What a New Montessori School Year Looks Like
The first day of a new school year is chock-full of a wide range of emotions. As I stood on the curb welcoming the children and their families this week, there were ear-to-ear smiles, high fives as elementary students reunited, and a few tears from both children and parents – all indications of the hope and promise of a brand new year.
In our Montessori-prepared classroom environments, we understand the first few weeks of school are about supporting the orientation of the learners to their classroom space and within their communities. In her writings, Dr. Montessori defined a list of Human Tendencies: referring to “a set of innate, universal characteristics of human psychology, present in every person, across all cultures and throughout history, not something taught or culturally acquired.”
Montessori defined orientation as “the innate human tendency to understand our place, safety, and role within our environment and community.” Naturally, this process looks different for every developmental stage, and for each person. In a Primary environment, orientation includes transitional materials on a shelf that the children will see as familiar and accessible, which they are able to choose, such as simple puzzles and familiar books in the library. The socially-oriented elementary learner has opportunities to orient by building community through mentor-mentee partnerships and creating classroom creeds where every student has a voice in setting the mutual expectations of one another in community.
One of the unique aspects of our independent Montessori school is our ability to be adaptable to the learners in our care. Having the gift of uninterrupted time allows us to be responsive to the needs of each individual to feel safe, supported, and loved as they become settled into a new school year. And this solid foundation is the base upon which all of their learning this year will rest.
