First Orientation Day!

Today we had our first orientation meeting for the children. I asked the parents to sign up for a 30 minute time slot, to allow for each family to spend some time exploring the classroom. This was the first year I made separate appointments, and I am happy with the results. Each child reacted differently and we were able to respond to them accordingly. EH was first to visit and he eagerly explored some of the materials. We sat quietly near him and he gave us lots of glances while he was working and speaking with his mother. Soft music was playing and EH was whispering for a long while. His mother was so in tune with what he was experiencing, and gave him lots of time and space to get comfortable. The classroom looks inviting and the parents all commented on the environment and how it felt very calming! Here is what we have come up with for the starting design:

Looking across the room toward the front door:














Sensorial Shelf:














Geography area with an original painting from a friend:




















Hebrew Language Materials:




















Looking into the library area:




















The math area, including the murals I painted for the days of creation:














Cubby area (and the only bulletin board I have) :




















The drawers the children will store their works in progress, with our Jackson Pollack painting from last year's class:




















Here is EH exploring letters during his orientation visit:

Handwashing Sink Area

Today I wanted to work on the hand washing sink area. I specifically wanted to come up with a garbage can solution that could also hold the paper towels and a potted plant. I used the left over wood from the two shelves I built last week and came up with a pretty good solution. I am going to paint it white to match the cabinet, I think. I added a shelf inside for tissues, but it is too hard to get them out. I will find a different spot for the tissues. I am going to store latex gloves and extra paper towels.

First Classroom Layout

Today I moved most of the extra boxes and materials out of the classroom and have gotten most of the furniture into place according to my sketches. Here is the initial sketch I worked out for the room:

















The room is just a bit too small for a proper Montessori classroom. I am trying to be creative with shelving and placement. The trick is to fit as much as I can into the room, without anything looking crowded.

Here is a view of the front door/entrance. The shelves along the wall with the tree will be for Language (English and Hebrew). Metal insets will be under the window on the right, and past that will be a small library area:

My first practicum post!

This is my very first post for my Montessori practicum journal. This blog will follow my journey during my internship year with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.