Welcome Change

Welcome Fall

Welcome Every Season

Welcome Change


Change is good.  We hear that often. We often resist change.  This is just futile in so many ways.  Change is inevitable and constant, so when we resist it we set ourselves up for frustration and discord.


I usually welcome each season. I am ready for change by the time one season has been around for a while.  I guess I am a good 'midwesterner' in that way.  I would have a hard time, I think, living in a constant state of summer or winter.  


Change is always with us.  It is a constant. Nothing stays the same for long. We grow, change, and are affected by our surroundings.  This in it's self is good and bad--comforting and problematic--trustworthy and fickle.  Now that you are confused, let me explain.  


Change as good & bad: 
it can be good because it keeps things interesting; it can be bad because, just when we get good at something, we need to move on to something else.


Change as comforting & problematic:
it is comforting to know what will happen and be able to get ready for the change.  It is difficult to be faced with change we are not ready for or a change we just do not want (like a death in the family).


Change as trustworthy & fickle:
So many things that change regularly can be counted on, like basic child development, and the weather and colors of a season.  On those same topics, change is also fickle in that each child develops on their own schedule and weather can be extreme and unpredictable.


MONTESSORI


The Montessori classroom is both very stable and reliable and at the same time constantly changing to meet the needs of the students in that particular room.  


The stability of certain materials like the Pink Tower and Dressing Frames always being present can be comforting the child that needs a high degree of consistency.


Change is also great. Updating your room for the seasons and meeting the needs of all the children keep our classrooms fresh and interesting.  


This time of year is so fun in the classroom.  As October draws near the new children are getting used to being away from mom and dad.  The second year children are realizing that they can 'help' the new children, and the third year students are starting to really 'take off' with projects in geography and science.  

I LOVE MY CHOSEN PROFESSION 

Bad News

What do you do when bad news is given to you?

I like to "talk it out" with a close friend or family member.

I process better--out loud, I guess.

Bad news can come in lots of forms. It can be about yourself--a friend--your child--or spouse. It is never easy to get bad news. The person delivering the news is often hurting themselves, so I often try to push back my own feelings and deal with their sadness or pain.

It is good to step back and "look" at the situation when bad news is around. Sometimes I think that I just can not "handle" taking it in all at once. When we step back we gain perspective. That can be a very valuable thing to have is a stressful situation.

I always wonder what people without a good support system do with bad news. It must be awful to deal with overwhelming things by yourself. It is at times like this when I am made acutely aware of how truly luck I am to have a supportive husband, loving children, family and friends to lean on for comfort.

I wish for each of you reading this--good health--good relationships--and good memories.

Montessori

'Bad News' can come in many forms in a Montessori classroom. It can be anything from a tussle on the playground to the death of a grandparent. We must be ready to deal with the small pitfalls and the big, life changing events as well.

What can prepare us as Montessorians to deal with small and big tragedies? Well, it is as hard and as simple as this---have a good heart and you will know what to do. Sometimes it will be in the form of a hug--or a sympathetic ear--or an understanding attitude. We are called to be understanding and loving adults in the lives of the children entrusted to us. This is not hard--but it does tend to be heart breaking on occasion.

The rewards are many thought. To help a child deal with pain at an early age is to help that child deal with pain for a life time. If we teachers can remember that--it looks like a great opportunity to do well.