McKinley Elementary Staff Blog! : February 10 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley!

Behaviors:

February and March can be very hard times. We know this from our previous year's referral data - it often increases by 50-60% during these months. As we know, behavior is communication - the child is trying to communicate, show, or model a deficit in some type of skills. It's important we take time to re-teach and understand this, too.

Also, please do not forget about the power of calling home. This past week, I have seen many situations where a staff is frustrated with "ongoing behaviors" but hasn't reached out to the family. If you are seeing behaviors, completing minor referrals, or just needing support, please call home (do not email, call).

Engagement & Closing Activities:

Are you looking for new ways to engage learners and "wrap up" a learning activity? Below are 10 fun ways to help students solidify their learning AND a check for understanding for you as the teacher.

What is Montessori? Guest Bloggers Jen Bricko & Madi Ferris

As you know, our District Montessori program has moved to McKinley. We are excited to have this unique learning environment with us. You may wonder, "what exactly is Montessori?" Below is a guest write-up from the experts, Jen and Madi!

Who was Maria Montessori? She was a pretty BIG deal!

Maria Montessori was born in Italy in 1870. She was one of the first female physicians in Italy, which meant she had to break a few barriers to achieve her educational goals! She was originally interested in psychiatry. When she began to work as the co-director of a program that trained special education teachers, she started to realize her passion for education! She is known for creating a student focused hands-on form of education that is still thriving today. She had the support of many famous world leaders. She came to the US with the support of inventive thinkers like Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell. She was on the Italian money (The lire) and was recently on the 2 Euro coin! She is known for her focus on peace and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times.

I’ve never heard of Montessori schools. Are there a lot?

Yes! Montessori schools are all over the world! There are thousands of Montessori schools in the US- ranging from preschool to high school. Did you know there are public Montessori elementary schools around us? There are public Montessori schools in:

Minneapolis

St. Paul

Rochester

Waseca

Where were you trained?

Madi and I were both trained to be traditional teachers and then went back to school for our Montessori training. I went to St. Kates to get my Montessori Masters and a younger Madi was able to get her training online!

Why do you call it “E1” and “E2”?

E1 stands for elementary one and E2 is for Elementary two.

What are some of the main differences:

Multi-age- Montessori classrooms are meant to be multi-age (We are 1-2 and 3-5)
Some lessons are by grade, some are mixed grade, and some are only a few students that need that skill
We use Montessori curriculum and materials (not Everyday Math)
We do use the F and P reading lessons, though, along with Montessori phonics, word study, and grammar materials.
Hands on- we have manipulatives and LOTS OF THEM! Everything has a manipulative- the number three? Check! Verbs? Check!
Students work independently during Montessori work time. In E1 (Elementary One) we use a chart that shows all the lessons they’ve had- kind of like a menu that has due dates. If you walked in, you would see all the kids working on different “works”.
Students progress through the materials at different rates. The math material, especially, is very sequential and students move through as they are ready.