The part time TA in DD's classroom today started a "sticker frenzy" giving out little stars to the kids when they finished their jobs. She was giving them out and putting 5, 6, 7 stars on their hands at once! Kids were running around trying to take each others stars, and they were so obsessed with them that they were looking around on the floor for any that may have come off a classmates hand! She has been handing out stickers for weeks, but today was really, really bad. A lot of the children love doing their work and feel a sense of accomplishment by learning something new, finishing a particular work, etc. This assistant (who is a very nice woman, btw) has come in and unravelled this in a few short weeks time. It's a very high energy classroom and this TA is in the camp of "do what it takes to quiet them". Uggh. It made the classroom even more disruptive! 
The lead teacher upholds Montessori values, even when the school sometimes just lets teachers "do what gets the job done" (this is a charter school, btw). She has been very concerned about the sticker frenzy and after today she really had to speak to the TA about it. It was taken as criticism...and not the constructive kind. The lead teacher won't be at this school next year, but she has tried so incredibly hard to fight through all the admin crapola and really get her assistants (and parents!) to embrace the Montessori method. She is one of the best Montessori teachers I have ever met.
As a parent, the doling out of stickers and stars really bothers me. The only reason the stars are even in the room is because there is a special needs child in the classroom and it was agreed on by her therapist, parents, admin, and teacher that if it would help her, so be it. That was the ONLY child who the stickers were supposed to be used with and it wasn't even being used as a reward, but more as a visual reminder that a job from the work plan had been completed. I could see how some of the children (including my own) might see the stars and want them, too.
Today I asked my DD, "What do you think feels better....getting that good feeling inside knowing you completed a work or getting a star?" Luckily, she said, "Getting that good feeling!!!"
I guess I'm posting this because I'm wondering if this is something I should talk to office about? The teacher and I are definitely on the same page. However, there are only 3 weeks left in the school year and I don't want to go in guns-a-blazin' with my Maria Montessori and Alfie Kohn books in tow.
Should I just let it go? I'm thinking as long as DD isn't looking for stars as rewards or motivation, I have nothing to worry about. Maybe if it was the beginning of the year I'd be more apt to say something. DD's teacher doesn't think that the use of stickers would fly in any of the other Kindy classes. We joked around today saying, "Why not just give them candy everyday and encourage Spongebob shirts and blinking shoes?" 
Advice? Matt????
The lead teacher upholds Montessori values, even when the school sometimes just lets teachers "do what gets the job done" (this is a charter school, btw). She has been very concerned about the sticker frenzy and after today she really had to speak to the TA about it. It was taken as criticism...and not the constructive kind.
The lead teacher won't be at this school next year, but she has tried so incredibly hard to fight through all the admin crapola and really get her assistants (and parents!) to embrace the Montessori method. She is one of the best Montessori teachers I have ever met.As a parent, the doling out of stickers and stars really bothers me. The only reason the stars are even in the room is because there is a special needs child in the classroom and it was agreed on by her therapist, parents, admin, and teacher that if it would help her, so be it. That was the ONLY child who the stickers were supposed to be used with and it wasn't even being used as a reward, but more as a visual reminder that a job from the work plan had been completed. I could see how some of the children (including my own) might see the stars and want them, too.
Today I asked my DD, "What do you think feels better....getting that good feeling inside knowing you completed a work or getting a star?" Luckily, she said, "Getting that good feeling!!!"
I guess I'm posting this because I'm wondering if this is something I should talk to office about? The teacher and I are definitely on the same page. However, there are only 3 weeks left in the school year and I don't want to go in guns-a-blazin' with my Maria Montessori and Alfie Kohn books in tow.
Should I just let it go? I'm thinking as long as DD isn't looking for stars as rewards or motivation, I have nothing to worry about. Maybe if it was the beginning of the year I'd be more apt to say something. DD's teacher doesn't think that the use of stickers would fly in any of the other Kindy classes. We joked around today saying, "Why not just give them candy everyday and encourage Spongebob shirts and blinking shoes?" Advice? Matt????
