Walk into a Montessori Classroom, and it’s immediately clear — something is different. Perhaps it takes a minute to put your finger on it, or perhaps you can identify the difference right away, but the sensation is there. We call the Classroom, the Prepared Environment. We get this space ready for children to learn, to […]
Observation is critical to our role as Montessori Guides. During training, we have lectures and extensive hours about observation. We learn how to observe. It is important for adults to continue honing this skill, to take time to observe every day, to observe the casual moment, to intentionally watch the classroom, or an individual child, […]
We were transfixed by Donna Bryant Goertz’s book, Children Who are Not Yet Peaceful. Not only did it offer a reasonable engagement with the current state of traditional education, it also sought to ascertain the shape of another way forward, utilizing a treasure trove of Montessori values and principles, in clear, expository narratives. Donna Bryant Goertz, the […]
We have a new logo at Baan Dek! We’ve also taken this opportunity to refresh our website. We’d love to explain the reason for the changes and elaborate on some of the key new features. With the logo, we wanted an identity system that was more flexible, one that better reflected the personalized nature of […]
We hold regular team workshops. Some are lively and spirited, in which we enter into animated discussions about Montessori or address certain, practical, technical educational practices. Others are more reflective but just as intimate, where we ponder texts and discuss abstract ideas, whether directly relevant to our mission or even tangential to our field. We are always […]