Having fun with Montessori

It is almost time for me to go back to work at a Montessori school. At first I had mixed feelings about it. I absolutely love my job. In fact, I don't really call it work because I am loving what I do. I just do not want to leave Noah right now (or in 3 months time when the first day of school happens).
I have been thinking a lot lately about school and I am getting very excited about going back. I am looking online for different ideas for my classroom and love reading about what other teacher's are doing in their classrooms. I have come across an excellent website that I find myself looking at everyday. They have a ton of useful information and lots of fun materials to browse through. I can't wait to get out the laminater and start making new materials for my class. It is going to be a fun year for us all.
Noah and I attended my school's Family Fun day over the weekend and when the owner announced to the parents that I will be returning in September, they all cheered about my return. It was so nice to know that I am appreciated and wanted back :) One father said to me how glad and excited he was because now his son will be better behaved once I return to the classroom.
In closing, I have kept you in suspense long enough regarding the best Montessori website EVER! :) Please visit www.montessoriprintshop.com. I promise you will not be disappointed!

Montessorians ReUnite!

Yesterday was a great day!
I got together with my great friend Melissa, who I first met in our Montessori training (you have read about her before). We spent the day in Toronto with our two babies. Not only was spending time with her yesterday great fun, but it also gave me a chance to reflect on how far Mel and I have come as friends and as people since we met 10 years ago. When we first met Mel was dating her now husband, Chris, and I was still trying to find a partner. Look at us now! Both married and with kids.
Mel has two gorgeous children and I have a very cute little boy. It was so nice to spend the day together and it always brings back so many memories from years ago: reminiscing about the other people from our class, remembering how nervous we were before our final exams and laughing about all the fun times we had during our training.

It is so great to be able to talk to someone
who knows your career, can help you come
up with creative new ideas for classroom
activities, or can help with any questions and
or concerns.

Melissa and I live so far apart and are so busy
nowadays, we don’t get to see each other
often or talk every day. But each of us holds
an important part in the other’s life and
that kind of friendship is truly special.

I have said it before, and I will say it again: if
 it weren’t for Montessori, I would never have
met this great friend and teacher!

Mel: it was great seeing you and Leah again
 yesterday and I cherish every minute we
 spend together.
Montessori for Life!!

Baby (Noah) sings while he eats :)

So Sorry

Sorry everyone for the delay in blogs. Noah is keeping me very busy these days. As he is getting older, his needs increase so I have been busy with him. I apologize for the delay in new and exciting posts. But I promise, there will be more, keep checking back in periodically.

Frank Leto. Montessori teacher and musician!

Montessori Conference

Three years ago at my current school my boss and I decided on a whim to attend the American Montessori Society conference. At the time we had no idea where it was held. The only thing we knew was that it was in the USA. So after looking online we were super excited to find out that year it was being held in Orange County, California. It was 4 fun filled days of Montessori fun. I have never been so excited to walk around the exhibits and go to the seminars all day long. We each went to different seminars and over dinner shared what we learned that day. We had a blast. To all you Montessori teachers, owners, administrators, I highly recommend the AMS conference no matter where it is held.
Last year I was unable to attend due to a medical emergency and boy was I depressed about it. The year before I had met a Montessori music teacher (in all the schools I have worked in I was the music teacher as music was my minor in university and my passion). The music teacher I met was amazing. He has a lot of children CD's out and between the two of us we bought most of them. My boss talked to him last year and told him how much I loved his work and how I could not be there and he taped a message via my boss' blackberry video camera and said hi and he hoped I got well soon. That made my whole year!!! Any of you teachers looking for great children CD's to teach songs to your class, I highly recommend Frank Leto. I played him everyday for my students and they love the songs and music!!
Attached to my post are some photos of sample pieces of materials for the classroom that we learned at our conference.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! May 2011 bring everyone health and happiness. Sorry for the delay in the posts. Noah has been sick with a cold since Christmas. But I am happy to announce he is on the mend, thank goodness.