It was so peaceful

[eepster]

I had seen how peaceful and orderly a Montessori class was when I visited them last spring trying to decide where to send DS. I had thought that it took all year for the kids to achieve that level of quiet business. I had assumed that the first few days would be hectic with the guides trying to get the brand new LOs to understand the Montessori way.

But it was so calm. I took DS and sat out in the hallway of the very first day of a huge school (six 3-6 rooms and one "stepping stone" older toddlers room) and it was so calm and peaceful. The LOs just seemed to naturally know what to do without any guidance or instruction.

[BCFD]

Isn't it amazing??? I toured a lot of different M schools before I found our school and exactly what you describe is what sold me. Today, I got there a little early to check in on my DD while she was eating lunch and it was just so incredibly peaceful and quiet. I quietly sat down beside her table and all the children were so polite and took turns talking and answering my questions. They are such a nice bunch of children. My DD is so lucky!!!

Glad you and your child will have such a great experience.

[Rose-Roget]

Yes! And I think the neatest thing is the effect it has on our dc's when they come home. My ds is SO calm and happy in the evenings - not like at his old school where he often came home a little edgy.

[BCFD]

Originally Posted by Rose-Roget

Yes! And I think the neatest thing is the effect it has on our dc's when they come home. My ds is SO calm and happy in the evenings - not like at his old school where he often came home a little edgy.

You know, I thought it was my imagination!! I notice a huge difference mostly with my middle child. She is soooooooo mellow when she comes home. She has some sensory issues (input seeker) and is usually very loud and hyper in the afternoon. But on school days I notice how calm she is. It's truly amazing.

[Rose-Roget]

I think the calmness and focussed activity really helps to center them (heck, it would help to center me too!). My dh takes him to Montessori in the morning. In his old school, this was a HUGE struggle (every day), but ds is now easy and happy. Dh also says what a marked difference there is in the classroom when he drops ds off - kids are happily engaging with works of their choice, they're quiet and organized, calm and content. Last year, the morning classroom was pure chaos, comparatively (although actually very good by most "traditional" standards).

Oh, yeah, and we were just talking yesterday about the fact that ds is not so mean toward dh since he's been in Montessori. Don't know if it is a developmental thing or comes with that calmness/centeredness, but I was really concerned before that he was being so mean toward dh and really clingy to me (even posted about it on another thread). Lately, though, totally different. Wow!

Glad to hear your dc's years are off to a good start, too!

[DeepLakeSwimmer]

Yes! It's so beautiful and amazing! Yesterday my husband dropped our daughter off just a few minutes before the 9:00 a.m. start time. He said walking towards the classroom was so quiet that he expected the kids were outside on the playground. He was surprised to see that they were all just already intent on their work. I've also definitely noticed a difference in Gillian's focus/behavior just in the past week as well; I'm definitely seeing the beauty of a Montessori education.

Mindy

[Koloe]

Come to think of it - on the first day of class I had to pick my DD up 1 hour into as a new student and as I watched from the hallway for a few minutes all the kids in the room I could see were engrossed in their various activities. I only saw it hectic as everyone was arriving and departing at the same time. Even today once a parent dropped a child off and they put their attendance stick in, they would go off to do something. My child of course wants snack first.