Welcome to Week 2 of Educator Mommies. I have always believed that education begins at home and now as a future teacher and mommy I have come to realize how important it is to start teaching your child skills in the home. I started Educator Mommies to spotlight Moms that are or were educators. If you would like to be Featured blogger, click here to fill out the form and I will contact you.
This Week on Educator Mommies, our guest post comes from a former Motessori teacher who now has the honor and privilege of being a stay at home mom to three wonderful boys 3 and under. Please give a warm welcome to Jessica from Boys, Toys, Chaos & Joys
Montessori Mommy
I just want to thank Heather
for having me here to guest post, I'm super excited. My name is Jessica
and I blog over at Boys, toys, chaos, & joys and I am a mom to three
boys 3 and under.
After college I spent a year subbing in the public schools. Then a friend of mine recommended that I check out a Montessori school and I fell in love with it. Shortly after I went back to school and received my Montessori teacher's certificate in 3-6 year olds and spent 8 years teaching until I had children. For people who may not be familiar with Montessori it is a child-centered education approach. The teacher prepares the environment and children are free to choose different materials in the classroom, while the teacher will offer guidance when needed. All classrooms are mixed ages based on the philosophy that older children will help teach the younger ones, therefore reinforcing what they have learned as well. If you are in the process of choosing a preschool or even just curious I would recommend observing at a Montessori school to see if it is the right fit for your child.
I feel being a teacher really helped me as a parent in understanding how children learn and also dealing with behavior problems. Montessori believes children have sensitive periods where learning happens naturally. In early childhood, children learn from sensory motor activities; they learn from direct experiences. This I feel is key and something I have embraced as a parent. I try to provide my kids with activities that are fun and uses all of their senses.You can make anything a learning experience from just going for a walk and looking for different plants, animals, and bugs. You can also collect leaves and make prints with them. Even a trip to the grocery store can be a learning experience by having your child help count items and giving them the opportunity to look at different fruits or vegetables.
Another thing I realized as a teacher that helps me as a parent is that your mood and demeanor sets the tone for the day. If you are crabby or rushing around this will cause your children to act this way as well. I always noticed days I was in a bad mood my classroom was more chaotic, it's the same way at my house. So when I feel that way I try to calm down and usually they will as well. When my children are misbehaving, I feel whenever possible natural consequences are important to give them and one of the best ways they can learn. For example if they spill something they need to clean it up, same goes if they color somewhere they shouldn't, or if they break something.
I guess some of the best advice I can give from being a former teacher is to just relax and enjoy your child. Realize you are your child's most important role model and if there is something you want them to do or don't want them to do the best way is to model that behavior.
I'm so glad Heather asked me to do this post after writing I realized there is so much I want to say that I can't just fit into one post. This has inspired me to write some posts for this topic on my own blog. I'll be giving some more tips and advice from my past experience and would love to hear if you have any as well. Check out my blog, this week I'll be posting about how you can incorporate Montessori into your own home.
This Week on Educator Mommies, our guest post comes from a former Motessori teacher who now has the honor and privilege of being a stay at home mom to three wonderful boys 3 and under. Please give a warm welcome to Jessica from Boys, Toys, Chaos & Joys
Montessori Mommy
After college I spent a year subbing in the public schools. Then a friend of mine recommended that I check out a Montessori school and I fell in love with it. Shortly after I went back to school and received my Montessori teacher's certificate in 3-6 year olds and spent 8 years teaching until I had children. For people who may not be familiar with Montessori it is a child-centered education approach. The teacher prepares the environment and children are free to choose different materials in the classroom, while the teacher will offer guidance when needed. All classrooms are mixed ages based on the philosophy that older children will help teach the younger ones, therefore reinforcing what they have learned as well. If you are in the process of choosing a preschool or even just curious I would recommend observing at a Montessori school to see if it is the right fit for your child.
I feel being a teacher really helped me as a parent in understanding how children learn and also dealing with behavior problems. Montessori believes children have sensitive periods where learning happens naturally. In early childhood, children learn from sensory motor activities; they learn from direct experiences. This I feel is key and something I have embraced as a parent. I try to provide my kids with activities that are fun and uses all of their senses.You can make anything a learning experience from just going for a walk and looking for different plants, animals, and bugs. You can also collect leaves and make prints with them. Even a trip to the grocery store can be a learning experience by having your child help count items and giving them the opportunity to look at different fruits or vegetables.
Another thing I realized as a teacher that helps me as a parent is that your mood and demeanor sets the tone for the day. If you are crabby or rushing around this will cause your children to act this way as well. I always noticed days I was in a bad mood my classroom was more chaotic, it's the same way at my house. So when I feel that way I try to calm down and usually they will as well. When my children are misbehaving, I feel whenever possible natural consequences are important to give them and one of the best ways they can learn. For example if they spill something they need to clean it up, same goes if they color somewhere they shouldn't, or if they break something.
I guess some of the best advice I can give from being a former teacher is to just relax and enjoy your child. Realize you are your child's most important role model and if there is something you want them to do or don't want them to do the best way is to model that behavior.
I'm so glad Heather asked me to do this post after writing I realized there is so much I want to say that I can't just fit into one post. This has inspired me to write some posts for this topic on my own blog. I'll be giving some more tips and advice from my past experience and would love to hear if you have any as well. Check out my blog, this week I'll be posting about how you can incorporate Montessori into your own home.
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