Pictures from the space exhibit part 2
Dear Lower Elementary West Community,This week I want to introduce you briefly to one of my favorite Montessori topics. It's not addressed directly in all the texts and writings, but it holds importance to me as an educator.Boredom and its ValueIf I'm not mistaken, most people regard boredom as an enemy--something to be avoided at all costs. Some educators, and some parents, will go to lengths to stave off their children's boredom and provide them with something to do as quickly as possible, whatever that might be. My use of the word "boredom" means, in this case, "not knowing what to do," or "not having the immediate will to choose something to do."In the Montessori classroom, boredom is seen as an opportunity. By no means is it ignored or unaddressed, nor however is it squelched or pacified. All of us find ourselves naturally in situations of not knowing what to do, or feeling like there's nothing to do--at home or at school. At school, we see this not a a crisis, but as an opportunity.A bored person is a person poised to make a creative choice, by an act of will. The key is providing 1) an environment with healthy choices for activity, and 2) adults who can offer these choices with calm and clarity. The will to act develops from a state of lacking a will to act, and if any of us avoid boredom to seek mere entertainment, instead of healthy and productive activity, we miss out on a great opportunity to exercise the muscle of will-power.Therefore boredom is not the enemy, and it should not be hastily pacified. At school, as at home, there are many choices for activity. Many of them here stem from chosen follow-up work from lessons, and some can come about from the child's own independent creative choice. In any case, these choices are clearly available in a number of ways, and in independently choosing an appropriate, healthy learning activity, the child builds up that strong, creative will-power, bit by bit. By the end of the child's Montessori education, this may be (in all honesty and seriousness) the most lasting point of learning he or she receives. And it is a truly valuable gift.This Week's EventsIt was a short week, of course. The children are gearing up, with the help of their professional ballet instructors, for next week's ballet performance, to which you are all invited and most welcome: The children will perform their ballet at 12:45pm, at the Brady Education Center, at St. Thomas on the on their South Campus. A performance of Bella Luna, by the professional dance troupe, will follow at 1:45 until 2:45.The children have been working hard, through the challenges of a new and complex art form. On Wednesday, we were forced by space limitations to do our rehearsal in an open field outside, and they did wonderfully! There is much excitement and anticipation (and some giddy nerves about being on stage).The other event worth mention this week is the Third Years' fantastic "Space Exhibit" (advertised by a First-Year's admiring poster for the event, with the most wonderful creative spelling: "Spais Egzibit!"). The children set up museum-style booths with topics ranging from black holes to galaxies to planets and planet-moons. One pair pulled off an excellent dramatization of Mars exploration, complete with story-telling and space-suit props. The event foreshadows the Third Years' trip to the Bell Museum on October 30, at which they will learn about space up close, so to speak, at the hands of professional guides.What impressed me most about the exhibition--and what probably says most about its success--was the fascinated interest shown by the younger children. They were rapt, and so interested in this display of learning. Some of them immediately began to picture themselves as the presenters, which indeed they will soon be! The event warmed my heart and gave a direct reminder of the community developing in the room. Congratulations goes out to all involved.I wish you an excellent long weekend full of autumn color and joy.Sincerely,Erik
