Level 3 - new space

Work in progress, and changes have already been made - but thought I'd show off ;)

Two months ago:
(curtains have been added in the meantime too)

Salvation History
Or History of the Kingdom of God
this shelf is more or less unchanged

Typology and Art supplies
calligraphy has been built up
sparkly pens box made more accessible
additional art supplies on the bottom shelf

Sacraments
overall untouched - details filled in though

Moral Formation
Bibles, Scripture charts, information on Scripture
more or less untouched

Prayer table, information on prayer, communal prayer
(white table holds the liturgical calendar)
communal prayer has been built up
(we now have 3 levels of planning - new post soon)

our prayer table supply cabinet

resource area and children's folders
podium moved to prayer area
additional end table inserted and both turned
so folder containers for 2 atriums are out at the same time
(no more switching them around work for me)

Geography and charts
charts box is looking great now! will have a post on that soon
geography shelving needs work - would like that dark brown
on the left to slide under the medium brown on the right
Contemplating making the brown table taller
(rather than cut down the nice furniture that the
dark brown end table truly is)

practical life supplies

long wall and covered chalkboard (so we can mount timelines!)
Swapped out 2000 Years for History of Israel
added a pink wall-folder-hanging-thing on the corkboard on the left
tall basket holds the large timelines

the children move  the lamps and the low tables around as/where needed

view from one corner
the tables get moved around a LOT

view from another corner

and a 3rd corner

and the 4th corner

another view of the long wall. I LOVE this thing! 

UPDATES in January (prior to posting):

• curtains hung on windows
• timeline on wall swapped out for History of Israel
• 2 larger tables with chairs - removed (for now they are against the wall under the timelines, for our epiphany celebration - but with that move, it cleared up so much space, I think we'll remove the tables entirely and see if we can get some equal-height shelving under that rail to have a "surface area" with storage underneath (curtains hung to cover it) ---- remove all but 2 chairs (for visitors and adults who can't sit on the floor); use floor tables (seen in last photo above - two are stacked under the 2000 Years timeline), get more of those; and we have hard mats for the floor and two other lower tables. 
• Geography: I propped the one table up higher, so the map of Jerusalem table slides underneath now, with a drawer to hold the movable pieces. The children can pull it out, use it, put it away. This frees up space to the left (along with the removal of the table) to have a nice box for our large charts to the left of the geography (shown above to the right, with the charts at an angle - this has been made larger, so the charts now sit flat against the back)

Yeah, need to get some new photos ;) 

The UNprepared Environment

Perhaps almost half of one of atrium groups consist of lefties - at least 1/3 of a class of more than 20.

In my smallest class, 1/4 of them are lefties.

The smeared hand. 

And guess who didn't think about the ramifications for calligraphy. ;) Yep.

New resource to obtain:
Left-Handed Calligraphy (Lettering, Calligraphy, Typography)

God's Prepared Environment

An important Montessori principle maintained in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is the principle of the prepared environment (one leg of the tripod: prepared environment, prepared child, prepared adult).

As a catechist and a Montessorian, I believe that the prepared child is out of my control because I cannot control the child's home life (unless I am the parent of said child); and that I do have control over both the preparedness of the adult (myself!) and that of the physical environment.

Well....

God has other ideas about who is in control of the prepared environment:

I missed picturing the making of snow angels in the parking lot ;) 

Here is our atrium one beautiful, if somewhat treacherous, snowy day. 

This particular day, the most appropriate prepared environment was the one created by the Father Himself.

It would seem God has the only properly prepared environment for His children! 

Anything I can prepare is a poor second - and I know He will still use it for His glory. 

Through the eyes of the children: What happens when...

...I hand the camera over to level 3 young ladies: 

They pose with the work they just finished - as if they were still working with it, each selecting one of their favorite moments:

Posing with their next chosen work:

planning Communal Prayer.

Pictures of ME!?

Maybe there's a reason I hold the camera ;) 

The children started out all sitting around our small table.
Wigglies got them scooted around! 

And all of our silliness

(we are never entirely serious in the atrium):

LOVE that smile! 

  

Roly-Poly!

The all-time coolest photo of the Blue Unity Strip in the history of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd - EVER: 

Since this IS supposed to be a reflection blog and not just sharing - let's consider what I have learned here: That I am seeing the atrium through the eyes of the children - 

what is important to them; what strikes them when no adult is hovering. 

How the adults appear to the children 

(helps or hindrances? Involved (observing or interacting on the child's level) or hovering?).

I think I will hand over the camera more often. See what the children reveal to me that mere observation on my part doesn't entirely reveal. 

Small atrium or large atrium?

Legoboy, age 9, assisting the work of the level 1 children
youngest child wondering which pieces he is allowed to handle
he's getting it ;) 

A Montessori classroom has the greatest experience at 30-35 children for the primary level (ages 3-6) and 35-40 for the elementary level (ages 6-12 - and yes, that is genuinely ages 6-12 in one group; if 6-9 and 9-12 are split out than 35 is ideal).

Really!? That many in one group with one trained teacher? Isn't that what we keep complaining about in the public schools? That one teacher has too many children when s/he has more than 25!?

Reality is, multi-age groupings, following the child, providing the keys, promoting a balance of freedom and responsibility, respecting all aspects of the child's development as well as all human needs and tendencies - all of these things lead to an environment in which the children function best with only one trained and perhaps one "non-teaching" adult.

Reviewing last year's presentations during their work time

What are the ideal numbers for an atrium that does not run on a 3-hour work cycle? I'm not sure. There are suggestions of around 15 and that seems about right most of the time. The children tend to hit their "breaking point" at 90 minutes in - reality is, the ideal that most atriums can achieve is 90 minutes, due to time constraints, parental concerns, lack of Montessori understanding and a slight limitation on the subject matter (it is one subject (Faith) in sub-categories with materials that simply do not add up to a full Montessori classroom - however we also only meet once a week).

Baptism pasting became an intense focus!
after an impromptu full Baptism presentation on
Light, White Garment, Water, Oils
We'll review the rest with the oldest children next week

But I wonder what would happen, even with 3-6 year olds, if we had a full 3-hour work cycle. In a Montessori environment, there is a false fatigue 60-90 minutes into the cycle, just before the children settle into their deepest work yet - as long as the adult knows how to let things be during this transition time.

He worked with the sheep for a few moments, then wanted to trace. 

Last week and today I caught myself thinking, "These children are done for today - good thing we only meet for 90 minutes." Then I realized what I was thinking! Oops! But 90 minutes is what I have with my level 1 children and that is all I am going to get (ok, so the parents tend to know now to pick up until 95 minutes have passed because I always run over ;) ). I would love the opportunity to experiment with a routine 180 minute atrium for the little ones. We would certainly bring in a snack option, additional practical life particularly in the art area, likely expand out the music... but these are conjectures. I simply wonder.

Waiting for the catechist

We have had a very small group both last week and this week. I would prefer to have more children.

Benefits to larger groups:

• the adult is not able (therefore tempted) to jump in on every single situation - much more observation has to be made from a distance, allowing the child to work things out for himself
• the adult *must* lay a strong foundation of respect and boundaries straight from the beginning; somehow having a smaller group allows the adult to be more lax in areas that need to be quite firm
• with the multi-age setting, the older children are typically experienced, having been in the atrium for 2 years - they have that strong foundation that they can pass on to the younger/newer children - as well as they know they are being watched and copied, so they feel that sense of responsibility to "be" the "big kid". 
• to reiterate and say another way in order to catch all the ramifications: the children model after each other - if the adult is prepared and the environment (physical and spiritual) is prepared, then the children will have fewer stumbling blocks and many more successes.
• there is a wider variety of work going on, so the children gain different inspiration from one another; they also more readily choose for themselves if they will work alone, work with someone else or observe another child(ren). The children also review previous presentations simply by seeing the other children work with it. Such options are much more limited with smaller numbers. 

So joyful!
He then spent a good deal of time coloring in his tracing
adding a sun, sky, and grass

Hanging the chasubles
across the room from their usual location
LOTS of movement needed by these littlest ones!

helping with the hanger

Such concentration on making such beautiful music! 

Singing "Alleluia" -
apparently we have a goal to sing as many versions as possible ;)
not all children were at the prayer table,
but this was our smallest class yet this year.  

Atrium as Prepared Environment

The atrium is a prepared environment in the Montessori sense - an environment with everything a child needs for this plane of development - everything there is corresponds to his needs and nothing present that he does not need at one point or another in that plane.

In considering the various atrium spaces in which I "reside" at various times throughout the week and month, and those which I frequently visit - I hope to observe more carefully and intentionally the outcomes of the prepared environment. I found this in editing my primary Montessori album, and want to apply it to the atriums.

What about you, readers? Your homes? Your atriums? Your Montessori spaces? Do you see these outcomes? Not just in the children, but in the adults as well? If so, what a blessing! If not, what could be improved? What needs and tendencies of the children are not being met, that are blocking these outcomes?
Human Needs
Human Tendencies

Results of the Prepared Environment

                The results of the prepared environment are many and varied and are not limited to the following:

• functional independence
• acquisition of skills
• community and social cohesion
• care of the environment
• confidence
• competency-based self-esteem

-      not the 'I am special, You are special' false outer self-esteem

• respect

-      for other children

-      materials

-      other life

• peacefulness
• concentration[1]
• keen sense of developed order –

-      carries over into other areas of life

• feeling of security
• sense of belonging –

                to something outside themselves

• refined, graceful movements
• love for learning
• strong academic foundation

-      language, math

-      how the world operates (through sensorial)

• strong connection to reality
• able to follow-through – complete task
• responsible
• keen observers
• appropriate risk takers –

-      not afraid to make mistakes

-      secure and safe environment

• appreciation for nature
• appreciation of other cultures

-      and for other types of differences

• refined senses
• joy
• adaptability to new situations later

---

[1]  (“all learning depends on the ability to attend”)