Two weeks Montessori Training at Parami Learning Centre, Mae Sot

During the month of March, 2013, KLDF welcomed two new volunteers to support their Montessori Projects in schools: Ria Hidveghy, from London, England, who will be based mostly in Mae Sot and Jenna Anderson from the US, who will is currently working at Bayan, our network school in Pai and will be helping us with the next Montessori project in Chiang Rai later in April.   

Also, Khom Loy is pleased to have on board three Thai Montessori Teacher Trainers : Kwanrutai, Nalinthip and Auiporn.  All will participate in the forthcoming training to be held in Chaing Rai later this month.

The academic year at the Burmese Parami Learning Centre, Mae Sot, ended  with a two week training course, between March 11 – 22^nd , led by Diyanti (Silo) Tumada and supported by Ria Hidveghy.   

Six teachers from Parami Learning Centre and two teachers from Hsa Mu Htaw attended the first week’s theoretical training, which focused on an overall theme of ‘Communication’, covering different features on a daily basis. 

One of these aspects included Discipline in the Montessori Classroom - how it can be achieved, without an authoritative figure or using techniques for controlling behaviour.  One of the main reasons of success in the Montessori classroom is freedom within the limits of very clear ground rules, which, when simplified, results in “be respectful of everyone and of everything”.

Participants also learnt strategies in providing young children techniques to independently resolve their own conflicts.  One of the examples was demonstrated by the use of the ‘Montessori Peace Rose.’

Another feature covered was the Environment – and the ways in which the qualities of the Montessori approach could be applied for any classroom.  Some suggestions put forward for the KG A/B classes were the introduction of plants, to observe nature inside and outside.  Requests could be made for the children/their parents/ teachers and staff to donate a growing plant, however small, to allow the children to care for them.  Additionally, by providing each class with their own set of cleaning materials (bin, brush and pan) the children would be encouraged to be responsible for their learning environment.

Furthermore, the KG teachers agreed that they would try and include a Circle Time in their daily schedule, in order to educate the children, in simple ground rules, teaching lessons that demonstrate socially acceptable behaviour and these special skills are taught through the Montessori Grace and Courtesy lessons.  Also, the teaching of the names of the weekdays and months of the year, using the classroom calendars made during the practical activities week would be another positive aspect to incorporate into their favourable learning environment. 

Group preparing teaching materials.

The final topic of the week’s theory was Parental Involvement and ways in which parents can be included in their child’s school life.  Some of the ideas proposed included:  Parent observations – encourage visits to the classroom - concrete evidence of work completed that the child can take home (not to be seen as junk        material) -  Parent workshop day/session - Child assessment/observations and also a Newsletter, which was drafted out in the session by the teachers following an example provided for them.

Teachers creating the Burmese Language materials

During the second week of training, the Burmese teachers were joined by five teachers from the Baan Tha Aad and two from Baan Mae Tao Pae Schools. All were occupied with creating and demonstrating the Montessori materials for the Burmese language to be used for the next Montessori project in the above schools starting in May 2013.

Burmese Sandpaper Letters prepared by the teachers during the practical week.

Yin Min Soe presenting a Three-Period Lesson using the Montessori Burmese Language material

The training session concluded with everyone sharing and exchanging songs and rhymes, both in Burmese and Thai languages, with one or two provided in English!  

Burmese teaching staff demonstrating one of their Circle Time Songs. 

October Montessori Project Updates.

When most of the students and teachers in Thailand were enjoying their mid-term break, activities continued in our Montessori project at Hsa Mu Htaw Learning Center in Mae sot.

Parami school teachers presenting Montessori materials.

We hosted a training session for the Nursery teachers for our next Montessori classroom-Parami Learning Center. Together the participants learned to present some Montessori lessons in the morning session and in the afternoon, we worked together to create materials for the child use.

With relaxing atmosphere and a lot of laugh and jokes, the participants seemed to be having a good time.  Special thanks to Hsa Mu Htaw Montessori resident teacher, Yin Min Soe for her help and full-support during the training and for Hsa Mu Htaw Principal, Daw Htet Htet Aung for providing us with delicious lunch.

Now! the real work has begun – it’s time to set up our Montessori classroom at Parami. Please come back for some more updates........

 

HSA MU TAW(HMT) - MAE SOT MONTESSORI PILOT CLASSROOM CELEBRATIONS!

Paul Hancock and Montessori (HMT) students cutting the ribbon.

Late last month, we celebrated the ribbon cutting ceremony and Montessori Open House at Hsa Mu Htaw(HMT) Burmese Migrant Learning Center.  This ceremony was to mark the completion of our pilot Montessori project in Mae sot and also reflected on the achievements of Hsa Mu Taw(HMT) Montessori students and teachers. http://youtu.be/LDcQz-LNwy8

 

Daw Htet Htet Aung – the Hsa Mu Taw principal, commended on the huge progress on social, emotional and academics portrayed by the children over the past 1 year. The most inspiring part was to watch the children develop their self discipline and becoming more independent and peaceful. Many parents expressed satisfaction for their children progress and shared how they loved school.

This event attracted many guests from various institutions around Mae Sot and the students’ parents who expressed their positive opinions about the Montessori Method and its impact to children and community.

 

Guests from Mae sot


This event paved the way for our next 5 classrooms which we intend to converse early next year which include Baan Mae Tao Pae, Baan Ta Aad and Parami learning center.
Baan Parami learning centre conversion is underway and soon we will post the updates and events as they unfold. 

Refresher Workshop



Number rods & cards presentation.

Early this month we conducted a three day Montessori refresher workshop which was attended by 16 teachers from our Montessori projects schools in Chiang Rai and others schools within our network. – Bayan (Mae hong son) and Rongkwang ( Phrae)  Schools. It was such a refreshing time as most of materials presentations were reviewed and at the same time the participant learned to write them down in the lesson plan format, and hopefully soon they will be able to  gather them all together into their own Montessori  Albums



Nature collection.



During this training, the participants also learned to set up the Nature Table in classroom. From our nature walk, we collected objects to display on the nature table: coconut, leaf, beehive, rocks, barks and twigs and also a tiny creature – a caterpillar - that we accidentally brought into the room.

The fun part of the training was the food preparations presentations where the participants practiced to set up the food preparation activities and in the end enjoyed sharing the snacks they had made.

Orange squeezing lesson plan discussion.



Cultivating Stillness in Montessori Classroom

What could be more beautiful than being in silence and listening to the sound of morning birdsongs, the rhythm of the rain, the whisper of the wind, or the chirping of the crickets at night?  Yet an article by The New York Times magazine revealed that more and more natural sounds are in danger of becoming extinct. In our modern world today, the sounds of nature have been replaced with sounds of cars and traffic, non-stop television and commercials, radio and music, computer games and telephones. Surrounded by these constant noises, Aline Wolf stated, many of today’s children have never known the tranquility of silence (Nurturing the Spirit, 1996).

Maria Montessori believes in the importance of cultivating silence and stillness in children.  Many visitors who visited Montessori classroom expressed their opinion about how quiet it was in the classroom.  Contrary to the common belief that harsh silence were forced upon them, children in the Montessori classroom actually are permitted to speak freely as long as they are being respectful to others.  By giving children freedom to work in the prepared environment, they build within themselves self discipline, which spontaneously manifests in form of order and quietness in the classroom.  “Silence”, Montessori said, “often brings us the knowledge which we had not fully realized, that we posses within ourselves an interior life. The child by means of silence sometimes becomes aware of this for the first time” (E.M. Standing, Maria Montessori:

Her Life and Work, p.226).



Meditation time before work!

 Another way to help children cultivate stillness in a Montessori classroom is through what we call as “Silence Game”, which can be played in the group or individually. In this game, silence and stillness are presented to children as a special challenge. It helps children to develop their control of movement and bring awareness of self and the surrounding environment and perhaps because it encourages an inner quiet and searching of self, silence seems to promote the child’s creative power as well, Paula Polk Lillard added(Montessori Modern Approach, 1972).

Life can be so loud and hard  sometimes. Perhaps, not just children, but we all can learn to find our quiet place inside – a place where there is stillness and silence, a place where we can listen to inner guidance.

“In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light,

and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. (Mahatma Gandhi)

Religious concepts in children life!

Dr. Montessori did not only develop amazing materials for child use but she also believed that society, family and teachers should strive to introduce religious concepts in child’s life; since young children also absorb the church, temple, Mosque and other religion ceremonies.  Recently, all over Thailand we celebrated the “Wan Khao Pan saa” festival – meaning rain retreat or Buddhist lent day. The school children marched to their local temples to mark the procession. The celebrations were obviously at our Montessori classrooms as the children showed their dance movements and participated by carrying candles, and some modeled out as Monks to mark this colorful event.



" Wan Khao Pan Saa" at Huay rai bon CDC



Study Tour and Montessori clinic

Last week, the KLDF Montessori teacher staffs organized educational trip to Baan Huay rai bon CDC in Mae chan district, Chiangrai. The trip was to get the resident teachers observe, interact, motivate and learn more about other KLDF Montessori converted classrooms.

 

Discussion time



Later, we hosted a Montessori ideas sharing workshop –known as the Montessori clinic. There was opportunities for debriefing and ask questions moments which was quite energizing with creative ideas, discussions and own experiences were shared on both challenges and triumphs based on our classroom situations.

Eventually we emphasized on strengthening our relationships with parents and students to help establish workable problems solving in the classroom community.

   

Teachers from different KLDF Montessori classrooms 



The exploration into writing

" I can write by myself" - Baan Rim lao School

More than a century ago, a group of young children in the slum section of San Lorenzo, Italy revealed unexpected phenomenon – “the explosion into writing”.  Although at first Maria Montessori had never intended to expose these young children to any writing or reading activity but because their illiterate mothers began to beg her, she finally gave the four and five year old some sandpaper letters to manipulate and trace. What came next was amazing as some children spontaneously started to write and their example was at once followed by a great number of other children in the classroom.

In “The Formation of Man”, Maria Montessori described this phenomenon:

There was a real explosion of activity and enthusiasm. Those small children carried the letters of the alphabet in a kind of a triumphal procession with shouts of joy. They continued writing without any sign of fatigue or boredom. They covered the floor and walls with their unrestrainable writing. Their progress was really marvelous. 

This a kind of ‘miracle’ of children teaching themselves how to write, according to Maria Montessori  was evidently a revelation of psychological nature of children – the special forces that they possess that guide them in their own self-constructions.

It is a common scene to see children deeply engaged in teaching themselves how to write using any media available: black board, white board, notebook or any single piece of papers – and sometimes at home they cover walls, or any books with their writings.  In our classrooms at Baan Hswa Mu Taw, Mae korn and Rimlao in Mae Sot and Chiangrai respectively, we have witness this phenomenon happenining  recently. 

Baan Hswa Mu Taw School

At Hswa Mu Taw Montessori classroom, it started when one child was given one piece of paper to practice writing letters after he got the lesson with the Sandpaper Letters. Soon other children started to ask for the same papers and sometimes they prefer to practice their writing than do any other works in the classroom.   With their notebook, set of sandpaper letters, a piece of pencil….they write and write and write ….without any sign of boredom or fatigue….and continue to write….

Ground Rules



Ground rules cards.



For many students and teachers, all over the world, this is probably one of the most exciting and busiest time of the year as the school year is coming to an end. It is too for us here in Thailand, except for one different reason: our new school year just begun in May last month!

Managing a Montessori classroom filled with 15 to 35 students - most of them have never been to a school before – is certainly not an easy task to do - but it is crucial to do it right at the very beginning if we want to have a smooth run and peaceful classroom for the entire school year. And establishing the clear classroom ground-rules at the beginning of school year is one of the most important tools that we can use for this purpose.

Although they may vary from class to class, the Montessori ground-rules are basically based on respect for self, others, and the environment while at the same time still give the children freedom to choose and promote the joy of learning and self-discovery. Some of the ground-rules that we use in our classroom are: sit properly during circle time, use walking feet and indoor voice in the classroom, put the material back where it belongs after use, and be kind to our friends. The lessons of Grace and Courtesy, such as how to greet, how to ask teacher for help, or how to observe friend’s work, are given through role plays and discussions in the circle time. 



Looking at the ground rules.



Having a set of ground rules, of course, doesn’t automatically guarantee a peaceful classroom.  Consistency is the key. This is the part where teachers play an important role to help the children internalizing pro-social behavior and achieving self-discipline. One of the mistakes that many teachers make is to think and give the ground-rules lessons only at the beginning of the school year.  Ground-rules and Grace and Courtesy lessons are year-long lessons as the children continue to learn to socialize and establish pro-social behaviors. One last thing to remember, actions speak louder than words. One of the most effective ways to promote pro-social behavior in our classroom is by being a good role model for our students.

Beginning of new school term!

It’s a warm welcome to all. We are back after a long summer holiday.

For some children it’s their first experience away from familiar surroundings.

For parents, it’s a time filled with separation anxiety or may be a time of pride!

Mummy, stay with me!

For the teachers it is a challenging bonding time for providing the children with physical presence assurance, acknowledging their feelings and time to reassure the parents all will be fine beside the tearful goodbyes!

Such experiences have been significant at Baan Pakwao,  Paming, and  Patung, CDC’s  our this term Montessori converted classrooms. In order to sooth this change, our teachers have been guiding the children adjust to school routine at their own individual pace by engaging them into the practical life meaningful activities to enable them ease the missing of parents and familiar home environment.

                        

 



Control of movements : Walking up/down the stairs, around the mats

            and on the line with objects.



This transition period has reminded the teachers on the need to prepare themselves emotionally, spiritually and physically in readiness to answer the many questions that surround them like:  How can I ensure everyone feels at home? Which activity works “magic” to calm down the cries?  How will I remember their names?  etc.  Next time I will tell you how we have progressed in these classrooms.