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Parenting in the Middle: Not Too Strict, Not Too Lenient
Our society has a tendency to function like a pendulum that swings from one far end to the other. We’ve seen this happen in schools (we’ve swing from phonics all the way to whole-reading or we swing from progressive, open-classrooms to “drill and kill.”). My work at Montessori For All is about trying to stop the pendulum in the middle. There are things we need from both sides.I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how the pendulum concept applies to parenting. Past historical periods have seen harsher forms of parenting (like the idea of children being seen but not heard), while now it feels like we are on the… Read More -
Read This Article: An Open Letter to Black Parents Whose Suns Have Been Pushed Out of Preschool
This article is such an important read for those of us working in schools. (Thank you to Roberto for sharing it!)
Looking back, you will mark this moment: when you wanted so much for him to be in that school, affiliated with Boston College and its reputation, that you took their side, and your child was wrong. Because you get star struck, a bit, thinking that these Ph.Ds in early childhood education who are supervising the teachers in its lab school will, surely, know what it means to “teach for social justice,” to have teachers who are “culturally competent.” Until, that is, you realize that they don’t.
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… Read MoreIf the school was
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It’s August: Time to Shop for Christmas!
I’m someone who really likes to get creative at Halloween and buy or make thoughtful Christmas gifts and yet I don’t want those things to feel stressful. My solution is to start thinking about these things in August!I keep a running list all year long (inside my to-do list, which is kept in One Note) of gift ideas I have for people. That practice helps me have a head start. If I see something out in the world during the year, I go ahead and buy it. I have a tupperware container in my closet where I keep gifts that I buy early.Starting in August, I give myself… Read More
