We had a wonderful Meet the Teachers event at The Montessori House last night.  Thanks to all the parents who attended and all the teachers who were met!

Our Director, Ms. Maria, spent a few minutes welcoming everyone to the school for 2013-14.

Ms. Maria asked parents to keep in this thought in mind: a happy parent makes a happy child.

With that in mind, Ms. Maria offered her Top 10 Tips for a Great School Year (expanded version follows):

1. Set a happy tone for your child’s day!!  Stay calm and smiling, and make a happy, quick, quiet exit at the front door.
2. Dress your child in super easy clothing, including shoes.
3. Be on time.
4. Role model staying safe and following the rules.
5. Find a friend.
6. Be involved/make a difference for your child.
7. Questions?  Please ask, but think about who and when you’re asking.
8. Let school be school and home be home.
9. Raise the bar, and be happy about your child’s emerging independence.
10. Don’t ask them what they did at school.

Here’s the expanded version (each tip explained):

1. Set a happy tone for your child’s day!!
   Stay calm, and make a happy, quick, QUIET (no excessive talking or promising) exit at the front door. Quick exits make for quicker happiness for the child at school.  Help your child: a quick kiss and hug before you child reaches the door and has the teacher shakes his her hand; a quick wave at the window and you walk away first (don’t wait for the child to leave – it won’t happen).  Remember, if you’re sad or anxious, you’re making your child sad AND anxious.
2. Dress your child in super easy clothing.
   Anything with an elastic waist band is best.  NO belts, suspenders, or anything that ties, clips, clicks, or does anything to prevent or slow your child down when he/she is trying to go to the bathroom without having an accident.  The same with shoes – if the ties come undone even occasionally, double knot, or replace the shoes with Velcro shoes.  Also, don’t send clothing that distracts your child.  That super-hero t-shirt with the detachable cape — all we hear all day is the “rip” of velcro as the cape is attached and detached.  The same with shoes that light up — instead of school work, your child will “stamp, stamp, stamp” all day to light up his/her shoes.
3. Be on time.
   Reduce the anxiety of having to walk into an already-working classroom.  Reduce the feeling of being the “last one” at dismissal – unless you’re in aftercare or an after-school program (in which case, they love to stay!)
4. Role model staying safe and following the rules. MANY of the rules at school – inside and outside – are made to keep everyone safe.  But, to ensure safety, everyone has to follow those rules.  First, remember the parking rules – where to park; turn off the car; no drop-offs and no children walking alone.  Next, remember the walking rules – upon arrival, the children must be on the sidewalk (not the grassy area or the ramp) and in your control, and at dismissal, the children must be holding your hand until you put them in your car.  Remember the Trinity Lutheran Church’s rules – Montessori House  children on Montessori House spaces only – not on the rocks or by the trees in front of the Tween Tots playground, not in the woods, and not on the grassy front lawn (please go to a nearby park); no parking by either playground or in the spaces near Knickerbocker Rd.
5. Find a Friend
   Take a look at the list of children in class with your child (each child has morning companions, lunch companions, and afternoon companions — so for some children this is a long list!).  Listen for those names and use the list and on-line directory to contact other families to make friends (both friends for your child and — perhaps — friends for you).
6. Be involved and make a difference for your child.
   We have a variety of volunteer opportunities that suit all kinds of parent schedules.  We love to have parents come to the classroom to help on special occasions (like our Thanksgiving Feast or Fall Celebration), to make class presentations on holidays (Lunar New Year, Christmas, Diwali, etc.) or to share special knowledge or skills with the children (travel experiences, art, science, cooking, and more), or just to read to the children in small groups.  If you’d like to make a presentation, the teachers will help you set the right tone for 3 to 6 year old children.  If you’re not available during the school day, help Friends of Montessori with their Annual Dinner, or join the Gardening Committee, or make a booth or help out at our Montessori House International Festival in the spring.
7. Questions?  Please ask, but think about whom and when you’re asking. Remember, whenever you see a teacher at school, she is either responsible for children at that moment (MOST of the time) or she’s supposed to be in a meeting at that moment, there isn’t time built into their normal schedules – except for teacher conferences – to meet individually with parents.  If you have questions, please e-mail them to Ms. Maria at office@themontessorihouse.com; I’ll direct them to the appropriate teacher or answer the questions myself.
8. Let school be school and home be home. School is the place for lessons and learning, and home is the place for Mommy and Daddy to be fun, play games, sing songs, but not to continue school.  Burning them out is not the way to get them ahead, it’s the way to have them lose interest in learning.  Also, Montessori has a very prescribed method for teaching things like reading and writing, or arithmetic.  Teaching an alternate method at home will most likely confuse and frustrate your child — at home and at school.  When they’re ready, your children will show you how much they can do, and how much they know – there’s no rush!  Often children read at school but don’t want to read to parents at home — they want you to read to them, and we encourage you to do so often.
9. Raise the bar, and be happy about their ever-evolving independence. For instance, if you or your babysitter holds the fork or spoon for your child, let him/her do it alone – he/she will be very happy, and you should be too – they’re still your babies, and they still need you – but not for that!  Apply this notion to things like dressing themselves, buttoning their own buttons, putting on their own coats, getting their own things, wiping the tables, pouring their own cereal/milk from smaller containers, walking on stairs, swinging on the swing, etc.  They do all this at school (and more!), and a whole segment of Montessori (called Practical Life) helps develop these skills.
10. Don’t ask them what they did at school. This is the very hardest thing to do, but it will make your child feel much better!  Listen to them tell stories, but don’t press them to talk about what they just did.  Maria Montessori said school to a child was like their secret treasure – a special place where they could be a different version of themselves, where they, their friends and their teachers had all sorts of activities.  They want to experience those activities, but they don’t want the pressure of reporting those activities and, WORSE, having someone drill them about it.  The drive home is a great time to listen OR tell your child stories about your day.

So, follow these 10 Tips and we’re sure to have a great school year!

Finally, a thought from Maria Montessori on why we want a happy child in the classroom:

” A child who has become master of his acts through long, pleasant and interesting activities in which he has engaged, is a child filled with health and joy and remarkable for his calmness and discipline. “

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 at 9:36 am and is filed under Parent Memos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.