Inside and Outside Lessons: Work Time Balance
As a Montessori school here on Vashon since 2009 (for me practicing Montessori education since 2002) we balance at Klahanie School an ongoing nurturing space for inside and outside explorations and lessons. If a child is in a lesson about a specific habitat we can provide sensory input opportunities and accomodations, we make that happen. Classrooms and class time include all three spaces: lower classroom, our garden space, library classroom/art. Part of the hours spent here are for lessons and that is in the three hour window then the remainder is full free play. Lesson time is when we might incorporate lessons to include outside garden time or a nature walk. Some of our brain gym daily is to go out and do rope strengthening and climbing practice, balance and encouragement, making maps-labyrinths with large wood they have to move in cooperation, dance and yoga.
We balance as Montessori inside and outside lessons. Montessori honors the child and adapts with the lessons, the lessons are many times outside mixed with inside–especially with our emphasis on botany and zoology studies mixed with the social emotional Equity-Peace lessons and units. Many art projects also take place outside of the classroom.
September into the first week of October is our time to form the routine that the students co-create. We want to make sure the new students feel welcomed and familiar with the space alongside the returning students so that mentorship and care moments develop and equitably the same is asked of everyone to try and practice the spaces in one way so that it’s the same for everyone. Accommodations always occur if a student needs space developmentally to move with the nervousness and lesson-spaces are adapted to the child’s needs.
Once the group is solidified in trust and care, owning their important place in their environments, routine practice, and the environments are familiarized through the orientation time for confidence building, then we move to mixing up a balance of drop off for the children with possible flip of starting outside and moving in doors. And starting outside is important–especially as we start getting ready for seasonal focuses and food preparations it is vital to have longer outside learning time. And, we also want to balance the practice of being indoors and what upcoming learning environments or experiences (airports, any public situation) to be able to focus and listen–from there the lessons take place.
Spring to summer is a great example of how we alter based on the group: we have new older students and faster pace with returning friend helpers, interns and district students from the specialized preschool attending, so our routine can reflect that and be altered. Because we are year round, children get ongoing and steady-consistent learning moments.
Outside time is essential for our honoring and value of need for open-free play in school settings and what we’ve witnessed for a stretch of needs to act out specific life moments, that happens in lessons inside and outside and also want children to have time daily with ample time to play out social and emotional moments and work through play moment growths in trust building. We also balance these play and sensory moments outside offers inside and outside to support all children in all varying learning developmental needs. Being that our Equity-Peace Makers focus and values are on environmental and science such as Beatrix Potter and Dr. Wangari Maathai we try to model the exploration of outside as a respected classroom. We also highly value the need for playfulness inside and outside to build trust with young students who we value so deeply, and being on the fly to make a child laugh with your play with them and engagement or change learning environment to focus in, support their process-that is a huge reason why we have been seeking to retain staff and grow interns participation so that ratios are high for our classes and everyone is well cared for. Lessons in Montessori take on many wonderful and sensory fun looks and techniques. Our Montessorian educator’s job first and foremost is to observe and respond in equity balance in the needs of each child, the group and how each environment can assist in that learning process–then train that out to the staff. The documents help our staff maintain high standards of techniques with children of varying learning needs. Reading the many documents is daunting, and they are a byproduct of producing footprint and healthier organization systems to achieve ongoing sustainability in legitimate, thoughtful and observation to response, accreditation level standards for students on the island.
In a nutshell, we use the three hours and onward in time with students to be magicians and many times improvisationally pull what learning lessons the group and individuals can benefit in that moment. There is a lot of planning of the environments daily, weekly and monthly, and improvisation to lessons-experiences that can nurture the learner as well as transition moments. This we have gotten each year better and better at as a team. And the ask from AMS standard is for us to base from, to help our school solidify our systems in a frame to better our weave and frame up for the school to create sustainable and annually better support for children and families.
Please let me know if your child has been feeling nervous or uncomfortable with time inside and we collectively will help them along the way to feeling deep trust and expression in all the environments. We started this multiage schedule and flexibilities when we merged into one multiage class last spring 2024 and the children were observed to do well with the routine, and we made accomodations when needed which worked for the children and group. We accommodated and were present to support, and intend to continue that approach for student support and growth, finding more confidence and opportunities for learning moments in fun and self expression.
Hope this helps paint a clearer intention and core values we hold moment to moment with the students as well as strategic outlook planning to be the best educators of this wonderful age group that we can be. And make sure we have solidly prepared environment(s) that nurtures the student learning from solid pedagogy of Montessori and Antibias–following the child from a science based, respect based side-by side learning focus is a big intentional value and focus for us as a team and curriculum reviews.
This information will be readily available for Handbook amendment to make sure this is clarity for all family stakeholders in reassurance and knowing.
A Day in Klahanie School Montessori Antibias Year Round Classroom:
Klahanie School Daily Schedule and Routine
8:25 a.m.
We open the gate to greet the students as they arrive. One Montessori teacher stands at the door to greet the student and parent, shake hands of students and help the student find their locker so that they can take off and put away their shoes and coat. The other Montessori teacher sits at circle with classical music playing and greets the students one by one with a smile and a handshake and encourages them to find a place in circle and be seated comfortably upright.
8:35 a.m.
Once the majority of Montessori students have arrived, we begin with a Good Morning song, a few finger plays, review the calendar and news time, and the Sharing Bag person is chosen for the day. The Sharing Bag person feeds the class pet(s). If any group presentations, unit Equity topics are required that day, they are presented at this circle time, such as when there are new Practical Life or art activities on the shelves. Sharing Bag.
8:50 a.m.
Pause for meditation/ movement/ singing or yoga poses/ 4 Square breathing followed by practice of visualization. Students are asked to close their eyes and think about what work they would like to begin with today and when they have thought of something to raise their hand. Lead teacher walks around the circle and gently tap each child on the hand (one by one). It is a really calm way to begin the day and helps each student begin the day focused and ready to find an activity to work on. Tuesdays and Wednesdays Austin shares the first two children to read – support in the library classroom.
While the children work independently, the lead teacher provides individual and group lessons while the Montessori teaching assistant and intern(s) reinforces the important classroom etiquette rules, help escorting to and from the bathroom (site 2), and routines of the class and helps diffuse any issues as they arise throughout the morning. Reading specialist teacher Austin rotates students throughout the day in 20 min sessions per child. Lead teacher administers 1-1 lessons to each student in the 3 hour span, in varying areas as well (rotating days for more specialized, more specific areas of curriculum such as mathematics – geometry and language. longer lessons daily for Kindergarteners as re-introduction to materials in 2 student small groups (usually 3 administered in a three hour session).
11:30 a.m.
Teacher plays the music box cleanup music while everyone clean up in a calm, equity focused manner. Once the students tidy their work, sitting down for circle. We then have a quick circle, reflect
on the morning, sing, read an ending book, play some sort of a transition game and they are sent one by one to line up and exit the classroom to get shoes and coats on independently. Those who have not eaten lunch yet are excused first to also wash their hands for lunch pauses to those who have not eaten yet before play in the garden.
Eating snacks and lunch is when grace, courtesy and good manners are practiced.
12:00 p.m.
Noon our morning Intern helps napping students leaving at Noon to sit and wait for parents.
Students staying until 1:30pm and 3:30pm are checked out and re-signed in/ escorted by Lead to site 2 for the remainder of the day: garden and library classroom/ art spaces.
1:10 p.m.
Students are asked to start cleaning up the garden classroom and library/art spaces. Bathroom is cleaned/laundry down and all students move into the garden circle or art tent (depending on weather), sing some songs and teachers walk students to their parents for home at 1:30pm.
1:20 p.m.
Students staying for afterschool 3:30pm pickup are walked by Lead and intern to library classroom for two hours of calm, rest, art and free choice.
3:10 p.m.
Students napping are woken up, and those in art begin cleanup. Gathering of items and walking down to the garden for pickup at 3:30pm from the entry gate/ garden art tent.
Klahanie School 