Peace Academy Classroom
Students: Ages 9-11 (Grades 4 - 5)
Peace Academy Teacher: Kathy O'Reilly
In the Peace Garden, students were dealing completely with a concrete world, the world of their senses: things they could hear, smell, taste and touch. As they grew, they were able to use concrete materials to understand more and more complex concepts; in the Peace Arbor, they used math manipulatives to understand concepts of multiplication, division and even pre-algebra. Now, in the Peace Academy, they are developing abstract thinking. Now they are ready to use the concrete materials as a jumping off point for their own journeys into the abstract. Their imaginations are primed and ready to muse over universal problems and historic dilemmas. Their focus is widening, able to comprehend and grapple with issues of social justice and personal belief. They are beginning to understand their own role in society, the global society, as well as their own classroom's role.
Students at this level may seem more disorganized outwardly, but this is because they are concentrating on developing inner order. They need time to try out roles, and get feedback. They need to research many different ways and options of how to live life. They need structure and guidance, but they need to feel that they have power over their life and their learning. Studies need to be relevant to them. They need to exercise choice over the topics they research; they need to shoulder increasing responsibility for their work and for their community. They need to discuss their beliefs and the beliefs of others in terms of current events and philosophies, so to better refine their own inner values. They need to be held accountable for their actions, and yet held in patient and high esteem as they stumble through the many mistakes that will help them learn poise, tact, and grace in social situations.
Peace Academy students are growing physically as well as emotionally and academically. Sometimes their growth spurts make them seem awkward, and they often do not know their own strength. They need to practice using their new, developing bodies. They need to get out and do things. They also need to get out of the classroom and interact with the world because of their widening worldview and need for relevant, purposeful work. And they need desperately to interact with each other, to learn to get along with their peers, to problem solve in a group setting, to shift their support system away from their parents and onto the age group that are, and will continue to be, their workmates, colleagues and partners.
Monday, Wednesday:
- 8:30–8:50 am Arrival & Social Bonding
- 8:50–9:30 am Morning Circle Time
- 9:30–9:40 am Tea Time
- 9:40–10:10 am Daily homework check/check in with teachers
- 10:10–11:30 am Work time/Math groups
- 11:30–12:15 pm Lunch & clean-up
- 12:15–12:45 pm Recess
- 12:45–1:15 pm Silent Reading/Journaling
- 1:15–3:15 pm Group work time/Lessons
- 3:15–3:30 pm Clean-up
- 3:30 pm Afternoon Meeting
- 3:40 pm Dismissal
Tuesday, Thursday:
- 8:30–8:50 am Arrival & Social Bonding
- 8:50–9:30 am Morning Circle Time
- 9:30–9:40 am Tea Time
- 9:40–10:10 am Daily homework check/check in with teachers
- 10:10–11:30 am Work time/Math groups
- 11:30 am–12:15 pm Lunch & clean-up
- 12:15–1:15 pm Foreign language studies (French and Spanish)
- 1:15–2:15; 2:20–3:20 pm:
- 3:20–3:30 pm Clean-up
- 3:30 pm Afternoon Meeting
- 3:40 pm Dismissal
Friday:
- 8:30–9:00 am Arrival & Social Bonding
- 9:00–9:30 am Morning Circle Time
- 9:30–9:40 am Tea Time
- 9:40–10:10 am Daily homework check/check in with teachers
- 10:10–11:30 am Work time/Math groups
- 11:30 am–12:15 pm Lunch & clean-up
- 12:15–1:15pm Extended Recess at Norwood Park
- 12:45–1:15 pm Silent Reading/Journaling
- 1:15–3:15 pm Group work time/Lessons
- 3:15–3:30 pm Clean-up
- 3:30 pm Afternoon Meeting
- 3:40 pm Dismissal
Students arrive between 8:30 and 9 am. This time helps students get oriented to the classroom environment and practice essential social skills that are so critical to this age group.
Our morning circle is a time of self-reflection as well as community building and special lessons. The class gathers each morning for sharing of news, feelings or thoughts; discussions of particular virtues and values; as well as lessons in self-esteem, cooperation, conflict-resolution, grace and courtesy, and learning skills. We also discuss global issues as they arise.
Tea time is the time for snacking and a small social break after morning circle. The 9-12 year olds get very hungry and thirsty mid morning. This time was incorporated in the day so the students snack and chat during this specific time.
Mornings are an uninterrupted block of academic studies. Individual work plans are set up with the students that indicate their daily assignments, according to their own individual needs. The students are then responsible for following their plans. Drawing on the Montessori philosophy as a base, they work either independently, in small groups, or in lessons with a teacher. Subjects include math, language, science and research.
Each day, weather permitting, the students have an outdoor recess. This is a time where students play a variety of group games, such as 4-square, jump rope, hockey, kick-ball or capture the flag.
After recess, the students have approximately 20-30 minutes of sustained silent reading. In a relaxed, quiet environment, students are able to become deeply involved in reading material.
On specialist days after lunch, students participate in 3 small group enrichment classes for 60 minutes each. French or Spanish and P.E. are offered twice a week. Other specialist classes (Art, Music and Discover Me!) are offered once a week.
This is a time devoted to intense, in-depth study of core curricular themes including Culture, History, and Science. Concentrated study units last 5-6 weeks. Students work individually, in small groups, and as a whole class to create multimedia projects, presentations, research papers, journals, plays and other large scale manifestations of their knowledge and understanding of these units.
Students are responsible for their environment in the Montessori classroom. They increase their sense of ownership by taking turns doing the jobs that help keep the classroom clean and ready for learning.
|
