Montessori BLOG

Summer Slide Part One - Montessori Blog - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Summer Slide

Summer Learning Loss – Fact or Fiction? Most of us have heard of the so-called summer learning loss, sometimes referred to as the ‘summer slide.’ Back in the early 1980s, researchers came to the conclusion that students’ achievement scores declined over the summer months. To this day, it remains the go-to industry standard.

Fast forward to now. We definitely continue to hear proponents endorsing the idea of an increasing learning gap and harping on its message. However, researchers are now questioning the validity of a research project occurring so many years ago.

Homework Part Two - Montessori Blog - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Homework Part Two

Last week we began exploring how homework can sometimes benefit students. But, under the wrong set of circumstances, it can sometimes hurt students too.

What the research shows us is the correlation between homework and performance is stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades.

I limit the amount of homework I assign to my students. When I do assign homework, I hope to get the most “bang for the buck.” I try to focus on the areas that seem to count most: Reading & vocabulary, mathematical reasoning skills and practical life activities.

Homework - Montessori Blog - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Homework Part One

The controversial topic of homework. As a teacher, there seems to always be an end of the year push to quicken learning over the few remaining days. This is especially true during this weird, broken one. We believe, for whatever reason, many students have seemingly fallen behind. There must be a way, we think, to catch them up during these last few weeks?

It can be tempting to turn to homework. On the surface, using homework to pick up the slack seems advantageous. But, it may be less effective of a strategy than most of us think.

Complete Sentences - Montessori Blog - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Complete Sentences

Complete Sentences: Teaching them is the bane of my existence.

Teaching kids to write complete sentences can be a tough road to hoe. I wish not to quell any student excitement for writing. Even more, I alway hope to make lessons and reviews on sentence structure meaningful. Avoid the drill and kill. But as students get older, they start to buck at the rules and at writing conventions.

Montessori Blog - Fake News - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Fake News

Fake News: As a public school teacher, I feel frustrated. Disheartened. Defeated. Let me back up a bit.

Being a relatively new blogger, I’m afraid to get too opinionated in what I write. Nevertheless, this is going to be an opinion piece. It is an opinion that has bubbling inside me for over a year.

Being Teacher Appreciation Week, why not share my opinion about my fellow teachers now?

Empowering Children

Empowering Children: The DIFFERENCES Between an ACTIVE and a PASSIVE Childhood can last a lifetime.

What do I mean by active vs. passive childhood? An active childhood is one where a child is encouraged to create and to think for themselves. They are expected to carry their weight at home. Even more, they are given free, unstructured time just to be alone, to be still. A passive childhood would then be the opposite.

Independence sometimes feels like a lofty but unobtainable goal for your child. I’m here to tell you it isn’t! Here are six strategies for empowering children.

Montessori Blog - Earth Day 2021 - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Earth Day

This past Saturday, I invited my students to join me in the Annual Milwaukee Riverkeeper Spring Cleanup. I get some sort of weird satisfaction from picking litter up with my grabber tool. Looking for a central site safely away from busy traffic, I stumbled upon the Kinnickinnic Trail.

Like many educators, I have deep concerns for my students when they get older. What legacy are the generations before them leaving behind?

Our world is on fire and our planet is melting. Is it too late to affect real change?

Montessori Blog - Standardized Testing - Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

Standardized Testing

Standardized testing plays a momentous role in our Nation’s education. The goal is to provide a measure to evaluate student performance across state, national and even global standards.

However, does our far-reaching focus on standardized test scores actually meet this lofty educational goal? This modern educational practice has ignited a national debate about the effectiveness of testing and how well they truly measure student achievement.

Montessori Blog - School Reopening- Grumble Services Learning Resources Blog Post

School Reopenings

School reopenings are occurring more and more each day. Our school district has been 100% virtual since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As I type, students are finishing up spring break and preparing to head back to in-person school for the first time this year.

I would be lying to you if I told you I didn’t have any misgivings. I’m convinced the general public has little idea as to what hoops schools need to leap through in order to raise the façade of normalcy for its families. I also believe many students will be coming back with the mindset that school might look close to what it was like before March, 2020.

Thank you! Montessori Parent Education Blog - Montessori Blog - Grumble Services Montessori-inspired Elementary Learning Resources

Thank you

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting my educational undertakings over this past year. It is hard to believe one year has already come and gone for Grumble Services!

Since March 2020, I have updated and created many learning resources and Montessori materials in order to share them with the world. My goal was to have them available for both teachers and families by the beginning of the new school year. I’m happy to report I accomplished what I had set out to do.