Friday

Friday. Friday’s are great. It’s the end of the week, which means two days off. At preschool, Friday also is a day where there are fewer kids that come, meaning that everything is a little calmer. Even with the two classes sharing one classroom, everything was quite manageable today. In the “older children’s” classroom, there are so many new and exciting activities, which made it fun for the visiting class.

Part of a Montessori education is the importance of growing as a whole person; this means that school is not just academics, but promotes the development of a person as a whole. Following through on this aspect, I’ve found that a lot of the jobs, or activities, that are laid out around the room have to do with gaining skills needed for life. There are activities in which you have to transfer liquids and other materials without spilling (pouring liquids), a board for practicing essential skills such as mastering the zipper, snaps, Velcro, etc, and much more.

Even in the day to day working of the preschool, the students start to learn about cleaning up and pitching in. In the classroom, there is a stack of cloths, a pitcher of water, and a crate for the dirty cloths. If something spills, (while practicing pouring, for example), the kids know exactly what to do. Grab a cloth, wipe it up, return the cloth, and they’re on their way. In other classrooms, spilling something is a big deal because the teacher has to deal with it. But here, if you just spill a little water or something like that, it’s no big deal. It makes everything run a little smoother while also giving the students the opportunity to learn about cleanliness and responsibility.