Montessori Elementary: Connection, Confidence, Independence

The Montessori environment should be a place that makes children feel as if they belong.  An elementary classroom community provides structure, support, purpose, connection, and accountability.  Children in the elementary community are provided a safe space to celebrate their individuality with the support of their peers on a daily basis.

We know that children desire to feel connected to the community.  As relationships develop, trust builds from shared responsibilities while students become more socially adept in large group settings. Classroom duties give children a sense of purpose and responsibility, creating opportunities for the emergence of confidence and leadership.  The sense of belonging is a strong contributor to the child’s intrinsic motivation to participate in class, which then offers the opportunity to make an impact on the community.  

Children who actively participate in the elementary community achieve a level of self-satisfaction, which allows the child freedom from reliance on external feedback for validation.  There are still times when the children will acknowledge each others work as a common courtesy.  This aspect of “Grace and Courtesy” allows both of the children involved in this interaction to feel connected and positive.  

To create a greater community, each individual child works to develop mastery over their own self-sufficiency and independence. Confidence results from facing challenges and working through problems. Guides work diligently to establish attainable yet challenging goals for the students. These goals are individually matched with each student, but sometimes there are small groups of children who are in the same sensitive period.  This can lead to small group work that allows the children to develop that confidence and growth collectively.  Over a three year cycle, the many small group successes that occur eventually lead to a galvanized and confident classroom.  Parents who observe our upper elementary will notice a group of children who are masters of problem-solving as a community.

The elementary community relies on freedom within limits so that the child has the space required to solve problems independently. The guide is in constant observation mode, matching the children with appropriate challenges and intervening when appropriate.  This individual development creates students who are quality citizens of their elementary community.  This leads to their continued growth and development into quality world citizens when they are fully grown.

Joseph Wood

Head of School