Step Inside our Classroom
Through these door we are ... MAKERS
We move what we're learning
From our Heads
To our Hearts
Through our Hands
The Third Teacher
I believe that there are three teachers within the classroom walls:
The adults, the students, and the environment.
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To create an environment that actively teaches, we put out Montessori materials that will encourage children to wonder, explore and look closer. If you watch a child closely as they play, you will be able to pick out the concepts that they are exploring! Add paper, writing tools and books and they will want to use them as they have seen adults use them and they will want to imitate that! Play is truly a child’s work! We learn to observe and grab onto opportunities while they play to incorporate the Alberta Standards in ways that are authentic and meaningful to them.
Sensorial Area
This area is our Sensorial Area. Here, the kids will be Designers, Architects, and Engineers. They will explore how math, science and art are all heavily connected here as they build, design and create! This area fosters math concepts such as measurement, grouping, sorting, patterning, and symmetry. It fosters science concepts such as balance, force and motion and cause and effect. It also fosters social-emotional growth as they will be forced to practice patience with each other and problem solving socially with friends. They will problem solve as projects don’t work out as planned, collaborate with others as they work together to a common goal and get along with each other. They will practice grit, a growth mindset, perseverance, and learn to deal with disappointment properly.
Culture, Botany & Zoology
This is where they will explore science and social studies. Here they will learn to slow down, look closer, notice and discover new things and document what they notice as a scientist would. They will predict, explore, inquire, wonder and experiment here. They will use the tools of scientists such as magnifying glasses, microscopes, safety googles, and more.
Language & Literacy
Another area is our Language Arts Area. We use Jolly Phonics to encourage students to master the phonetic sounds for alphabet letters and phonemes. Children are encouraged to use the Movable Alphabet to start by sounding out three letter phonetic words, then four or more letter phonetic words that include blends and finally they learn about vowel teams and rules. Every child has their own journal where they write and illustrate stories.
The area missing is our Dramatic Play Area. It is starting out as a house where they can roll play. All of the Language, Speaking and Listening Outcomes are covered in this area. Here the kids use writing skills in an authentic way as they use writing just as we do in everyday life! It can turn into a store, restaurant, bakery, Santa’s toy shop, vet clinic or Doctor’s Office, airport, market, school, Starbucks, donut shop, Haunted House, etc. They will write lists, write prescriptions, take orders, make signs and posters, write recipes, create magazines for waiting rooms, etc. Then they will practice reading as they reread what they and others have written!
Art Studio
The Art Studio is a corner of our room dedicated to fostering Creative Thinking Skills, though some Science happens here also within art! We start out with very limited materials, but as I teach them how to use and take care of different artists tools, more is made available for them to use when they want. Throughout the year they will use tempura paint, acrylic paint, watercolours, tempera cakes, oil and chalk pastels, charcoal, and many kinds of brushes. They will also use oil based clay, play dough, mud clay, wire, beads, pipe cleaners, recyclables etc. to create sculptures and loose parts to create transient art.
Mathematics
Here we have our Mathematics Area. I will introduce the kids to the term “Mathematician” and discuss exactly what math is and how we use it everyday and see it all around us in our environment, at home and in nature and art! They will be taught how to recognize the math concepts that we learned in our whole group lessons in their daily lives and will be given opportunities to practice those concepts as mathematicians by using the materials set out to explore here.
Circle Time Area
It is a special time to build community where we share stories, sing Jolly Phonics chants, learn rhymes, sing songs, play rhythm instruments, read stories, participate in movement games and peaceful activities. Circle time provides a time for listening, developing attention span, promoting oral communication, and learning new concepts/skills.
Peace Table
This is a place where if friends are having a disagreement, they can go to the Peace Table to talk it out and make peace. Whoever is holding the rose gets to talk, whoever is not gets to listen. This is also an area where a child can go to calm down and self regulate their emotions if they are feeling angry, hyper, sad, etc. There are sensory bottles, fidgets, and a cuddly friend to help them self regulate.
Practical Life
The purpose and aim of Practical Life is to help the child gain control in the coordination of his movement, increase focus, and experience perseverance. It is therefore important to teach and not correct in order to allow the child to experiment and learn independence. Practical Life Exercises also aid the growth and development of the child’s intellect, concentration and will in turn also help the child develop an orderly way of thinking.
Just Missing Friends ...
That is our room! As you can see, reading, writing, science and math are all incorporated, practiced and used in all areas of our room. We set out the materials and as they explore and play, they learn and apply the skills I have been introducing them to. It is through play that they will learn the 21st Century Skills needed to be successful in future grades and careers. Without play, those skills will suffer. Now the only thing missing are precious little children to come and explore!