Practical Life Work in Elementary
The work of practical life does not stop in the elementary years at West Side Montessori, nor does it become any less important. It does, however, take on different forms and blend into the rest of the program.
Time Management
No one is born knowing how to manage their time. First, it takes a good sense of time as well as the ability to set goals and follow directions. Once a person has those basic skills mastered, they can gather tools to help them meet their goals within a set time.
In our elementary classrooms, this often begins with a work plan. Work plans can take on many forms, but at its most basic, the plan sets forth a list of tasks that are to be completed over the course of the day or week. Students have some choice in regards to the order they will complete the tasks and how they will go about doing so, but the expectation is set.
Do children take their work plans and successfully complete them all the time? Absolutely not, but that’s where the time management learning comes in.
When a teacher notices a pattern of unfinished work, he/she will sit down and meet with the student. These meetings are not punitive. The child understands this as the culture in the classroom has been set. The teacher might ask the child why they think the math work isn’t getting done. Is it too challenging? Is it too easy? Is it just something they don’t particularly enjoy? What does the child need to make sure it gets done?
Sometimes a child will be able to reflect and suggest a solution. Other times, they might need some ideas from the adult. They may need a refresher lesson, or to be challenged a bit more. They may need to commit to doing their math first every day just to make sure they don’t avoid it. Regardless of the course of action, time management is a constant and fluid area of work for all students as they age, and will serve them well in adulthood.
Development of Social Skills
Learning how to engage with others isn’t always easy. During the lower elementary years, children are transitioning from enjoying mostly parallel play in their primary classrooms, to developing deeper friendships for the first time. It’s only natural that conflict will arise. As children age and go through the upper elementary and adolescent years, puberty and a developing sense of self and individuality creates more opportunities to relate to peers in new ways.
One of the most wonderful gifts of the Montessori classroom is the blocks of flexible time. Many schools have blocks dedicated to specific subjects, and these time periods are rigid and centered on whole-group lessons. In a Montessori environment, where there is more flexibility, it’s simple to call a class meeting whenever it’s needed. If the children come inside from recess, for example, and there has been a conflict, there’s no need to jump right into that planned science demonstration. It can wait.
Class meetings are a great way to help children resolve conflicts. Our teachers manage to create problem solving structures without pointing fingers at individuals. Rather, they ask students to generate solutions. This approach empowers children, normalizes conflict, and lets them practice a wide variety of strategies even when they’re not the ones experiencing the conflict.
Of course, a class meeting isn’t always the solution when emotions are running high. Most classroom environments have a dedicated space a child can choose to go to calm down; all classes ensure the individual’s needs are met. Sometimes this entails a micro mediation session, allowing everyone’s thoughts and feelings to be heard and acknowledged.
Self-Care
Self-care is a never-ending process and consists of a series of daily and other regular and periodical practices. Once children reach the elementary years, they have mastered many of the basics and are ready to start learning more nuanced and progressively more difficult skills.
Nutrition is something we never stop teaching our students, regardless of their age. Food preparation is part of this, but it does take on new forms as children age. Every classroom has different ways of incorporating food prep and nutrition education. Some create healthy meals from vegetables grown in their classroom’s garden, others explore cultural cuisines from around the world. Children continue to hold autonomy in making choices about their own food needs decide when to eat snacks, but are responsible for doing so within certain parameters (such as how many children may use the snack table at a time, cleaning up procedures, etc.).
Physical activity and exercise continue to be important throughout our lives and healthy habits built early make a difference. Stress management is also introduced. Stress and frustration are a normal part of life, but there are things we can do to manage their intensity, frequency, and our reactions to them. Children have a weekly social-emotional learning class integrated into their curriculum and may learn a wide range of techniques in the classroom, including breathing strategies, meditation, mindfulness, and more.
For five weeks each fall, 6th-level students become assistants in Little House, Children's House, and Lower Elementary classrooms where they assist students with classroom work and lessons, read books to children, and perform other tasks assigned by the classroom teachers. This provides 6th-level students with an opportunity for leadership outside of their own classroom, a critical component of the practical life experience in the Montessori elementary philosophy.
adapted
For five weeks each fall, 6th-level students become assistants in Little House, Children's House, and Lower Elementary classrooms where they assist students with classroom work and lessons, read books to children, and perform other tasks assigned by the classroom teachers. This provides 6th-level students with an opportunity for leadership outside of their own classroom, a critical component of the practical life experience in the Montessori elementary philosophy.
adapted
Toledo Campus
Perrysburg Campus
West Side Montessori is an independent, accredited Montessori school educating children 13 months through 8th grade (preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school). We are one of the leading private schools in Toledo and the nation.
WSM does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its admission policy, educational policy, or any school-administered program.
WSM does not discriminate on the basis of ethnic origin, race, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in the administration of its admission policy, educational policy, or any school-administered program.