a glimpse into my day job

blogger by night (and weekends, and, well all the time),

but toddler montessori teacher by day!

welcome to my toddler classroom! 

the students in my class are 15 months to two-and-a-half.

we are a montessori preschool - we follow the philosophy

and teaching approach of dr. maria montessori.

this approach promotes independence, self-help and self-care skills,

and self-directed learning. the toys, or 'work,' on the shelves is strategically

chosen for the children; it is designed to enhance gross and fine motor skills

and provide lessons in math, language development, art, and 

other practical life related skills. 

everything in the classroom is toddler-size! 

the above work teaches the toddlers how to open and close

different items - i often find blocks, animals, and puzzle pieces

inside the containers :)

the toddlers love climbing on and crawling through the foam

blocks. they're great for promoting gross motor skills.

i hope to someday have a true wood climber, typical in montessori classrooms!

^^^ my coworker, sara, painted the ducks! ^^^

i spend a good portion of my day here, in our child-size bathroom.

toilet learning (or potty training as it is often called) is an important

part of my toddler curriculum. each of the students are encouraged 

to try sitting on the toilet after receiving a diaper change. when the child shows 

signs of readiness, we will transition them to wearing underwear 

and try the toilet many (many, many!) times throughout the day.

i started working at my new school this past august. 

i may be biased, but i think my classroom is pretty adorable -

though i must admit, it almost never looks like the photos above

when the children are present, as they are busy little people! 

if you have any questions about the montessori method, 

or want to learn more about the philosophy, let me know in the comments below.

when i'm not blogging, i am teaching, reading about child

development, and striving to be the best role model for the toddlers that i can be.

i feel very blessed to be a part of their lives!

xoxo.