Emotional Well-Being in the Montessori Classroom
In today’s world, emotional literacy and well-being are vital for the flourishing of our children and young adults. Montessori philosophy naturally fosters this because we care about the development of the whole child—their emotional, physical, social, and intellectual development.
In a Montessori environment, children are encouraged to pursue their unique learning styles; they aren’t rushed to master content for tests; and there’s no pile-on homework after a long school day. Montessori does not arbitrarily confine students in a one-size-fits-all grade level. Instead it encourages children to explore and learn at their own pace—it keeps natural curiosity alive and fosters intrinsic motivation. Montessori develops intellectual tools that grant children the joy of being life-long learners.
Another way Montessori supports emotional well-being is through movement. In her work with children, Dr. Maria Montessori observed a need for movement and a drive to explore the world through the hands. We know from our own experience that we are connected body and mind. How we use our bodies affects our concentration, outlook, and emotions. Nutrition, sleep, and exercise (read, “movement”!) are critical in the development of strong mental health.
In the Montessori classroom, children choose where and with whom to sit—where their bodies are most comfortable working. Many of the materials in the classroom environment incorporate movement of the body. For example, children move around the classroom to gather the materials for work; they manipulate small beads to do division; they follow language commands that lead them around the environment; and they perform experiments with solids, liquids, and gasses. When children are allowed to move freely in their learning environment, we see the positive effects expressed in their enjoyment of work and their upbeat demeanor at school.
In addition to movement, nature has a powerful effect on our mental health. Numerous studies including those cited here reveal a link between time spent in nature and improved attention, lowered stress, and improved mood. At VdM, children have ample access to the outdoors and nature. Children at VdM experience daily hour-long outdoor recess. They also have the opportunity to work outside during the work cycle, spend time in the garden, feed the chickens, walk the classroom dog, rake the neighbor’s leaves, or carry out the trash, recycling, and compost.
Finally, Montessori guides seamlessly weave techniques into their lessons that help children manage their challenging emotions. For example, guides model positive self-talk when a child is struggling to learn something new. They offer social scripts to help students navigate conflict; for instance, “I need some time alone before I’m ready to talk,” or “It made me feel... when you…” VdM guides employ specific lessons and work choices geared toward the development of emotional literacy as well. Some guides lead regular meditation practice, yoga, or teach breathing techniques to calm bodies and minds. Specific areas of the classroom environments are set up for children to practice calming techniques, such as a finger labyrinth or yoga poses.
The wheel of emotions is a beautiful material that gives students a robust understanding of their feelings and those around them.
At Villa di Maria we are grateful to accompany each child in their unique journey and contribute to the prioritization of emotional literacy and well-being in education and our world. We are raising future leaders that care about the individual and all the complex facets of human beings.
We are so excited to revive our blog this year, as we claw our way out of COVID survival mode. My name is Sarah Moscicke, and many of you may know me as a Villa di Maria guide. I worked for the last two years as the guide in the Racks and Tubes Lower Elementary Classroom and am excited to now begin contributing to VdM’s blog, as I also care for my two young boys at home.
Throughout the pandemic, the work of the child has not stopped and VdM has continued to be committed to our mission:
The challenges of our world today and over the past two years are significant, but the VdM community of guides, assistants, parents, and children has met these challenges with determination, innovation, and kindness. We see the qualities of our mission statement evidenced in the children each day in the classroom and in the incredible support of our families. I’m so excited to share the beautiful moments from our community with you through the stories in this blog. We hope they inspire you with the optimism of the Montessori philosophy, offer hope for the present moment, and invite you to enter into the family that is Villa di Maria and the wider Montessori community.
As Dr. Montessori said, “the child is both a hope and a promise for the future.” May the pages of this blog continue to manifest and celebrate this ideal!
Way back in March 2020, as SARS-CoV-2 took hold of the world, Villa di Maria was quickly forced to take on unprecedented challenges and shift into pandemic mode. Our campus was shut down and each of us—child, parent, and staff member—was suddenly separated from the rest of our community.To close out 2020 Villa di Maria went online—our team of guides, assistants, staff members, and parents came together to develop 
We were able to 
We also added to our community at the start of the 2020-2021 school year with a brand new 
So, the first part of pandemic-mode Villa di Maria has had its upsides, and for that we are grateful.
As for the difficulties, there have been many. The 
In the thick of the pandemic, our resources were stretched thin. Our pandemic response efforts dominated our administrative time and sadly, our blog went dormant.We love our blog and the community it fosters. We are proud to have a reach that encompasses and stretches beyond the VdM community. Over the years, our blog has connected us with incredible humans across the globe and allowed us to 
In the meantime, here are a few of favorite posts:
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 talents, humor, energies and wisdom of some of our amazing people. Today we'll meet one of longtime families: Tricia, Thomas, Klaus and Max Jöstlein. The Jöstleins have been a part of Villa di Maria for many years. Their older son Klaus graduated in 2019, and their younger son Max is currently a fourth-year in Upper Elementary. Tricia and Thomas are also on campus regularly—most recently, Thomas treated the elementary classrooms to an outdoor concert last fall and Tricia was a substitute guide in the YCC this past winter.
Villa di Maria: Tell us a bit about you and your family. Where are you from and what brought you to St. Louis?Tricia: Thomas and I both grew up in the midwest and we met at Rice University in Houston, where we studied French Horn performance. We followed each other to various orchestra jobs (Honolulu, Richmond, Omaha, Kansas City, New York) until Thomas was hired by the St. Louis Symphony in 2010. We have loved being in St. Louis.
VdM: Tell us about your backgrounds, what do you and your spouse do career-wise?The Jöstleins: We are both professional musicians, which is terrific in so many ways. Besides the opportunities to perform at Powell, Thomas has played in great halls around the world, including a historic concert in North Korea when he was a member of the New York Philharmonic. Tricia is a frequent sub with the SLSO, plays for Winter Opera St. Louis, and is adjunct at Webster University.VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?The Jöstleins: We enjoy a lot of things in common, like travel, cooking, board games, and tennis. We also have tremendous opportunities that music affords. Klaus (violin) and Max (cello) are becoming really fine musicians and it's great to play music together.During the pandemic we hosted 173 free concerts on our front lawn. With the help of many friends, we branched out beyond classical music, to jazz, bluegrass, ragtime, Irish, story telling, and even a Beatles cover night! Our Syrian friends sold their amazing falafel, and Klaus and Max started quite a lemonade operation. The concerts provided a unique way to expand our musical horizons, connect with our neighbors, and meet new people during an otherwise fraught time.
VdM: A question for Klaus - Where are you now? Tell us a little about your new school and what you're up to.The Jöstleins: Klaus mostly goes around the house screeching and annoying his little brother. And attending the College School in Webster Groves.
VdM: For Max - Tell us one of your favorite Villa di Maria memories (so far!).The Jöstleins: Max loved playing his cello for his Racks and Tubes classmates last spring on Zoom. They were amazed at his abilities!
Dr. King spent his lifetime exposing the unfair and cruel treatment of African Americans throughout the United States. He fought for racial and economic equality and inspired countless others to do the same in the Civil Rights Movement.
Today we take the time to honor the life, the work and the legacy of Dr. King. There are several online opportunities to do just that.
Thank you, Dr. King. Rest in peace.
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 talents, humor, energies and wisdom of some of our amazing people. Today we'll meet the Jody, Alan, Theo and Elliott Ferber. Theo is a new Villa di Maria student this year; he is in his second year in the Checkerboard Lower Elementary classroom.
VdM: How did you find Villa di Maria?The Ferbers: Early in the summer, when we decided to move to St. Louis, we did lots of research on different school options and drove by many different schools. Theo (a 2nd year in Checkerboard) was with us when we first drove by VdM. As soon as he saw the playground made of cedar structures, he exclaimed, "I want to go to school here!!" We set up a meeting with Laura, and were impressed by the large outdoor campus with woods and garden, and inspiring indoor facility. The clear priorities of hands-on, tactile, and experiential learning, as well as appropriate outdoor recreational time, were important to us.Laura's anecdotes about various VdM students and their interests/pursuits helped us know that VdM would be a great fit for Theo. In NY, Theo went to a traditional public school for K and 1st grade. We could tell half-way through 1st grade that we needed to find a learning environment where his enthusiasm and creativity for hands-on learning would be embraced and supported as part of his school day. We started to explore Montessori schools last winter in NY, and when we decided to move to St. Louis, we were really glad see options here, as well. We feel so lucky to have found VdM, and after only a few months, we see Theo's enthusiasm for learning reignited! Our whole family is enjoying the process of learning all about Montessori, and both Mom and Dad are jealous and want to be Montessori students!
VdM: Tell us about your backgrounds, what do you and your spouse do career-wise?The Ferbers: We are both professional musicians. Alan is a trombonist, composer, and arranger, working in jazz and commercial music, and is adjunct jazz faculty at NYU Steinhardt School. He writes music for his own Big Band and Jazz Nonet, as well as arrangements and original commissions for other artists and ensembles. Many recent projects have been for vocalists with big band. He co-teaches the BMI Workshop, a weekly coaching for professional musicians to improve their big band composing.Jody is a cellist, composer, and vocalist. Although she is classically trained, she plays a lot of different styles of music and often plays with jazz artists. Alan and Jody record regularly for albums, films, and commercials, and have both released a number of albums as composer/bandleader. You can hear Alan's music at 
VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?The Ferbers: We love to hike, camp, bike, kayak, and make nature art together (we always have a "collections" box of cool looking natural materials we've found). We love to travel, so when one parent has a concert in a great location, we try to bring the family along, when possible. Also, Theo plays the drums, so we often play "Family Band." (Elliott, age 2, is our dancer!). Theo went through a huge Beatles phase in 1st grade, so we learned "Come Together," "Ticket to Ride," and "Hey Jude" as Family Band. As anyone in Checkerboard knows, Theo loves baseball, so we often go to our local Fox Park and play at the baseball diamond. Theo is a natural gardener and is constantly starting plants from seed—so although Mom and Dad don't have green thumbs, Theo is encouraging us to learn and stretch. This year Theo planted dozens of seeds in pots during the 2nd week of COVID lockdown and we had our first garden with actually edible proceeds this summer: kale, chard, tomatoes, basil, cilantro, beans, and carrots. Yum!
VdM: What are you most looking forward to this school year?The Ferbers: We are so excited for Theo to learn in the Montessori style, and for him to have the opportunity to make lot of new friends. We are also enjoying spending time with the grandparents, with whom we've been in a "bubble" since June. It's been really special for the boys to see them often, something we never could do before when we lived so far apart! Although it's a challenging time to get to know a new city, we're really enjoying take-out from SO many yummy St. Louis restaurants, and have tried to catch live outdoor music when possible!
VdM: A question for Theo - What is one of your favorite things to do at school, so far?Theo: Grammer Box III, because of the colored water, and you get to use the science stuff to make the colored water. It is SO FUN!
Thank you Jody, Alan, Theo and Elliott! Welcome to Villa di Maria—we are thrilled to have you in the VdM community.Photos courtesy of the Ferber family.
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 talents, humor, energies and wisdom of some of our amazing people. Today we'll meet Jonathan Putra and his parents Abadi Kurniawan and Mikie Rachman. Jonathan and his family are new to Villa di Maria this year; Jonathan is in his first year in the Racks & Tubes Lower Elementary classroom.Villa di Maria: Where are you from and what brought you to St. Louis?Mikie: We were born and grew up in Jakarta, Indonesia. I moved to St. Louis right after high school in 2004 to pursue an undergraduate degree in nursing and my husband (Abadi) moved to St. Louis in 2007 to continue with his Master's degree in computer science. Even though we grew up in the same city and our house is only 30 minutes away, our first meeting is actually taken place here in St. Louis—10,000 miles away from home. Needless to say, St. Louis is our second home away from home. We decided to start our family in 2013, and Jonathan was born a year later right after the World Cup semi-final match between Argentina and Germany team.
VdM: How did you find Montessori and Villa di Maria?Mikie: We heard about Montessori school when Jonathan was in Pre-K, but neither of us knows much about the school philosophy back then. However, when Jonathan was in kindergarten, we learned more about Montessori philosophy from multiple work colleagues who send their children to Montessori school and we really like its teaching philosophy. After doing some research around the St. Louis area, we chose Villa di Maria because we were impressed by everything we saw during the tour. When Jonathan had his chance to experience the school for one full day, he came home really excited and told us that he can't wait to go to this school.
VdM: Tell us about your backgrounds, what do you and your spouse do career-wise? Mikie: My husband work as a software engineer at 1904labs, building software for Fortune 500 companies in St. Louis. Outside of his full time work, he’s working on building his own startup with some of his friends. I am currently working as nursing research coordinator at WashU, collaborating with BJC healthcare to expand informatics research activities on their academic medical center. In addition to this full time role, I am also teaching a couple clinical classes for Goldfarb School of Nursing as part of my community service to help prepare future nurses in our region.
VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?Mikie: My husband and Jonathan both love to play video games. Their favorite game is Minecraft. They spent a lot of time building, exploring, and going on an adventure in Minecraft world, and then tell the tale with me afterward. We enjoy experiencing new culinary from different countries, whether by going to restaurants (not so much during pandemic), or by trying out new recipes at home.
VdM: What are you most looking forward to this school year?Mikie: Before the Pandemic, we were already excited to have Jonathan experience all different activities at VdM such as going out and cooking activities. Now, we are just happy that Jonathan has the opportunity to go to school in-person and make new friends in his first year at VdM. It was a tough decision to send him to school in person, but all the extra effort by Villa di Maria staff and teachers to make sure all the students can stay safe gave us the confidence and peace of mind.
VdM: A question for Jonathan - What is one of your favorite things to do at school so far? Mikie: Jonathan loves spending time outside, exploring the woods while he is at school. Additionally, he also loves learning about Science especially when he has a chance to conduct science experiments. He always excited to share some interesting scientific facts with us while at home.
Welcome to Villa di Maria, Jonathan, Abadi and Mikie. We are so happy to have your family here!Uncredited photos courtesy of Mikie Rachman and Abadi Kurniawan.
For the month of November, the Upper Elementary Book Club voted on which genre to explore. And the winner is: fantasy and the hero's journey! Each of the novels below offer nontraditional takes on traditional fantasy or fairy tale elements. Upper Elementary readers will follow characters through adventure and danger as they face their fears, overcome seemingly impossible obstacles and find their true heroic selves. 
In the mythical town of Zombay, a young orphan named Rownie is determined to find his missing brother. Like all the town's orphans, Rownie lives in the house of an evil witch named Graba, who uses him as a servant. As he is out on one of Graba's errands, Rownie meets a troupe of goblins who travel and put on plays, an activity which is strictly forbidden in Zombay. When Rownie learns the goblins can help him find his brother, he escapes Graba's house and joins their troupe. What follows is an adventure that is sometimes very dark, sometimes funny and always exciting. Goblin Secrets combines elements of fairy tale magic and steampunk fantasy to create an incredible world filled with unforgettable characters.
Breadcrumbs is a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," set in modern-day Minnesota and told from the perspective of 11-year-old Hazel. Hazel's life is not easy. She is adopted and the only dark-skinned person in her family. She doesn't have many friends and is misunderstood by her teachers. And her father left. The one thing Hazel had was Jack, her best friend. But one day, out of nowhere, Jack stopped talking to Hazel. Everyone tells Hazel that boys and girls just grow apart, that it's just a part of growing up, but Hazel knows better. She knows that Jack is cursed and she sets out into the terrifying, snowy woods to find him. Breadcrumbs blends a classic fairy tale with mythology, pop-culture and literary references, and real-life problems into a rich and emotionally powerful story.
On her twelfth birthday, Farah and her two best friends must go on a quest to find her little brother Ahmed, who is lost inside an ancient and magical game. Inside the game, the friends find themselves in Paheli, a land full of beautiful Islamic architecture and a bustling market that remind Farah of Bangladesh and India—places that are part of her family's history. The friends must face the game's challenges and defeat the Architect to rescue Ahmed and escape. With the help of a lizard and the pilot of a hot air balloon, the friends face all sorts of magical, mythical creatures, as well as the Architect's spies. The Gauntlet weaves Islamic culture and history together with fantasy and adventure to tell a story of family, friendship and loyalty. This book is also the first book of a series, so readers can follow even more of Farah's adventures!
Lola Budge is not like other wombats. She is inquisitive, curious, chatty and bored. All she wants to do is explore. So when all the other wombats are asleep, Lola sneaks out of her burrow to explore Tassie Island, to find out what else is out there in the world. She meets a platypus with a secret message, but doesn't understand it. She heads back to her burrow and finds the other wombats, including her family, being carted away in a cage by the Tasmanian devils. Lola's mother sees her from the cage and shouts out to her to find her uncle. Lola sets off to find him, alone and afraid. Along the way, she meets Melvin and Blue, a rat and a baby penguin, who join her adventure and help her find her true courage and strength. Braver is pure anthropomorphic fantasy, filled with fun, quirky characters and lively adventure.
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 Jaime, Chris, Tommy and Oliver Macke who joined VdM in 2015. Tommy is in his third year in the Checkerboard Lower Elementary classroom and Oliver just started this year in the Young Children's Community.Villa di Maria: Tell us a bit 
VdM: Tell us about your backgrounds, what do you and your spouse do career-wise? Jaime: I studied Spanish at SIUE and abroad at a university near Mexico City; I also have a Masters in English from SIUE. I work at a pharmaceutical company as a global business director, but language is still my true passion! Chris received his degree in Business at UMSL and was previously also in the corporate world, working in a global sales management position. But both of us having jobs with lots of international travel was getting to be too much for our family. So last summer, Chris exchanged his corporate job for a stay-at-home dad title, and we haven’t looked back! I have no idea how we would have gotten through this year if we hadn’t made that change. Chris’s passion is acting and movie production, so he and some local contacts formed a partnership and they’re working on producing a film.VdM: Do you have any hobbies? How do you and your family enjoy spending your spare time?Jaime: We travel a lot (or, we did) and it’s our favorite thing to do! We love taking the boys to new places. Our family also loves the water, so we do a lot of swimming year round. At home, we walk to parks when the weather cooperates and when it doesn’t, we do a lot of game and movie nights. Both boys have a LOT of energy, so we try to stay busy ?.
VdM: What are you most looking forward to this school year?Jaime: We are honestly just so happy that our boys have the opportunity to be in school. Distance learning, even with one of us being a full-time stay-at-home parent, was challenging for our family, and Tommy really loves being in his classroom, working with his peers. We’re also super excited that Oliver has been able to join Villa in the YCC. We were so excited when the program was announced and we couldn’t have been happier when we learned that he would be with Reghan and Jess every day (Tommy had a wonderful experience in their primary environment!). Oliver really loves being at Villa and has been thriving in the new environment!
VdM: A question for Tommy - What is one of your favorite memories of Villa di Maria, so far? Tommy: When I moved up to Lower Elementary and found out that I was in the same class as my friends!
Some photos in this post were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This response, as simple as it seems, is really quite powerful. If you've spent any time with children, you know that they are dedicated, persistent (sometimes relentless) question-askers. The sky, their breakfast, the neighbor's car, the leaves on the trees, the street lights, the huge eyebrows on that man at the grocery store... nothing is spared the curiosity of children. They will ask questions about all of it. All. Of. It.When they are very young, children are taking in everything around them—collecting endless data from their surroundings. They begin to store, categorize, quantify and sort that data, to process the world with countless repetitions of who?, what?, when?, where? and, of course, WHY?
As they get older, their questions increase and become more complicated as they begin to use their reasoning minds and develop their imaginations—as they begin to practice abstract thought.Asking questions is the primary method children use to learn. So when adults meet their questions with statements like What a great question!, we are sending a powerful message. Multiple powerful messages, in fact. We are teaching children that they are allowed to actively participate, and even take control, in their learning; that their curiosity, their drive to know more and more about the world, is a positive (a great!) thing; and that their voice matters and is being heard.And that's not all! In addition to the confidence-promoting benefits listed above, there's something else happening, something a bit more... strategic. When we say, What a great question!, we are actually withholding an answer. Think back again to any time you've spent with any child, to when those questions started flowing. The easiest thing to do would be to just answer. Or to change the subject or invoke the quiet game. But ending a question with an answer or a redirect puts a stop to the learning.Of course there are some questions that call for simple answers, but I would go out on a limb to say that most questions being asked by a child aren't simple. Most questions are an indication that synapses are firing, that intellectual curiosity is at work, that discovery is happening, that we are in a moment when the child is inspired and motivated to learn.
Higher Order Thinking and Metacognition
So, higher order thinking, including metacognition, is the ultimate goal for the Montessori-educated child. But why? It is the kind of thinking that's more complex, requires more concentration, more time, more work. It is, frankly, harder. And it also the kind of thinking that inspires deeper research and encourages students to explore. It fosters creativity and leads to discoveries. It helps children navigate difficult social situations and develops empathy. It has been shown to strengthen the brain by creating new synapses. And most importantly it instills in children a confidence in their own intellect. It gives them a true love of learning.
And it all starts with something that children bring with them naturally—an endless, wonder-filled curiosity.
The Upper Elementary Book Club takes monthly deep-dives into curated selections of books in a range of genres. Our on- and off-campus UE students work to complete the books by a deadline, along with complementary work to help them organize their thoughts and plan for discussion. Then they gather online each Friday to discuss the themes, settings, characters, plot lines and literary devices of their chosen books.For October, UE readers have chosen from three middle-grade novels centered around characters with physical/mobility disabilities, each written in an engaging first-person narrative.
Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly tells the story of 12-year-old Iris, a deaf girl compelled to find and help Blue 55, a whale who is forced to live in isolation because he is unable to communicate with his pod. Iris is surrounded by people who misunderstand and underestimate her because she is deaf, and when she learns about Blue 55, she pours her heart and soul into helping him. A genius with electronics and technology, Iris decides to invent a way to help Blue 55 sing so he can communicate with other whales and find a pod. To accomplish her goal, she has to take a lot of risks and break a lot of rules. She has to venture out into the world alone. Song for a Whale is the adventurous, suspenseful and inspiring story of two misfits finding a connection. 
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper tells the story of Melody, born with cerebral palsy, who cannot walk, talk or write. All of Melody's life, most people have been telling her she's incapable and not smart. One doctor even tells her parents she should be sent to a nursing home. But she knows she is smart, maybe smarter than anyone she knows... she's just trapped inside her head. By the time she's in fifth grade, Melody is determined to find a way to express her true self. With the help of a communication device, an integrating program at school, and a classroom aide, Melody begins to find her voice. Melody's path is not easy—she faces cruelty from her classmates and constant doubting from some of her teachers. But she keeps going, relying on her grit, her love of music and her sense of humor to ultimately express her true self. 
In Wonder by P.J. Palacio, we meet fifth grader Auggie, born with severe birth defects which left him with hearing loss and severe facial disfigurement. Auggie is never surprised by people's reactions when they see his face. He's used to it but he wishes he could just be seen as a normal kid. When his parents move him from homeschooling to a prep school, Auggie has to navigate the reactions of his new classmates and teachers. He is bullied, gawked at and betrayed by a new friend—all he wants is to quit school. Wonder is written in sections, told from different characters' points of view—Auggie's older sister, her friend and boyfriend, and two of Auggie's new friends. Through each of these character's stories, we learn more about Auggie and how hard life has been for him. And we also learn that there are people on his side, lifting him up. Auggie makes real friendships; with their support and the support of his family, he continues going to school and finds a place in the world.
And that's when I was reminded that the notion that a child can do things independently—or even should do things independently—is not universal. The family member was upset by the idea that a three-year old would use a knife. "Why in the world," he asked (and I am paraphrasing from memory), "would it matter if a little kid used a knife? Why would you waste time teaching that? It will take forever, and she's just going to cut herself. No three-year old needs to use a knife.""It's not about the knife!" and "Don't underestimate my child!" was what I wanted to say (shout). But I didn't, because while I knew intuitively the importance of a child's ability to complete tasks like vegetable cutting independently, I could not, right then, articulate the answers.
Which brings me to what might seem like a hard left turn: a 2015 episode of the podcast Invisibilia called "
Which brings me back to the significance of independence-building tasks like vegetable cutting in a Montessori classroom. When young children are allowed to practice and eventually master tasks independently, they are learning that they are capable. They are becoming competent. And each time they master a task on their own, they gain confidence and are motivated to keep trying at new things, to keep learning. Their competence grows and feeds their confidence. Their confidence grows and keeps them motivated. It's a virtuous cycle.So, it's not about the knife... or at least, not only about the knife. There are fine motor skills and spatial senses at work when a child learns vegetable cutting. In fact, all of the independence-building tasks and activities in a Montessori environment come with added benefits like the development of a writing grasp and hand-eye coordination or the opportunities to concentrate and practice grace and courtesy. But the real gift of Montessori is that children are allowed to complete these tasks themselves—they are told that they can do it.
The value of independence is introduced in the Young Children's Community and Children's House with Practical Life activities but it doesn't stop there. It is encouraged and fostered throughout the Montessori curricula. Each and every lesson, at every level, is given with the goal that the child will ultimately be able to master the work on their own. From zipping a jacket to mastering long division, our guides teach our children how to do the work themselves. It is part of their certification as AMI guides to study the developmental stages of children, to know what children are truly capable of and how to help get them there.
So does this mean that the adults in a Montessori environment are never helping children? Not at all. Guides and assistants are in the environments modeling and teaching not only academic lessons, but also social behaviors and even table manners. But they are also doing something that a lot of folks forget to do. They are watching and waiting.
Daniel, from "How to Become Batman," talks about this. As an adult he teaches blind children and their families how to raise their expectations of what's possible. The biggest obstacle, he says, is that people who mean well "will jump in half a second too soon, and they rob the [child] from that learning moment." That half-second is exactly what Montessori allows to play out—the opportunity to learn.
What is so great about Montessori is that it does not underestimate what children can do. Of course there are limits based on age, size, verbal readiness and other developmental factors. But the adults in Montessori environments recognize those limits as well as what is truly possible within those limits. And we consciously raise our expectations to meet those possibilities.
When the pandemic led us to close our campus back in March, right at the start of Spring Break, our incredible and dedicated guides worked at lightening speed to create distance-learning plans for each of our levels. I am not exaggerating when I write that the guides worked straight through Spring Break—around the clock—to convert their homes into distance learning studios. They prepared videos, materials, lesson plans and schedules to keep our student communities connected and learning.At the time, the distance learning plans were meant to be very temporary, to hold us over for a couple of weeks until we would back on campus. Then those weeks turned into more weeks and then months—and we closed out our school year online. Being apart, away from campus, was not what any of us wanted but our guides, assistants, students and parents took on the challenge, dedicated to keeping our children learning and our community strong, and jumped whole-heartedly into daily online class meetings, lessons, book club gatherings, social hours, sing-alongs and read-alouds. The last months of school were a whirlwind, but 
And it's a good thing we did because we are here, a few weeks into the 2020-2021 school year, and the pandemic is still going strong. Thanks to the hard work our people put in last spring—not to mention the planning, preparing, discussing and tweaking put in by our elementary guides over the summer—we were able to start this school year with a distance-learning option for our elementary students.As we showed you 
This year's elementary program is led by Guide Rebecca Callander, who is online with Lower and Upper Elementary students every day. Distance learning students follow daily and weekly schedules of class meetings, lessons, smaller group meetings and conferences.
One day we will all be on campus again. But until then, we are pretty happy and pretty proud to have a community of guides, assistants, admin staff and parents who are keeping us—all of us—together.
Many thanks to Rebecca Callander, Winston Liddy, Sophie Andre and Laura Wheeler for the photos.
Our reopening would not have been possible without these three things: our campus, our staff and our community of parents and grandparents.We are lucky enough to sit on 6 acres of land, which has allowed us to spread out and increase our students' work and play spaces while still allowing them to remain in their stable groups.
We are proud to say we have a staff of dedicated and hard working people who put in hours upon hours of discussion, research, planning, preparation, brain power, muscle power and truly thoughtful care to get our campus and classroom environments reconfigured and ready to reopen.
And we are grateful, if that word were enough, for our community of parents and grandparents who have contributed their time, skill and dollars to support our reopening. Parent and grandparent volunteers came to our campus in the heat of August to clear shrubbery, expand patios, trim trees, pull weeds and do any other thing we asked of them to modify and beautify our outdoor spaces. Our parents and grandparents have also contributed to our much needed 
So now we are back on campus. And we are so happy (thrilled! elated!) to be back together! No one more so than our children...
At the end of a typical school year, we honor and celebrate our sixth-year graduates and their families on campus with a graduation ceremony and after party—lovely speeches, delicious food, laughter, tears and lots and lots of Fitz's root beer. This year the pandemic forced us to change our plans and get creative. Graduating families came in their cars to watch a parade put on by our community and a screening of their prerecorded speeches, all the while maintaining a safe distance (and yes, there was root beer!).
At the end of a typical school year, we honor and celebrate our sixth-year graduates and their families on campus with a graduation ceremony and after party—lovely speeches, delicious food, laughter, tears and lots and lots of Fitz's root beer. This year the pandemic forced us to change our plans and get creative. Graduating families came in their cars to watch a parade put on by our community and a screening of their prerecorded speeches, all the while maintaining a safe distance (and yes, there was root beer!).
VdM: Tell us something about yourself that you are proud of.
VdM: Let's talk about this school year... how do you feel about closing out your last year at Villa di Maria with distance learning?
