Montessori School

Today was the last day for school visits. We visited two different schools. The first school was a Montessori school. This school had students from two years old who had just learned to walk up through Kindergarten age. The school was a private school but the tuition was very affordable. The Montessori method of teaching is different than the traditional teaching method taught in public schools. The students did a lot of singing and hands om activities. There were many kinds of activities spread out over the room and the students were able to choose what activity they wanted to do that day. Those activities were not just fun, they also helped teach the students fine motor skills and taught matching colors as well. Even at this early age the teachers were starting to teach the students some English. Although most of the class was in Spanish, they students would learn the days of the week and colors in English.
The day was divided up into two sections so students could come either for the morning session or the afternoon section or even stay for both. Students were provided a healthy snack and got some play time on the big playgrounds and even a P.E. class. For the students who stayed for both sessions they also were able to eat lunch at the school.
The teachers at the school treated these young kids as one of their own. They were always looking out for them and comforting any student who cried or needed help. The students wore shirts for the uniforms that said "Home Two". The teachers' belief was that this was a not just school but a second home for the students to grow and learn in. One amazing thing i learned was the principal of the school was also the founder. She started the school twenty-one years ago and it grew into what it is today. She was very dedicated to her students and was doing everything she could to make sure each student got the best education they could. This school was very different from any of the other schools we visited. It was very helpful for all of us to see this different teaching style and I am sure we all have a better understanding of education and some tools for us to use in our own classes.