Michigan History Trip to Detroit
Our journey to Detroit started bright and early. As we drove our school vans into the city, we made memories that will last a lifetime. When we finally arrived after the vigorous drive, we headed straight to the DIA.
Growing Together
When I think about The Children’s House, one simple truth comes to mind: this place is me. I was a Montessori child. Like so many of our students, I had the freedom to move, to ask questions, and to explore things deeply without someone rushing me to the “right” answer.
A Day in the Life of a YCC Student at the Children's House
Every day, life-changing work occurs in a YCC classroom. Not the work that sits on the shelf, but the work that happens inside of each child as they self-construct. The children are learning what it means to be a member of a community, how to take care of themselves, and how to adjust when things are challenging.
Importance of Routine
“A child who has become master of his acts through long and repeated exercises, and who has been encouraged by the pleasant and interesting activities in which he has been engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline.” - Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child
Our new labyrinth: A path to peace and discovery
We are excited about the new addition to our outdoor learning environment, a beautiful, winding labyrinth. This offers our students a designated space for meditation, reflection, and quiet moments in their busy school day and fits well with our new MindUP curriculum. It's a natural extension of our Montessori philosophy, which values a child's need for purposeful work and a connection to the natural world.
Northern Michigan Experience Trip to Beaver Island
In the second week of school, Compass junior high students and teachers embarked on a trip to Beaver Island. We took the school vans and drove to Charlevoix, where we then took a ferry out to the Island.
Montessori: the OG Social Emotional Learning Educational Model
Sit in a Montessori classroom at any level, and you will find a beautifully prepared and organic orchestration of children engaging with one another, concentrating independently on their chosen activity, or interacting in a small group lesson with their trained guide. If you think about how these environments function, you will quickly see social and emotional learning in plain sight.
Safely navigating screen time, cell phones, and the digital world
Read below for some tips for parents, assembled by our Mental Health Consultant, Trisha Short, MA, LPC, IMH-E (II), on how we can protect our children from the hidden risks of overuse and ensure they develop a balanced, safe relationship with technology.
Interdependence: From Bread to Peace
In Montessori education, few ideas are as foundational—and as powerful—as interdependence. Dr. Maria Montessori spoke and wrote extensively about this concept: the idea that everything in the world is connected, not just loosely, but deeply and necessarily.
Connecting to Learners
Being a Montessori Guide holds such responsibility in the care of children. Beyond providing academic lessons, we deeply understand the importance of connecting with children.
Embracing the Seasons with your Toddler
Toddlers are my favorite people for many reasons, but one quality of The Young Child that I absolutely treasure is their ability to be completely present.
Democratic Movements Trip to Washington D.C.
or the workshop, Democratic Movements we all got a chance to choose our own topic. Our assignment was to make a five minute presentation, a research paper, and an art project. Students studied topics like women's rights, immigration rights, maternal rights, non-proliferation and labor rights.
Slowing Down with Toddlers
Toddlers are curious, willing, and loving. They are strong-willed, know what they want, and are very driven to achieve it. They test and push the boundaries. They give the best hugs. They are painfully honest, have big feelings, and have many opinions about life. They are my favorite people!
The Role of Classroom Pets in the Montessori Classroom
The Montessori philosophy uses classroom pets to connect students to the natural world and creates interconnections with all living things. The philosophy involves teaching empathy, compassion, practical life skills, observation, and curiosity. There are many ways in which a pet in the classroom fosters these teachings.
From the Garden to the Kitchen: How growing food helps us reach our full potential
I recently had a parent ask me about our food program; the “why” behind what we do. I found myself desperate to tell her about what we do now, what we want to do in the future, and most of all, the reason we have a food program in the first place. Since I live daily with the thoughts of how to make our food program better, more local, more delicious, and more of an experience that inspires our learners…
A Montessori Approach to Discipline
When sharing with friends or relatives that your child attends a Montessori school, you may have fielded the question, “They get to do whatever they want, don’t they?” This misperception of the concept of freedom with responsibility also invokes a more traditional definition and expectation of what discipline looks like at school.
Applied Technology Trip to South Florida
During the workshop, Applied Technology, we got the opportunity to travel to Pigeon Key and South Florida. The project we had to complete was fully submerging our team's ROV underwater and “flying” to the other side of the dock. The seven teams raced to see who could achieve the mission the fastest.
Incorporating Diversity into the Montessori Classroom
“The needs of mankind are universal. Our means of meeting them create the richness and diversity of the planet. The Montessori child should come to relish the texture of that diversity”
- Maria Montessori
The Role of the Adult in a Montessori Classroom
Rather than seeing children as empty vessels, Montessori teachers see a bundle of potential just waiting to be realized. With this, the focus is on discovering these hidden potentials in children and supporting their development. This happens most effectively when children are actively engaged in their learning process.
Autonomy Education
Having recently watched the new Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, my mind is highly attuned to the realities of being a young person in a rapidly changing world. I left the movie deep in thought, thinking back at how I felt when I was first introduced to “The Times They Are A-Changin” when I was exactly the same age as my students at Compass Montessori Jr. High. Not unlike the early 1960s, the world today, and thus teenagers today, are experiencing massive cultural and technological transformations.