Visit to a Montessori School

Visit to a Montessori School

13th April, 2016

Alex talks about his recent visit to a local Montessori school and some practices that caught his eye

I first heard about Montessori Schools at University when our tutor briefly mentioned a few types of alternative education. Ever since then I have been interested in understanding how a Montessori classroom works, and while there was plenty of information, I heard mixed reviews from people about their experiences. I decided to investigate by contacting a local Montessori School and asking to observe a few different classrooms over the course of a day. They were happy to oblige and now I’m taking the chance to pass on my experience in a younger years classroom.

What is a Montessori School?

This is only a brief overview – for more information check out the Montessori Australia website

Montessori refers to the philosophy created by Italian physician and psychologist, Dr. Maria Montessori. She opened her first “school” in 1907 and applied a particular method and outlook to teaching children. Since then Montessori Schools have begun to spring up all over the world and have been agreed, by research, to have various elements that lead to positive social, emotional and academic results for children. The Montessori philosophy suggests that children transition through four planes of development from birth to adulthood, and each plane has a natural development that education should take advantage of. The second plane, childhood, is the one that takes place at primary school when children are 6 – 12 years old. A well known element of Montessori classrooms is the use of a prepared environment, where pre-made activities are available to be independently worked through at the child’s pace. One more element to note is that the classrooms are organised into cycles, not years – they are composite classes. I observed a cycle two classroom (years 1, 2 and 3) and a cycle three classroom (years 4, 5 and 6).

Cycle 2 (Years 1 – 3) Classroom

The overview of cycle two is a focus on independence, order, concentration and coordination. The classroom I visited was beautiful, with child-sized wooden furniture, desks, shelves and chairs, as well as various artefacts such as posters, flowers, and even a little kitchen. The activities are all based in the shelves and this is perhaps the first aspect that can confuse –the teacher described it to me as the curriculum being on the shelves. Students have access to different challenges and curriculum areas to work on independently. The prepared activities are all said to be self-correcting; if you’re doing something wrong it will become evident without the teacher needing to tell you. The classroom environment was truly wonderful and the students also seemed to have a sense of independence as they were able to direct their own learning, rather than relying on the teacher.

While it was fantastic to observe the students going about their own learning, it is also interesting to note that Montessori Schools have their own curriculum to lay over the top of the Victorian Curriculum. I was only around for an hour or so but there were a few things I would like to sum up:

• The classroom is beautiful and makes sense. Children are using the classroom so everything should be child sized. Classrooms are where we will spend the majority of our time, they should be beautiful places.
• Hard to tell it’s composite. All the students were completing the same activities, but the teacher varied their expectations depending on their age, meaning they could achieve at their own rate.
• Activities promote independence. Not only the activities but the Montessori teaching philosophy promotes independence – a powerful idea which I believe has many learning benefits.

I’m still making up my mind about Montessori Schools, but I think they are an extremely valid form of alternative education. In fact, I think there are a number of things the public system could learn about from Montessori. I’ll do another post soon to talk about the cycle 3 (years 4 – 6 ) classroom.

- Alex

The Value of Helping Out

The Value of Helping Out

12th March, 2016

Alex talks about his experience helping out at a local school and how it has improved his teaching confidence

Early on in my teaching course I realised that while the various placements we had coming up over our four years were going to be fantastic experience, I still didn’t think they would be enough to get me comfortable with the classroom environment.

When you’re on placement it can be quite intense; teaching, planning, assignments, and generally getting to know everyone. It’s a new school, new staff and new kids – and it’s only for a few weeks! I knew I would benefit from seeing a classroom in action and helping out over a longer period of time, but I wasn’t sure how. I ended up volunteering for a charity who worked to place people in low socio-economic schools, to help students in need. Through a little bit of planning, and some luck, I found myself in my local primary school – only a few minutes walk from my house! I’ve been helping out there in various classrooms for the last year and I can tell you the experience has not only been personally rewarding, but has improved my teaching confidence and familiarity with schools.

Being a volunteer at a school has numerous benefits, but here are the main ones:

• You get to see the progression of a school year. You get the chance to witness what happens day-to-day in classrooms, as well as units of work as they progress over a term. It gives you a sense of the scope of teaching and the long-term planning that shapes each lesson.
• It’s free observation. There’s no such thing as too much observation. As you progress through your teaching course you will begin to notice new things and change your focus. As a volunteer I’ve been able to see numerous lessons, including maths, inquiry, reading, art class, and book club. You won’t believe how much you will pick up without realising, plus it’s a wonderful chance to experience some different teaching styles.
• You get to work one-on-one with kids and in small groups. This may change depending on where you volunteer, but many teachers are more than happy for you to work one-on-one with a child or small group. I’ve been lucky enough to work with a boy and girl developing their literacy, and help a year 6 class with their maths skills! It’s a great way to develop your teaching skills and put theory into practice.
• It’s more relaxed and flexible than being on placement. Forget university supervisors. Forget teaching folders. Forget assignments and taking a whole class who you’ve only just met! Volunteering is a relaxed way to build your skills; most teachers understand you are learning and are more than happy to provide you with support and advice. You wouldn’t believe how much fun being in a classroom can be when the stresses of placement aren’t there!
• You’re helping out. Truly. Many of the teachers I’ve volunteered for are so grateful for an extra pair of hands, especially when those hands are well on their way to becoming a qualified primary school teacher! You offer the chance for teachers to get help to those students they know are struggling, but just don’t have time to work with one-on-one. The children and the teacher will appreciate your support.

 
I hope I’ve convinced you to give volunteering a go – and it doesn’t have to be through a charity! Just head down to your local school and ask! You do have skills and you can be of value. Why not help out in a classroom and develop your teaching ability in the process? Trust me, you’ll enjoy it. And you might just land yourself a job.

- Alex

Finnish School System

  Finnish School System

17th February, 2016

With her experience and inspirations while in France, Adelle reflects on the Finnish school system and what education is in one of the leading countries of the world

While in France I have frequented the cinemas to watch various movies or documentaries. Some in English, some in French and one in particular, a mix of both. The film “demain”, translated means, tomorrow. It is a film that explains problems with the way the world works and offers alternatives and solutions to the rapidly increasing global climate and society issues. This documentary was quite inspiring and if you have the time and can find English subtitles, I would definitely recommend it. Part of the film, covers education and its importance in the world. The team focus’ on the schooling system in Finland and their turn around from a reputation not to be admired, to one that is used as a superior  example.

One quote in particular from the schools director, “we spend our time teaching not assessing” has stuck in my mind. Is it true that we assess our students all too often? We are expected to assess and have evidence of any questions that can be asked by colleagues, parents, auditors and the like.

Finnish schools have just one major exam when they are sixteen. They are not constantly tested to compare across classes, schools and other countries. The country as a whole takes the reality of parents being the first teachers of a child seriously. Children do not start school until they are seven, they are not given homework until well into their teens, they are not measured for the first 6 years of their schooling. This is an acceptance that children learn, grow and develop at different rates and allows them the time and comfort to progress at a pace that encourages their learning and not comparison with others. All children are taught in the same classrooms regardless of intelligence levels and the results of the students reflect the skills and professionalism of their teachers. They have the smallest difference between weaker and stronger students in the world and their teachers are selected from a superior range of educators who have obtained masters degrees of a high level. Their master degree is fully subsidized. As a community and a country they expect a lot from their educators, so as an incentive, the country subsidizes the degree to produce teachers that will advance future students.

Teachers in Finnish schools are well respected, they eat lunch in cafeterias among and while socialising with the students. They only spend four hours a day in the classroom, all of which is real teaching time and two hours a week, per week is dedicated to professional development.

Yet another different school system.

The below link will take you to the website for the film “demain”. The entire film is incredibly inspiring and has given me some really insightful thoughts about what should be taught in the classroom and areas where education should really be a focus outside of the curriculum.

http://www.demain-lefilm.com/en

- Adelle

The Very First Day...

The Very First Day...

 

2nd February, 2016

Nick discusses the very first days of school for both students and teachers

The very first day of school can be an exciting yet daunting prospect for both students and teachers. Among university colleagues I often find myself in discussions about how to go about setting up your learning space for the very first day of the new school year. What displays should I put up? What expectations should I set with my students? How do I go about planning for an entire year? How do I get to know all my students? My role as an integration aide in a primary school has provided me the unique opportunity to observe teachers preparing for the school year as well as the initial days of school. I will discuss some of the interesting ideas that I have witnessed that I think would be brilliant to put into future practice.

 

• Setting up the learning space – An arduous task, however a fun one as well. Many teachers put their own unique impression on the room and when you walk in you get a different vibe in every learning space. I have observed the importance of creating a space that reflects you as a person.

• Setting expectations – Personally this was something I was interested to observe. The important idea is that the expectations need to be created in conjunction with the students, not the teacher dictating what they want the students to do. This process also involved what expectations the students have of the teachers to ensure equality between student and teacher; expectations are then displayed within the learning space for all students to see and refer back to. It was interesting to note that during the initial days of school, teachers would often refer to the expectations during classroom discussion to ensure students were being immersed in them.

• Planning for the year – A challenging concept as there is often many extra curricular activities occurring within the school community. As a result the year is planned out by topics and then when the time approaches the topics are expanded to meet the requirements of the students at the time.

• Getting to know students – The answer to this question is quite simple; talk to them and play games in which they discuss aspects about themselves. A further way of doing this is through ‘choosing time’ where students can choose and activity they would like to undertake. Teachers can then observe who they play with, what activity they choose and how they interact with others to get to know the personalities of the students.

 

This is a broad overview of some of the types of things you will encounter in your first few weeks of teaching. It is also important to think about how your learning space will cater to the diverse needs of the students and ensure inclusion of each and every student in your rom. The biggest thing to remember is there is ALWAYS someone in the school you can ask for ideas or help and you are never on your own.

 - Nick
 

Halfway Through Placement

Halfway through placement

22nd November, 2015

Alex talks about his placement experiences at a rural school

Given some pre-service teachers may never get the chance to complete a rural placement I thought it would be interesting to share my experiences. I’ve just finished my first two weeks of teaching and I can assure you the school and learning environment is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.

The school is based in an extremely small town, about two and a half hours west of Melbourne. The current student enrollment is 38 and there are only two classes; foundation to year 2, and year 3 to 6. While I knew some of these details going in, the true reality of the size only hit home when I was standing at the whole school assembly on the Monday morning with 30 children. Needless to say, after my introduction to the school, everyone knows my name and who I am. In fact, I spent more time talking with the principal in one week, than I did with all the other principals of my previous placements combined!

The school is one of a few who are trialing a new integrated software platform that basically uses an online platform to create and store work. Every student has a computer and the school is well resourced; they even have a Polycon (a high quality camera system with monitor that allows them to video conference with other schools!).

But what does the school feel like?

From my first day I have become immersed in what can only be described as a truly community focused atmosphere. The teachers are genuine and the students are incredibly well behaved – it all feels like one big family. The outdoor area is huge and well utilised; they have a campfire area, sprawling veggie garden, chickens, basketball court and football oval. The other day in a garden lesson my associate teacher got the students to harvest some broad beans and leeks. The next day, during lunchtime, he cooked them up with some rice and the whole school had a communal feast.

Another interesting element is the kindergarten – it’s attached to the school! There are little ones running around during lunchtime and the transition to school is seamless. Perhaps all of these things add to the feeling of community and sense of belonging. While there was initially a sense of isolation (especially for me, being a city slicker) it becomes apparent that the internet and technology has connected people and communities to the essential resources they need. This school has an extremely strong and rigorous strategic plan for information technology, and makes excellent use of the online resources that are available.

My classroom itself is one of the most positive learning spaces I’ve ever encountered – largely due to my incredible associate teacher. He has made a point of not only encouraging a community of learners, but expecting students to support each other and regulate themselves. The students are incredibly proactive in seeking knowledge and managing themselves.  And the kids are fantastic. I thought teaching such a large composite class would be difficult, but my associate teacher has created an environment where students can progress through the curriculum at their own rate and focuses on 1:1 conferences with students about their learning.

All in all I’m in love with this school and the community it has created; I think there is a lot to be learned from their style of teaching. In my next post I will look more closely at what I’ve been teaching, how to work with a composite class, and how to create a positive learning environment.

Until then, all the best!

-Alex