Core Values at Woods Creek Montessori
Whole-Child Education:
- Children are confident, self-directed learners able to think critically, and work collaboratively. Older children serve as mentors for their younger peers, fostering a sense of classroom community and responsibility. These skills will serve them well in future schooling and throughout their lives both socially and professionally.
- Children determine their learning path following their interests and mastering skills independently. Through this self-guided learning, students gain self-efficacy, self-confidence and self-esteem. Teachers act as stewards of this process following the child’s lead.
- Children have a variety of classroom materials and experiences including music, art and movement. Teachers provide an opportunity to discuss, embrace and celebrate a diverse range of voices and backgrounds.
- Parents are an integral part of their children’s education. Through our parent education program and school events, parents actively participate in the success of their children and the school community.
Teacher Excellence:
- Based on Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy, teachers are role models for our school community, demonstrating integrity, accountability, and respect.
- Teachers facilitate a child-centered classroom rich in learning materials and experiences in which each child’s unique academic, social, and emotional development is carefully considered and nurtured.
- Teachers foster independent thinkers thereby nurturing intrinsic motivation in learning. This creates a foundation of joy in learning that will follow them throughout their lives.
- Teachers continue their own professional development and lifelong learning staying abreast of current Montessori practices.
Social Awareness and Inclusivity:
- Social and emotional education based in mutual respect, grace, and courtesy helps children navigate relationships, articulate their emotions and engage in positive social interactions with peers and adults.
- Children are encouraged to be compassionate and empathetic while also exploring the impact of their own agency in a larger community. Personal responsibility is encouraged to contribute to the group’s success. This understanding leads to belonging and true peace.
- Children are encouraged to be responsible stewards of the natural world engaging in positive interactions with their environment.
- Diversity and differences are embraced and celebrated to develop a sense of interconnection and inclusivity.
As members of the staff of Woods Creek Montessori School, we believe that our role is to provide an atmosphere that respects each individual child and gives precedence to nurturing self-discipline, which then builds self esteem, and enables us to nurture the growth of the child in body, mind, and spirit. As Montessori teachers, we act as a catalyst and guide to help the child learn by doing. The level of difficulty in each lesson is presented in harmony with the child’s readiness and the child is able to feel a greater sense of success and independence. Each child is encouraged to choose their activities and work within the classroom structure which provides an atmosphere of order and respect. We create the environment, provide the lessons, and guide each child as the child develops his or her own powers of critical analysis, creative problem solving, fact absorption, and the capacity for loving and understanding responses to others.
What is Montessori, exactly?
A Look at Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori (1870-1952), one of the first women trained to be a doctor in Italy, began her life as an educator when working with ‘deficient’ children in a hospital setting. The more she observed these children, the more she realized their ability to learn. So through much observation of the children and study of the scientific and educational methods of the day, she set about creating activities and materials to assist the children in learning the skills that would allow them a sense of mastery and independence. She was soon asked to use her methods in the tenement community of San Lorenzo, Italy. She opened a school for the children of factory workers. It was the first of many Casa dei Bambini – “Children’s Houses” – which she opened for young children.
Dr. Montessori worked tirelessly to ascertain and meet the needs of each child – the whole child – mind, body and spirit. As a medical doctor, a scientist and an anthropologist, she observed the way of children – their developing minds and bodies, their personalities, their learning styles, and she used that knowledge to create a method of education. Her ingenious hands-on materials allowed the child to master a skill and understand a concept by working through the concrete level of discovery to the abstract level of thinking. Montessori’s ‘prepared environment’ best served each child because it was based on respectful interactions among all the people in the class – adults and children. How wonderful that a child’s first introduction to the world outside the family can be warm, comfortable and nurturing!
It is Montessori’s own philosophy and belief about children that makes the method and materials work. She believed that each child is a unique individual, always valuable in his/her own right who deserves an opportunity to learn and grow according to his/her own timetable. Every child is born with a purpose and it is his ‘work’ to discover and fulfill that purpose, and it is our work to guide each child along the way It takes discipline, courage and patience, and the child deserves every bit of help, guidance and time that he needs to discover who he is and how he can live his best life. Montessori said, “It is necessary, then, to give the child the possibility of developing according to the laws of his nature, so that he can be come strong, and, having become strong, can do even more than we dared hope. “
It is our privilege and honor to guide your child along the way.