Preparing for My Move to Juneau
As I pack and pack...and pack, I am composing in my mind a Practical Life and Math lesson for the classroom. The Practical Life lesson is an extension on napkin folding and gift wrapping applied to wrapping items in packing paper before placing them in boxes. In the past few days I have repeated many variations of this work. For math, the lesson has to do with estimating. Various miniature boxes would be placed on a tray along with various sized items. The child would visually assess and determine the number of items that may fit in the box. Before determining whether their answer is correct they would choose a number from a small pile of cards that would match their estimated number. They would then place the items in one of the boxes to see if they were correct - an early lesson on volume that may be preparation for work with the cubes in Elementary. I confess that I frequently think more should fit into a packing box then does.
I also want to do a mapping exercise with the United States map to illustrate Ms. Dyer's travels to Juneau. Yet, I still have so much left to do before I find myself sitting in the downstairs classroom of Juneau Montessori School.
This old post from New Year's 2010 has been returning to my thoughts - I have such a joyful, peaceful feeling about my new teaching post. Here it is again. It resonates so much of what my heart and mind have been feeling and thinking of late and always:
Whoever touches the life of the child touches the most sensitive point of a whole which has roots in the most distant past and climbs toward the infinite future. Maria Montessori
As we look back on this passing year of 2009, let us cherish our work with children. We are blessed with being given the almost daily opportunity to listen to their stories, bear witness to their artistic expression, ponder the wonder of their enormous insight and to be present when they articulate with anxious breath the joy of a discovery or the completion of a work. How blessed we are to be in attendance when songs are sung by the old and the young, to participate in the celebrations of their births and to bear the heartache and joy of teary eyed goodbyes at the end of a school year. Let this be my life for years to come.