In May my daughter (age 4) will have been at Evergreen for a year. I admit at first I was wondering if she was getting much out of her time there. Slowly I realized that it wasn't the teachers who weren't paying close enough attention to her, it was I. Example: I was getting ready for a couple to come over for dinner one night and I had put some flowers on an end table. My daughter moved the flowers to the middle of the dinning room table which really didn't matter much, but in my rush to prepare I snapped at her for moving the flowers. She said something about making it beautiful and I just blew her off. A few weeks later at one of the parent teacher meetings, (where after the business is over they take the time to explain to the parents how a certain montessori lesson works ex. one month is math another courtesy) the teachers this month talked about how the children learn to do flower arranging and are allowed to move stuff around to help beautify their space. My sweet little girl was only doing what she had learned at school. The act was something so subtle I had completely missed it and would have never known about had I not gone to the parent teacher meeting that month. I wonder how many other times I have missed the little life lessons she has learned there because I am not paying close enough attention. I went home that night, reminded her of the occasion and apologized.
Everyday I think to ask her "Did you learn your letters today? How did you do with your numbers?" because that is what we traditionally taught parents think to ask. I don't even know how to ask what else she has learned. The categories are so many and are taught just through little interactions. I bet at times she doesn't even realize she is learning!
I am so sad to be moving away from this school. All of my daughter's friends (she includes teachers) will be greatly missed. Looking back on the year she has learned far more than I had ever expected her to in preschool.
Pros: family feel, life lessons, parents valued, behavior correction with activity redirection sans punishment
Cons: could use a bigger building, busy street in front of building, waiting list
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