March Classroom Madness

Getting ready to start off into March, I wanted to share a few of the things I will be putting on my shelf this St. March!


I really enjoy the changing of the season and work. I'm the type of teacher that gets really bored with her classroom set up and materials, so if I get bored I know my children do also.

Here are a few items that I created for my classroom.

This is a piece of work that I made for my younger students so that they can start working on their visual discrimination. This is an extension that I placed in the Sensorial area. 

I created a counting work zero through ten with St. Patrick's Day pictures. I wanted the numeral and the name on one card with the counting pictures in the other. 

This following is for language, its a play on the Dice and Roll work we all know about. I wanted something more festive and for it to be more Montessori based Language. Most that I have seen are for sight words... which is great but I wanted different. So, I created pink, blue, and green series cards. For those who are saying "What the heck is pink, blue and green?" We like to divide language into sections pink: easiest level, consonant-vowel-consonant words (bob, sat, ran, red, etc), blue: blends that you can hear each sound and double consonants (frog, crab, bell, etc), Green: Special sounds and basically everything hard (make, church, shell, bird, rain, etc). 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Simply-Montessori 

I love this shamrock 'plastic' inset. It's older and I couldn't even tell you where I purchased it but its the best. 

Pin pricking shamrocks!

This beautifully drawn rainbow is amazing. I'm not sure where I got it from because I've had it a long time but all you have to do is google "rainbow color sheets". I'm sure you can find one just like it or better! I just love this one because it's simple and straight to the point.

Practical Life, my basic life skill friend. This area saves my butt multiple times a day with children who just can't that day or children that I just can't that day with. I sound like a horrible human being, huh but let's all be honest, some days we just can't. And you know what, that's okay! Because we may be teachers but we're still humans in the end. I need my coffee each morning and some days I just need a quiet and peaceful classroom, so that I can act like the graceful Montessori teacher that I really want to be. So, here are some things I did to help engage the tiny humans and help crazy children ease into the classroom.

Sensorial bin that I made for all my seeking children. I made all the colors at home, so easy to do!

Grating nutmeg, this is a great alternative to soap, because the nutmeg smells amazing! 

Halloween Crafts

Halloween Crafts 

This month I decided to do some fun crafts with the children for Halloween. I don't normally do much for Halloween because Montessori doesn't normally recognize it but I wanted to have a little fun... so I did.  The ideas came from a teacher that I work with.

Fall Work Time!

Don't you just love fall! I know I really do and this is one of my favorite times to create work! Here are a few ideas for you and if you would rather purchase then buy, just go to my Esty Shop.  :)

These items I got from the dollar bins at Target and the Dollar Tree. They are erases but are great for sorting and matching work! Most of this was found in the party section of Target or Party City. I like to use table favors and different small objects!

Piet Mondrian Art for a Montessori Classroom

We have  studied Piet Mondrian in my classroom in the past and I wanted to share a few of the art pieces we did in our art area. Out of the geometric cabinet, I used a large and a medium sized squares. I found a non-copyrighted picture on Google. All I did was type in Piet Mondrian free art for kids, then I just picked one that I thought would work the best. I laminated the picture to make it last longer. The children are able to take the tray with everything on it to the table and complete the work.

Two squares and/or rectangles different sizes
Colored pencils: black, yellow, red, blue
Paper cut in half (8 1/2 by 5 1/2)
Ruler

I found the large blank art piece by Piet Mondrian on Google under Mondrian color pages. Then I just looked up the art piece, colored it accordingly with colored pencils, and I laminated it. I put everything on a tray for the child to have everything available to them.

On another tray, I had primary colored paint and different sized strips of black construction paper. The children able to create their own version of a Mondrian.

Great Training Opportunity for Teachers and Parents

Beyond Consequences LIVE Training

Our Montessori teachers here at SMA will be attending Beyond Consequences LIVE Training on May 5th. The fee is waved if you buy one of the speaker's books (19.95 +shipping) One of the cheapest training days I've seen. The training goes from 9am to 4pm on Saturday May 5th. Below is the information to attend.  After you purchase the book, I was told that you need to print your book receipt and take that and the book with you to the training to get in, but don't forget to register!

Beyond Consequences Live!

 

www.beyondconsequences.com

If you've tried using logic, consequences, behavior modification, yelling and isolation with your children, all to find out that none of it worked, or even made things worse, you know what it is like to find yourself beyond your window of tolerance. This parenting training can change all of that.