Meridian Learning, LLC http://www.meridian-learning.org Primary and Secondary Education Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:31:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 The Montessori child..the anti-Boomerang Kid? http://www.meridian-learning.org/2010/10/the-montessori-child-the-anti-boomerang-kid/ http://www.meridian-learning.org/2010/10/the-montessori-child-the-anti-boomerang-kid/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 16:44:04 +0000 Tasha http://www.meridian-learning.org/?p=1384 In a Montessori environment, special emphasis is placed on independence and responsibility.  Children move at their own pace and are given the freedom to choose purposeful activity that appeals to their interests and development.  While experiences are guided by the teacher, they are directed by the child.  In life, there is also the expectation that children will move through various developmental stages, gaining independence and confidence with each experience.  There may be times when progress is slower than parents desire, but as long as it is steady and forward, there is typically no cause for concern.

There is a recent phenomenon, however, that seems to be doing the opposite.  Throwing traditional ideas regarding development in reverse, young adults are returning home with such frequency that they are now called Boomerang Kids or the Boomerang Generation.  The boomeranging trend has inspired websites, movies and numerous books and articles, sparking lots of debate as to whether or not this practice is as harmful as it seems.  While many boomeranging young adults have been victims of the recession and poor job market, a recent CNN article points out that even those with jobs are moving back home.

Interestingly, Maria Montessori identified four planes of development, the last being young adulthood, during which she described how 18-24 year olds achieve remaining financial and emotional independence from parents.  It would be quite educational to get Dr. Montessori’s take on many aspects of our current culture, but perhaps most especially the boomeranging trend.  As is frequently pointed out by many Montessorians, the Montessori philosophy is more than an educational method.  It is a way of life that can extend far beyond the classroom, early childhood and the early 20th century. 

If every child were a Montessori child, would there be any Boomerang Kids?

]]> http://www.meridian-learning.org/2010/10/the-montessori-child-the-anti-boomerang-kid/feed/ 0 How much are good teachers worth? http://www.meridian-learning.org/2010/07/how-much-are-good-teachers-worth/ http://www.meridian-learning.org/2010/07/how-much-are-good-teachers-worth/#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:37:48 +0000 Tasha http://www.meridian-learning.org/?p=1058 Apparently, good kindergarten teachers are worth approximately $320,000. According to a Harvard economist and his team of researchers, that’s how much students with effective kindergarten teachers can expect to make over the course of their careers. The economists’ recently released study does something that other studies failed to do. It examined adult income and life paths rather than test scores, and revealed the substantial impact of early childhood education beyond the school years. The researchers looked at approximately 12, 000 children who had been a part of Project Star, an education experiment done in the 80s. What did they discover? Those kindergartners who had a good teacher were making about $1,000 more per year at the age of 27 than those who had less effective teachers.  Additionally, those with good teachers were more likely to attend college and more likely to be saving for retirement.

While there were several factors that distinguished high performing children from others who participated in Project Star (peers, smaller class size and higher socioeconomic status all contributed to better results), none of these factors explained the drastic variation in class performance. This led researchers to determine that teachers were the key, and as NYT writer David Leonhardt points out, “Some are highly effective. Some are not. And the differences can affect students for years to come.”

It’s true that The Times may have simply reported what many educators already know, but we thank them just the same. While it’s generally understood that you can’t put a price tag on someone’s worth, sometimes numbers make the point better than anything else.

Read the full NYT article here.

For more research regarding the impact of quality early childhood education, please visit the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

]]> http://www.meridian-learning.org/2010/07/how-much-are-good-teachers-worth/feed/ 0 The prepared environment http://www.meridian-learning.org/2009/09/the-prepared-environment/ http://www.meridian-learning.org/2009/09/the-prepared-environment/#comments Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:57:12 +0000 admin http://www.mobilemontessorillc.com/?p=262 “The first aim of the prepared environment is, as far as it is possible, to render the growing child independent of the adult. ”

-Maria Montessori

One of the main concepts which defines the Montessori philosophy is that of the prepared environment.  Dr. Montessori emphasized the importance of creating a learning environment that allows children to explore independently.  Children should be able to freely move from one activity to another with very little teacher interruption.  For the Montessori directress, preparing the environment is one of the primary responsibilities; however, it is also one of the most wonderful and inspiring activities in which one can partake.

As the new school year begins and I complete the preparation of my learning space, I reflect on how exciting it is to carefully construct the activities for each area of the classroom.  Placing items on shelves may seem mundane to some, but it is actually one of the greatest joys in being a Montessori teacher!

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