMS awards for theses
The American Montessori Society awarded three prizes for outstanding Master’s theses at its annual conference in Orlando, FL: Children’s Effortful Control in a Montessori Classroom: Effects of Parenting and Purposeful Work by Judy Blahut, University of Arkansas. Place Attachment: Grade 2 Students’ Special Places at Their Schools by Katrina Mosscrop of University of British Columbia.…Read more
NAMTA, NCMPS plan CMO
A charter management organization (CMO) for Montessori schools, with representatives from both the Association Montessori International-USA and the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), an affiliate of the American Montessori Society, was announced in the March newsletter of the North American Montessori Teachers Assn. The announcement does not detail how any differences…Read more
After Newtown: ‘Montessori community-as-an-organism?’
By Laureen Golden Might the unprecedented collaborative commitment of Montessorians throughout the nation signal the birth of the “Montessori Community-as-an-organism?” My consideration of the “birth of the Montessori-Community-as-an-organism” began recently, while rereading EDUCATION AND PEACE, and reflecting on Dr. Montessori’s concept of “humanity as an organism,” her belief that “mankind must organize.” and her notion…Read more
After Newtown: Heart of the teacher
by Thomas M. Johanson Many heroes have been revealed during the recent murderous school killings. The thing I’d liked to say is that there have been heroes in our schools as long as they’ve stood. The heroes are the teachers and staff who keeping coming to work every day, every week, every year, every decade.…Read more
After Newtown: Canada school shooting in April
Robert Charron, the spouse of the program director, entered the Racines De Vie Montessori in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, on April 5 and killed French citizen Neil Galliou, 38, in front of many of the school’s 53 cihildren before turning his shotgun on himself. Before killing himself, he attempted to start a fire, believed to be…Read more
After Newtown: MEPI peace manifesto
By John Moncure The Montessori Educational Professionals International crafted his statement before its annual meeting in South Carolina in March. International, being committed to its part in bringing peace to the world through Montessori education, deplores recent acts of senseless violence against all people, particularly children, and especially in schools. Citizens in all countries, but…Read more
Columns
Montessori at home
Lakshmi A. Kripalani Montessori is not merely teaching. It is a way of life. We know that parents must understand how to direct their children from the moment they are born. From my personal experience, it starts from the moment of conception, when the child is conceived. Everyone realizes that the moment of conception is…Read more
Bringing the world of artistic expression to the child
John Snyder When I speak to parents who are just learning about the Montessori elementary, I sometimes tell them that there are many ways for children to learn “the 3R’s.” To be sure, they will learn them in a very special way in the Montessori classroom, but it…Read more
Being of that generation
Dane Peters “Grandfather, Grampa, Grandad, Grampy, Gramps, Pappa, Umpa, Doody — what did you call your grandfather?” is what I tweeted when it came time to give thought to what I should be called by my granddaughter. Understand that you only get 140 characters—not 140 words, 140 characters, including spaces—to convey your message in Twitter…Read more
Building a culture of peace – follow the child
Rebecca Janke To Observe is Good, Seeing is Better A well-designed Montessori classroom allows the child to “breathe in” her interest and “breathe out” her mastery. When she follows her breath the essence of her being unfolds before our eyes and she experiences peace within herself as she experiences her true nature. States such as…Read more
Look carefully for source of problems
Julia Volkman We all want our children to normalize and blossom and yet many of us run into similar stumbling blocks. In my work, I have observed six core areas that often give us trouble: • The Physical Environment • The Daily Routine • The Procedure for Giving Lessons • Grace & Courtesy Lessons •…Read more
Better look this gift horse in the mouth!
George S. Morrison There is an old proverb that says “Don’t look a gift hose in the mouth.” Basically this old saying means that you should appreciate the gift that someone is trying to give you. After all, we should be grateful for what we get. Right? Well, maybe! In his state of the union…Read more