Celebrating . . . snow?

Our principal (and my mother) teases that I deny our children candy and parties for good behavior because we expect them to behave properly without giving them candy or sending a handful of select students to the "Party with the Principal."

It's true. We are clear and consistent about behavior expectations, and the children understand the reasons for each expectation. In fact, most of the behavior norms in our classroom were developed by the children themselves. They don't need candy or parties to do the right thing for our community. Plus, I'm mean.

Not really--we find lots of reasons to celebrate . . . together! It's just that our celebrations are more about enjoying one another together in community, rather than rewarding individuals. Today, we celebrate snow--again. It's not April yet, but it sure feels like an April fool. Snow in Houston . . . again?! Come on! There are reasons I moved back to Houston after four cold years of college in Ohio.

Mrs. D has proposed a new tradition: Every time the weather forecast includes snowflakes on the precipitation indicator ("Like when they really say it's going to snow--not just a maybe snow"), we should have hot chocolate. She called last night to ask if I'd bring my electric kettle.

. . . I'm certainly not one to turn away chocolate! Books and hot chocolate--what could be better on a cold, gray afternoon?

What We're Reading:

Snow by Uri Shulevitz

Pressed into service

"This crayon just might be turning me into The Hulk."

"Now that's what I call a green thumb!"

Our children are funny. We've been working on art projects that will be auctioned this weekend at a fundraiser for Friends of Montessori (an organization that serves as our Montessori booster club).

A parent donated a quilt kit from Oriental Trading. At first, I was thinking we would batik the quilt pieces. Then I envisioned the hazards of hot wax in the classroom . . . with fifteen first graders. Next, I found a method similar to batik but using glue gel. Perfect and no (well, lower) risk of injury! But this project specifies cold water dye rather than the hot water dyes that were the only ones to be found when I arrived at Hobby Lobby thirteen minutes before closing time (and after closing time at Texas Art Supply--of course). Aargh! Then I read that only specialized hazardous-chemical dyes will work on fabrics with high polyester content. Uh, oh. When Mrs. D pre-washed our quilt pieces (to remove any sizing or finishes from the fabric), they did not wrinkle at all. Looks like polyester to me . . . What to do?!

Then, I discovered this little gem of an idea. Fabric crayons (which work best on synthetic fibers)--used with leaves and feathers acting as resists during the dye-transfer process. Very much like sunprints. Hooray! Third try's the charm.

We cut paper the size of our white quilt squares. Each child chose a fabric crayon and coated a square of white paper with a single solid color.

The child then arranged leaves or feathers on a white quilt square. (Note: It is difficult to iron around feathers with thick quills.)

We placed the dye-coated paper over the fabric (and leaves), dye side down, and then ironed . . . and ironed . . . and ironed. (Note: Due to the iron, this project is more adult-intensive than I like, but I discovered that it works best to leave the iron in place on the fabric for a minute or two and then return to relocate the iron. Though, you'll need Mrs. D around to remind you to move the iron to a new spot!)

The results have been fabulous---and we discovered that when re-used (and flipped over), the dye-coated leaves can add additional colors to the fabric. A happy accident!

Some of our girls have also been busy with a cottage industry, constructing origami ornaments with wire and beads.

They're beautiful and we got to use the adorable child-size pliers I found on sale at Hobby Lobby!

We also produced a few origami & paste paper cards,

along with some Bogolanfini cards and bookmarks.

Lots of beautiful art to buy! Happy shopping!

Driven to Learn

Mrs. C stumbled upon Daniel Pink's Drive and got all excited. "The Montessori community needs to know about this!" She immediately e-mailed Trevor Eissler, author of Montessori Madness: A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education, to suggest that he include Pink's ideas in his next book. ‘Yeah, isn't he great? He's one of the keynote speakers at this year's America Montessori Society conference.’ Apparently Mrs. C was not the first to notice the relationship between Pink's ideas and Montessori education.

Pink points to research demonstrating that extrinsic motivators (rewards and punishments) work well for rote, routine tasks. But they are ineffective motivators for outside-the-box (or even repurposing-the-box), creative problem-solving. He states, "Traditional notions of management work great if you want compliance. But if you want engagement, self-direction works better." Pink identifies three components for fostering intrinsic motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Now, this is a business book about motivation in the workplace, but the same applies to motivation in the classroom--and Dr. Maria Montessori understood this well. In Montessori classrooms, we offer learners autonomy, respect, freedom (within limits), and choice. We emphasize individual responsibility and working toward mastery of concepts. We don't pass out stickers or grades or award certificates. No carrots. No sticks. Instead, we work to cultivate intrinsic motivation, turning the focus to learning--for the joy and enrichment of learning. Montessori wrote, "The secret of good teaching is to regard the children’s intelligence as a fertile field in which seed may be sown, to grow under the heat of flaming imagination. Our aim therefore is not merely to make the children understand, and still less to force them to memorize, but so to touch their imagination as to enthuse them to their inmost core. We do not want complacent pupils, but eager ones" (To Educate the Human Potential). I look forward to hearing Pink's talk at the conference!

Last night, a friend was telling me about a TED talk he'd heard recently. Ooo . . . I bet Daniel Pink's done a TED talk! Sure enough. Only 18 minutes long--enjoy!



Interesting implications for increasingly prevalent performance pay and punitive test-related firing policies, no? Feeling motivated yet? Neither of these misguided policies is what drives me to do better with and for children. But feeling respected and valued as a creative and thoughtful professional by decision-makers would go a long way toward motivating me to go the extra mile for the learners with whom I'm charged.

Bibbity Bobbity Boo!

Beans "'ll do magic, believe it or not."





I know I’m mixing metaphors here, but it's amazing when odd bits of two-dimensional nothing transform themselves into something.









The pipecleaners and felt were just lying around in “the back” of our classroom, waiting for their day to shine. As previously confessed, the opaque green tights were artifacts of a tackier wardrobe era. (It is quite possible they were once worn under acid-wash denim shorts.) Mrs. D again proved worthy as Mistress of Procurement by conjuring a Jack hat! It did not escape the children (not much does!) that Ms. Frizzle loaned her shoes for the cause. When I went over to borrow them, I could see the wheels turning as she eyed my beanstalk . . .

This project was not the “quick” assembly I envisioned. Somehow, in my hands, these things rarely are. “Boy, you’re spending a lot of time on this,” commented one innocent bystander. Yes, that’s who I am. Far too much time was spent communing with the glue gun, thoughtfully positioning and attaching individually-cut felt beans and pipecleaner tendrils to the “almost done” stalks. Definitely among the top ten signs of "You Know You're Crazy When . . ." But it is a fabulous beanstalk.

Those who paddled out to school on this rainy evening were in for a treat! Our Family Literacy Night activities were a success.

Mrs. D (a.ka. Jack's poor mother) read Jack and the Beanstalk while I mutely pantomimed.

We discussed the parts of a seed and looked at seed embryos under the microscope.

Each family assembled a grow-your-own-beanstalk take-home kit,

and the children worked together to measure Jack's beanstalk.
Happy literacy to all, and to all, a goodnight!

Can you hear me now?

Nope!

I have entirely lost my voice. (Those who know me can attest to the fact that this is not due to screaming.) I don't feel terrible, and we had two Montessori teachers-in-training scheduled to observe our classroom today. So off to school I went!

My voice is, quite literally, a six-inch voice. You have to get real close to hear me at all. It pushed all of us to use more signs, gestures, and even illustrations to communicate. (The children are also surprisingly good at lip-reading!) But the really interesting thing about speaking so quietly . . . is that everyone else does, too! I whispered and gestured to the children, and they whispered and gestured back. It made for a very quiet work period. Of course, they were also super-quiet because I (quietly) explained my silent situation, and they are good about helping me out when I need it. But even our adult visitors whispered back to me--after the children had left the room for lunch.

This fascinating phenomenon is a powerful reminder of the influence that modeling has in our classrooms. If you want to see a behavior in the children, you must be the example.


P.S. You don't have to be rendered mute to give this a try!

Measuring One Hundred

Happy Groundhog Day! Feliz Día de la Candelaria, or Candlemas!
And happy Hundredth Day of School!
To celebrate our one hundred days together, we got busy measuring one hundred. One hundred grams, one hundred milliliters, one hundred centimeters . . . but not just measuring. Oh, no. That would never do. I am a firm believer that measurement activities should be practical. We measure for a purpose. We measure and graph amaryllis growth. We measure minerals and the shrinking mass of evaporating apples. We measure caterpillars and worms and holes in the ground.

Today we measured food--for a 100th Day snack!
Procedure:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Measure 100 cm of pretzel sticks. Use the balance to measure the mass of the pretzel sticks and record in a chart. 3. Measure 100 ml of peanuts. Use the balance to measure the mass of the peanuts and record in a chart. 4. Measure 100 grams of raisins. Use the graduated cylinder (or measuring cup) to measure the volume of the raisins and record in a chart. 5. Measure 100 grams of M&Ms. Use the graduated cylinder (or measuring cup) to measure the volume of the M&Ms and record in a chart. 6. Measure 100 ml of juice into a drinking cup for each person. Use the balance to measure the mass of the juice. 7. Answer the questions below.
8. Place the pretzel sticks, peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms in the bowl (or on the plate).
9. Your snack is a mixture. Enjoy sharing it together.

Conclusions:
Which has greater volume—100 ml of peanuts or 100 grams of raisins?
Which has greater mass—100 cm of pretzel sticks or 100 ml of peanuts?
Which has greater mass—100 grams of raisins or 100 grams of M&Ms?
Can a mixture be separated?

What We're Reading:
The Night Before the 100th Day of School by Natasha Wing
100th Day Worries by Margery Cuyler
Gregory's Shadow by Don Freeman
Go to Sleep Groundhog! by Judy Cox
Geoffrey Groundhog Predicts the Weather by Bruce Koscielniak
Double Trouble Groundhog Day by Bethany Roberts


Note to Educators:
Please do "try this at home"!
For 25 students (5 Cooperative Science Groups of 4-5 children), I use
15 oz. bag of pretzel sticks (more than enough—a smaller bag would do)
24 oz. container of raisins (or in our case, Craisins)
16 oz. container of peanuts (Be sure to check for peanut allergies! If someone is allergic, substitute another snack for your entire class.)
64 oz. bottle of juice (plus an additional small bottle)
21.3 oz. bag of M&Ms (other possibilities for snacks include: cereal, Cheerios, Cheezits)

* I designate a “supply table,” and groups take turns bringing the main supply to their group table for use. For example, one group might be measuring pretzels while another group has the container of peanuts. When they have measured out the amount for their group, they return the package to the supply table.

For each student, you will also need:
1 napkin and/or plate
1 drinking cup (Note: 3 oz. cups are not large enough for this activity.)

For each group, you will need to gather one of each of the following (quantities listed assume you have organized 5 cooperative science groups):
5 meter sticks
5 sets of gram weights
5 metric balances
5 graduated cylinders or graduated beakers (100ml or more)!

Dead Man's Float

So I’m back! Apologies for the extended blog break. I think my reasons for this unintended hiatus are twofold.

1. I’ve been working on an application for a grant, which will hopefully fund another fabulous Fluffy adventure this summer. Due to the importance of this grant and its impending deadline, I felt that if I was writing, I should be working on that.
2. I have been struggling with balance (a verb that requires constant maintenance), and this is not a must-do. And sometimes, when tasks are crashing down on you with the roar of waves, the best strategy is to do what they taught us in swimming class at the Y. Stop thrashing around and just float. Conserve energy. Minimize. Admittedly, my success with this particular technique is questionable. I offer laborious beanstalk production as Exhibit A. Exhibits B & C: I recently agreed to mentor a new teacher at our school, and I consented to serve on the faculty at our local Montessori training center this summer. So much for doing less!

It’s not that there’s been nothing to write home about—or even that I haven’t been writing. I just haven’t been finishing. You may find a few “new” posts popping up in December and January.