Reflecting on the School Year
Did I meet the needs of my learners? I would hope the answer is a resounding “YES!” but often it is an “I did the best that could” which is Okay too! We typically have each child for three years, and it takes three years to really get to know them as learners and individuals. I find that there is at least one child that had difficulty connecting to the environment, materials, adults or other children. The end of the year is a great opportunity to reflect on this child. Did you take the time to really get to know them? Do you have a good understanding of their home dynamics? Did the child get enough and a good variety of lesson presentations?
Did my class "normalize"? Our goal is to guide the child to centering or normalization through concentrated purposeful work. Let's dispel the notion of a "normalized classroom". What an impossible expectation! What we are looking for is cohesion. A group that is functioning together with kindness, treating one another with respect, and is able to complete a work cycle with a level of harmony.
If your class was newly formed this year, you may be putting too much pressure on yourself to feel that this would happen by the end of the year. Just to ease your mind, there are years that an established classroom does not fully reach cohesion! The dynamics between a classroom full of multi-aged children is complex and varies day to day.
So the question to ask would be: "What were the levels of engagement in the classroom?" Low? Then what modifications need to be made for next year? Were the children reconnected to meaningful work when they began to wander or disconnect? Were the children interested in the materials they were presented? If not, why and what material extensions could you offer them that would be more enticing?
Was I consistent? Were the routines and procedures of the classroom clear? Were you consistent in reinforcing them? Were Grace and Courtesy lessons offered daily and reinforced? If not, this is a great time to consider intentionally drafting a plan for offering them as well as a strategy for reinforcing them. Your classroom assistant should be a part of this conversation. They are essential in helping in this way.
What are my goals for next year? New goals keep us fresh and learning! Do you want to reread your albums over the summer? Do you want to reread all of the math extensions? Perhaps check out a new to you Montessori text that you have been meaning to look at? Do you want to set a cleaning schedule so the classroom doesn’t feel dusty by the end of the month? Do you want to start a classroom blog or newsletter? Do you want to mark reminders on your calendar to keep you on track with lesson charting? Maybe create your classroom snack calendar for the whole school year so it’s ready to go?
Once the children leave for summer and you have a day or two to yourself, ponder a few of these questions, set some meaningful goals, and spend your time away from the children recharging for the fall!
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Montessori Deconstructed the Site
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