Reflecting on our Montessori Journey

We kicked off the school year with a special parent experience at MANH. On August 29, more than 80 of you joined us for our Montessori Journey. Together, you spent the morning moving through each level, from infancy through adolescence, and experiencing Montessori learning for yourselves.

The hope behind the Journey was to give you a chance to step into your child’s world for a few hours. And as the morning unfolded, we watched parents settle onto classroom rugs, gather around small tables, pick up materials, read books, ask questions, laugh together and become absorbed in lessons. Some of you worked quietly with materials on your own. At other moments, small groups gathered around a teacher to see where a lesson might lead. There was a wonderful sense of curiosity throughout the morning.

Parent groups began at staggered times based on level to help everyone move in groups through the campuses. This was our first time offering the Montessori Journey on this scale, and we learned a few things about timing and keeping groups moving smoothly. We were also genuinely touched by how fully you took part. You tried the materials, talked with teachers, lingered over things that caught your attention and seemed willing to become students again.

One of our favorite things to watch was the gradual shift as you moved from one level to the next. You could see parents stopping to examine something more closely, talking with one another about what they had just experienced and beginning to recognize ideas from earlier classrooms appearing again in new forms. The progression we talk about so often became something you could actually see and touch. The Montessori Journey was designed around that progression, giving parents a chance to experience how the environments and lessons build across the years.

At lunch, we asked you to reflect on the morning and share a feeling or impression on a sticky note. We were humbled and encouraged by what you wrote:

“You can see and feel how thoughtful the teachers are with their lessons.”

“This was so visual, tactile, and had a great emphasis on critical thinking, compassion, and social justice.”

“Inspired.” “Informative.” “Hopeful.” “Awed.” “Curious.” “Excited!!” “Collaborative.” “Encouraging.”

“This made me hopeful for all children to remain full of light, and continue to love learning.”

“Inspired, ready to implement stuff at home.”

“Appreciative of the building blocks of knowledge.”

“Money well spent.”

“Inspired. Very impressed with all the work the kids are able to do. They are very capable!”

“Curious to know more, especially about upper level.”

“There are so many manipulatives which help abstract concepts become concrete.”

Several of you simply wrote “informed” or “inspired,” and those words appeared again and again. One parent left wanting to know more about music, sports, clubs, art and community activities. Another wrote, “Hopeful & Inspired.”

Those notes meant a great deal to all of us who help create spaces for your children to learn. We hoped the Montessori Journey would help you understand a little more of what your children experience each day. Seeing you explore, question, laugh and learn together gave the morning a life of its own.

Thank you to everyone who gave us a Saturday morning and entered into the experience so wholeheartedly. We hope you left seeing your child’s classroom with fresh eyes, and with a greater understanding of the remarkable journey your child is already on.