We Are VdM: Chung Yi Cheng

Children's House, by Sarah Moscicke, April 1, 2022,

The very best part of Villa di Maria is our people. Our community of families, faculty and staff is something to be proud of. In this series, We are VdM, we’ll highlight the energies, talents, humor and wisdom of some of our amazing people. Today, we’ll meet Chung Yi Cheng, afternoon assistant in the P2 Children’s House classroom. Chung Yi has been a sub and member of our late-stay team for several years, as well as the teacher in our after-school Mandarin club. Her attention to detail and her calm and comforting demeanor bless both staff and students alike! We are thrilled to have Chung Yi as a full-time member of our staff this semester!

How did you discover Montessori?

I was introduced to Montessori through a local Montessori school summer camp as an assistant and then as an after-hour program assistant before coming to Villa. I completed the AMI orientation course and have been to one conference and one workshop.

What do you like about Montessori?

I like that it respects individual development. Montessori guides teach individually or in groups and do not evaluate students’ value based on grades. I like how Montessori provides real-world experience, and cultivates children’s independence.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be an architect and interior designer, but the education system in Taiwan kept me from getting close to my dream.

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend?

I like to be in the studio to create art from my thoughts, in the kitchen to make some yummy food for people I care about, or walking and traveling with my husband.

Here’s Chung Yi giving a lesson on colors in Mandarin. It is so exciting to be able to offer a bilingual experience to children!

Welcome, Chung Yi, we’re so glad you’re here!

 

Montessori 101: The Multi-Age Classroom

Uncategorized, by Sarah Moscicke, March 15, 2022,

We Montessorians sometimes use terminology that’s unfamiliar to folks more accustomed to a traditional school model, and this can lead to a bit of a mystification around the philosophy. It can even lead to the notion that Montessori schools are out of reach for the general population—that the methods in a Montessori school are too specialized, too… strange.

In fact, the concepts of Montessori, and the vocabulary we use, were borne from Dr. Maria Montessori’s education, research, and maybe most importantly, her observations of real children at work. In other words, Montessori concepts and vocabulary are rooted in the natural processes of child development—concepts are very familiar, even intuitive, to anyone who lives or works with children. In our Montessori 101 series, we’ll demystify and explore Montessori terminology. This week, we’ll take a look at the benefits the Montessori multi-age classroom offers.

In a Montessori school, you will not find separate classrooms for preschool, Kindergarten, 1st grade, etc., as you might in a traditional school. Instead, each Montessori classroom environment serves children in a three-year range of ages. Why do we do this? Isn’t it confusing to have multiple grades and ages in one classroom? How does the guide teach all the right lessons to the right students?

The fundamental principle behind the mixed-age environment is this: Montessori places children into environments based on their developmental stage. Dr. Montessori’s research suggests that children go through multiple-year stages of development from birth to adulthood, called “the four planes of development.” (Stay tuned for a blog post about the four planes!). In each plane, there are specific emotional, physical, social, and intellectual milestones, as well as specific emotional, physical, social, and intellectual needs. Montessori environments are specialized to foster those milestones and serve those needs.

At Villa di Maria, you’ll find separate environments designed to serve children 14 months through 3 years—the Young Children’s Community; 3 years through 6 years—the Children’s House; 6 through 9—Lower Elementary; and 9 through 12—Upper Elementary.

So, back to those questions at the top: Isn’t it confusing to have multiple grades ages in one classroom? Put simply… no. And in fact, we believe it makes more sense than the preschool – 12 system of traditional schooling. Nowhere else in life are we placed exclusively with others our exact age. Dr. Montessori believed the classroom should be as accurate a reflection of the child’s culture as possible—Montessori education prepares children for life. And the age-specific environment just doesn’t happen in the real world. In the mixed-age environment, children learn to work alongside, and collaborate with their older and younger peers.

In fact, the mixed-age classroom allows children to take on different roles in relation to their peers over the course of their time in each environment. On the younger end of the age range, children are careful observers of their older peers, gaining inspiration and motivation from their work. As they move into their final year in their environment, their culminating year, children take on leadership roles. With two years of experience settling into the routines and values of their classroom, the older students are ready to model positive behavior and inspire the younger children with their beautiful and challenging work. The older children, themselves, develop patience and compassion as they assist and encourage their younger peers in areas of struggle.

But what about grade-level work—how does the guide teach all the right lessons to the right students? The mixed-age classroom supports each child’s individual learning pace within their plane of development. Children have the opportunity to work with older students in some areas and younger students in other areas. For example, if a child is struggling to master subtraction, giving a lesson to a younger student could help. Teaching someone else how to do something cements that learning in their own brain. When they are ready for more challenging math work, they can be paired with older students for a challenge. The diversity of ages in the classroom promotes the value of unique learning styles and timelines. We all have areas of strength and weakness. We each progress to understanding and mastery in our own time.

Additionally, the multi-age classroom allows the child to develop leadership skills in his culminating year. The older children model positive behavior, as they’ve had two years to settle into the routines and values of that classroom. They also inspire the younger children with their beautiful and challenging work projects. The older children develop patience and compassion as they assist and encourage the younger in areas of struggle.

What all child development research tells us is that, while there are certainly milestones that will be met for most children at certain stages, these stages are not neatly divided into one-year segments. There is no age-prompted switch that automatically turns on for reading or algebra. Each typically developing child in a learning environment will hit their milestones within a range of ages. And this is exactly what the mixed-age environment offers.

We Are VdM: Jane Jennings

Community, by Sarah Moscicke, March 10, 2022,

The very best part of Villa di Maria is our people. Our community of families, faculty and staff is something to be proud of. In this series, We are VdM, we’ll highlight the energies, talents, humor and wisdom of some of our amazing people. Today, we’ll meet Jane Jennings, assistant in the Upper Elementary Dodecahedron classroom. We are thrilled Jane joined our team this Fall, alongside Tina. Her background in professional vocal performance benefits her students, as does her positive, peaceful demeanor as an assistant.

​​How did you discover Montessori? 

I was actively looking for employment to fill my days while my boys were in school. A neighbor of mine told me about a position that was open at her son’s Montessori school. I applied, interviewed, and was hired to be Ms. Tina’s assistant, whom I’ve worked alongside for the past five years. I thoroughly enjoy being a part of the authentic Montessori environment at Villa di Maria. I wish I knew about Montessori when my boys were younger. 

What is something you love about Montessori? 

I love the idea of Freedoms and Responsibilities and that there are natural consequences for your actions. The idea is so simple yet impactful. I wish this concept would be introduced to all children regardless of their educational path.

What is your favorite thing to do on the weekend? 

I love the weekends because it means more time spent with my family. My husband, Paul and I enjoy preparing gourmet meals together. He is an amazing cook and I am his sous chef. I also like it when I find time on the weekends to bake. We love raising our sons, Everett, who is 15 and Ethan, who is a freshman at Truman State University. Jewel, our eight year old Boxer, keeps us busy and entertained. At the first hint of spring, we all like to be outdoors. We enjoy walking, hiking, home improvement projects, and I LOVE tending my flower gardens. 

What did you want to be when you grew up? 

I wanted to be a singer/performer. I wasn’t sure of the genre of music I would perform because I liked many different styles. With encouragement and direction, the decision was made in college to pursue classical music. I went on to earn a Master of Music in Voice Performance. I signed with an agent in New York and after 25 years as a soprano soloist in operas and concerts in Italy, Spain, Mexico, and across the United States, I can say that I have been blessed to see my dreams come true. 

What is your favorite memory/quote so far with one of your students? 

My favorite memory so far was during our Adventure Day at Go Ape in Creve Coeur Park.  So many students were concerned about the height and difficulty of the ropes course.  You could see their trepidation and sometimes sheer panic as they approached the start of the course.  Their courage to take just one step at a time with encouragement from their friends and teachers taught them to be courageous and to trust themselves. The smiles on their faces proved them to be victorious.

 

Montessori 101: Environment vs. Classroom

Children's House, by Sarah Moscicke, March 8, 2022,

We Montessorians sometimes use terminology that’s unfamiliar to folks more accustomed to a traditional school model, and this can lead to a bit of a mystification around the philosophy. It can even lead to the notion that Montessori schools are out of reach for the general population—that the methods in a Montessori school are too specialized, too… strange.

In fact, the concepts of Montessori, and the vocabulary we use to describe those concepts, were borne from Dr. Maria Montessori’s education, research, and maybe most importantly, her observations of real children at work. In other words, Montessori concepts and vocabulary are rooted in the natural processes of child development, and these concepts are very familiar, even intuitive, to anyone who lives or works with children. In our Montessori 101 series, we’ll demystify Montessori vocabulary and explore the concepts that inform it. This week, we’ll unpack what we mean by an “environment,” as opposed to a “classroom”.

Montessori often compares human development to the growth of a plant. The plant has everything it needs to grow within itself; it only requires the proper environment (soil, water, sunlight, warmth). Similarly, humans require certain environmental factors to mature and flourish. We know infants require consistent positive interaction with caregivers in order to form attachment and one day function in society. Babies need freedom of movement in order to learn to walk. They need to hear their native language to be able to develop language themselves. Amazingly, typically developing little humans acquire the abilities to walk and speak without any formal instruction! Movement and language develop organically in an environment rich with stimuli and interaction.

“Education is not something which a teacher does, but it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being. It is not acquired by listening to words, but in virtue of experiences in which the child acts on his environment.” (emphasis added)

(Maria Montessori, The Absorbent Mind)

As children develop, they require a developing set of stimuli to aid them toward their full potential. Dr. Montessori observed that children pass through four stages of development from birth to adulthood. She called these stages, “The Four Planes of Development.” An in-depth look into the four planes of development is coming to the blog very soon—for now, the takeaway is this: the characteristics of children change from plane to plane; and each plane of development requires a particular environment and trained adult suited to the needs of that plane.

In a Montessori school, classrooms (yes, we still call it a “classroom” sometimes!) are designed and thoughtfully prepared along the lines of the planes and sub-planes of development. Montessori divides the first plane into a sub-plane of zero-to-three years old and three-to-six years old—these are the Young Children’s Community (YCC) and the Children’s House. The YCC environment is designed to facilitate the natural work of the very young child: the construction of physical and biological independence. The YCC assists children as they learn to walk, talk, and perform activities independently. From ages to three through six, the Children’s House environment continues to foster the independence of the first-plane child.

In the second plane of development, the sub-planes break down into six-to-nine years old and nine-to-twelve years old—Lower Elementary and Upper Elementary. In these environments children are offered materials and lessons to develop mental independence and a reasoning mind. The elementary environments also offer social opportunities as children become motivated to work and spend time with others. For this reason, the Montessori elementary environment provides larger work tables to accommodate groups of children. The elementary guide presents lessons to groups of children because of the intense drive to work with peers.

A “classroom” connotes a room in which a class is held, where information is imparted from one person to another. Montessori doesn’t see education that way. In a Montessori school, we see the innate power children have to form themselves, as flowers do, given the appropriate surroundings—surroundings that meet the needs of the particular developmental stage. As Dr. Montessori said,

“An adult can assist in shaping the environment, but it is the child that perfects his own being.”

By calling the classroom an “environment,” Montessorians seek to give agency to the child in their process of formation. We see the trained adult as an important part of the environment, who guides the child in his journey toward becoming a fully formed adult.