Diary of a First Year Montessori Kindergarten Teacher - Week 28

children and woman sitting on floor with pillows
photo credit: https://unsplash.com/@plmka
 Good afternoon Montessori Kindergarten Families,
This week was filled with celebration over watching your children take ownership of their learning.  So many beamed as they shared the concepts they have learned. My highest JOY is to see their confidence grow over these last weeks in the classroom in their reading, writing and math skills.  Thanks so much for partnering with me to help guide their mental, emotional and academic lives.  
As I mentioned in an earlier email, I discussed with the class a Spring Break project where they create a map of their room, home and neighborhood.  I leave it up to the student as to his/her interpretation of what "neighborhood" means.  We will discuss this more as a class when we come back from the break.  
So you may wonder what the thought process is behind teaching Geography from both a global and personal perspective concurrently. This link offers some wonderful insight as to why this is part of the Montessori tradition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UhDWmd7kco - the discussion on this topic starts about 10 minutes into the video.
Monday:
personal narrative review
sequencing/handwriting sentences
choose your math
new works in Practical Life area
Write the room: length and measurement
Geometry review - 3D objects - three part cards
Tuesday:
Science - Uranus painting and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UhDWmd7kco
Time - review of parts of the clock; the role of the hands on the clock
Begin creating Solar System books
prepare for student led conferences
Wednesday:
1/2 day
science - Neptune painting and video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM22MyLaRSs
diagramming sentences - small group work - nouns, articles, is there a verb?
math: what is a number sentence? how do you create a picture from reading a number sentence?
sight words spelling/dictation
Student led conferences
Thursday:
1/2 day
Science - create our new planet presentations day 1
choose your math
choose your language
Student led conferences
Friday:
1/2 day
Science - create our new planet presentations day 2
new language work in the classroom
free choice full classroom
Thanks to everyone who sent in disinfecting wipes! We are cleaning and preparing the room for another quarter of joyful learning.  We appreciate each of you. 
Warmly,
Mrs. Norgren