Tag: Public Montessori

Grace and Courtesy Montessori Method Blog Grumble Services Blog elementary Montessori materials and learning resources
October 12, 2021

Grace & Courtesy

Grace & Courtesy: Teachers are picking up their virtual classroom pieces, gluing them back together and are now attempting to rebuild their classroom communities.

I’m not going to lie to you, this is truly a tall order. Virtual school was not ideal for many reasons. But it did offer one very important component which is missing from a school year littered with COVID obstacles and learning loss hurdles: Consistency.

Montessori classrooms that began the year relying on grace and courtesy lessons seem to be bouncing back most quickly. Here’s why.
Montessori Second Plane of Development Blog Grumble Services Blog elementary Montessori materials and learning resources
October 5, 2021

SECOND PLANE

Second Plane: Montessori philosophy can feel quite alien. One of those aspects is the terminology. However, understanding just a handful of these terms can shed much light on her pedagogy.

According to Dr. Maria Montessori, the “Second Plane of development” refers to the years of a child’s life between six and twelve years old. The “Second Plane” elementary child, she explained, is motivated to learn through a broad view of the universe and all of its great forces.
Public Montessori Blog Grumble Services Blog elementary Montessori materials and learning resources
September 21, 2021

Non-Negotiables

Non-negotiables: Last week I started discussing the challenges Montessori programs might face when being implemented into a public-school system. These struggles can vary from small to large. And when looked at in their totality, they can have a devastating effect on a Montessori program.

Within public schools, we are asked to compromise a number of Montessori principles. Some of these compromises we can live with while some we simply cannot. To those we can’t, I refer to them as the ‘non-negotiables.’ And, believe me, the public school system has its own set of ‘non-negotiable’ too. 
School Is Out For Summer Public Montessori Blog Grumble Services Blog elementary Montessori materials and learning resources
September 14, 2021

Public Montessori

Public Montessori Schools: If I am being honest, I’m not even sure where to begin on this topic. Over my years as a Montessori educator, I feel ‘whether you can practice the Montessori Method with fidelity in the public sector’ continues to be a hotly debated topic.

During my first-year teaching at a new school, I remember an early conversation I had with one of the upper elementary guides I worked with. She hastily pointed out to me her opinion about public Montessori: “It’s impossible to teach Montessori in public schools.” I thought, my gosh, is this true?
Sunday Blues Blog Grumble Services Blog elementary Montessori materials and learning resources
August 10, 2021

August Blues

August blues: A teacher friend once explained to me that she views summer vacation much like a teacher’s weekend. The second half of June, when we finally arrive to summer, is like arriving to a Friday night. Time to finally relax and look forward to some decent rest. July is similar to a fun-filled Saturday. It’s time to partay! 

And then, August sneaks up on you, just like a Sunday. As each August day ticks by, it does so in the same manner each hour ticks by on a dreadful Sunday. I have come to know this as the “August blues.”
Generation Xer Blog - Grumble Services elementary Montessori materials & learning resources Follow the Child Dr. Montessori
June 29, 2021

Generation X

A song by the band Bush is playing. Not my personal favorite but it leads me back to the bands that paved the way before them: Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Breeders, Pearl Jam.

The cooks start discussing grunge and Generation Xers. “I’m not a Gen Xer, I think I am a millennial.” He is briefly interrupted, “I thought they were called generation Y?” The first speaker continues, “I read somewhere that you are considered a Generation Xer if you can remember where you were during the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. I can’t.”

I can. And that day was a wakeup call.