 Middle School Classroom
Students: Grades 6 - 8
Middle School Teachers: Amy Rose, Hannah Chick
The Middle School design is an integration of the current research in human development, the trends and issues in education, and the Montessori philosophy. The mission of the program is to provide opportunities for adolescents to be self confident and gain self-knowledge, to belong to a community, to learn to be adaptable, to be academically competent and challenged, and to create a vision for their personal future; thus, to empower early adolescents.
The adolescent is:
- An active, self-directed learner
- A vital member of the class, school, city, global community
- A vital member of the teacher-student-parent team
- Responsible for keeping commitments, being honest and respectful.
The teachers are:
- Facilitators for learning
- Consultants for the students
- Creators of a positive climate for learning
- Communicators with parents and community
- Role models.
The school structure offers:
- A learner-centered environment
- A developmentally-responsive curriculum
- A teaching team of Montessori teachers with additional adults as resources
- Parents-teachers-student partnerships
- Multi-aged grouping of 11-14 year olds
- Large blocks of uninterrupted learning time
- Peer and cross-age teaching.
The curriculum and instruction includes:
- Trans-disciplinary themes
- Learning how to learn strategies including use of multiple intelligences
- An integrated curriculum with an emphasis on peace, outdoor and environmental education
- Personal learning plans
- Mastery, coaching and exploratory activities
- Long term cooperative learning projects
- Sense of community and social interaction with peers
- Meaningful and challenging work
- Activities for self-expression, self-knowledge, and self-assessment
- Activities that value all nine intelligences and a variety of learning styles
- Activities to foster interdependence
- Activities for learning economic independence
- School and community service projects
- Activities that allow work in and with the natural environment.
The Oneness-Family Middle School program is based largely on the American Montessori Society (AMS) model developed by Dr. Elisabeth Coe at the School of the Woods in Houston, Texas, a nationally recognized developmentally responsive Montessori Middle School. Dr. Coe was educated in the Montessori philosophy and learning environments for children ages three to twelve years. She experienced many years of teaching children in Montessori schools and supervising Montessori teachers in teacher preparation programs. With these qualifications, she began the task of extending the Montessori philosophy, based on Dr. Maria Montessori’s writings, to a learning environment for early adolescents. She believes that if one of the goals of education is to develop capable, responsible people who are self directed, life-long learners, then students need to take an active role in developing academic goals and participating in problem solving activities.
Three major themes are the basis of a Montessori adolescent education program. The program should be: developmentally responsive, holistic, and empowering.
Developmentally Responsive
In the spirit of Montessori philosophy, the theory of looking to developmental stages as a guide was crucial. The notion of respecting people for where they are in their development and utilizing their unique developmental stage in order to support the unfolding process of growth is a basic foundation of Montessori educational design. Thus, a thorough study of the biological, cognitive, and psychosocial development and its implications for the learning environment was made.
Holistic
The word "holistic" is another major element of Montessori philosophy. Holistic comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "hal" which has meanings of whole, heal, and health. To Montessorians this means two things. One, that the focus of the education should be on the whole child for optimal health and growth. Thus, the learning environment should not just focus on developing the cognitive potential, but the physical, psychosocial and moral aspects of the person as well. Secondly, the courses of study need to be interrelated so that the child understands the inter-connections of life. As Dr. Coe’s work progressed, the holistic notion began to take on yet another dimension. It began to include collaboration with the home setting. This has led to Dr. Coe’s proactive stand on having student-parent-teacher partnerships as an integral part of a complete, healthy, optimal learning environment.
Empowering
Adolescents are striving to prove their identity, and in frustration, many of them are turning to life-threatening activities including eating disorders and sexual and drug experimentation. Parents and teachers at School of the Woods felt that the school environment could have a positive instead of negative impact on a young person's quest for self. They were seeking an alternative learning environment, because they felt that many middle schools were physically and psychologically unsafe and also had a general lack of respect for young people's abilities. Dr. Coe wanted to provide a place where early adolescents could develop personal power as well as an opportunity to use this personal power with and for the benefit of others. The word "empower" expresses this thought.
The classroom design continues to be refined each year, which makes it a dynamic program that keeps up with current research and observations.
The Oneness-Family Middle School is pleased to be a part of this growth process, and we are pleased that you have chosen to be a part of the state of the art in whole child development education.
Monday-Thursday
- 8:15–8:30 am Arrival
- 8:30–8:45 am Morning Meeting
- 8:45–9:30 am Community meeting and lesson
- 9:30–10:00 am Check homework
- 10:00–11:15 am Group work time
- 11:15–12:00 pm Math
- 12:00–12:30 pm Lunch
- 12:30–1:00 pm Personal reflection
- 1:00–2:15 pm Individual work time
- 2:15–2:25 pm Classroom clean-up
- 2:25–2:55 pm Physical Education
- 3:00–3:30 pm Foreign Language
- 3:30–3:40 pm Dismissal
Friday Schedule
- 8:15–8:30 am Arrival
- 8:30–8:45 am Morning Meeting
- 8:45 – 9:00 am Weekly graph
- 9:00 – 9:30 am Oneness Community Meeting
- 9:30–10:00 am Homework check/Complete graph
- 10:00 – 12:00 pm Electives/Community Service
- 12:00 – 12:30 pm Lunch
- 12:30–1:15 pm Socratic dialogue/Literature discussion
- 1:15–3:30 pm Extended PE
- 3:30–3:40 pm Classroom clean-up and dismissal
* NOTE: The school day begins at 8:30 am. Dismissal is at 3:40 pm. Students should arrive by 8:15 am. Unless specific arrangements have been made with the teacher, students who arrive for Beforecare will not be allowed in the classroom until 8:15 am. Beforecare students will remain with the Beforecare specialist outside or in the designated area.
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