The Three R’s of Boardwalk Montessori School

The Three R’s of Boardwalk Montessori school are respect, responsibility, and resourcefulness. We believe in guiding the children to respect themselves and their environment. We encourage each little person to be responsible and develop strong problem-solving skills. The Three R’s prepare children to be joyful, fulfilled, and well-balanced human beings.

Respect:
a feeling of understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way.

Responsibility:
a duty or task that you are required or expected to do.

Resourcefulness:
able to meet situations – capable of devising ways and means.

The cornerstone of a Montessori classroom community is respect. Montessori teachers reinforce the values of kindness, understanding and compassion – the essential components of respect. Valuing each child’s unique personality is paramount in a respectful Montessori classroom.

Additionally, teachers encourage respect by modelling appropriate interactions with their colleagues. The teachers encourage the children to respect each other’s personal space, demonstrate kindness, and develop empathy for their classmates. Fostering respect allows each child to feel a sense of belonging and that those in the environment are trustworthy and safe.

We cultivate respect at Boardwalk Montessori School by demonstrating respect for our colleagues and children. In doing this, the children build a strong sense of community. For example, if a child needs the teacher’s assistance, we ask the child to put a hand on the teacher’s shoulder and wait until they are free to help them. In waiting, the child will sometimes decide to solve the problem independently.

The children learn, “Could you please let me do my work?” rather than “Go away!”. “Excuse me, please.” rather than pushing past two children. This form of respect happens in little ways every day. The older children are skilled at mentoring, and the younger students resolve conflicts. We encourage the children to be resourceful, anticipate their needs, and organize their work. There is great joy in witnessing a child complete a task and hearing them say, “I did it myself .” Their feeling of pride shows on their face and in their walk and results in them relating positively with those around them.

At Boardwalk Montessori School, we believe the classroom belongs to the children first, then the teachers. Encouraging the children to take ownership of their classroom environment invites a sense of responsibility to care for themselves and the classroom. Through the Practical Life and Grace and Courtesy curriculum, the children learn life skills in responsibility and take great pride in their efforts. The teacher reinforces this sense of responsibility by emulating the expectations of duty in the classroom. We show the children how to be responsible for their environment by putting their work away, taking care of the plants, cleaning up spills, cleaning tables and shelves and keeping the space in order. Responsibility also extends to care of their belongings and themselves.

As we guide the children through their Pre-Casa and Casa years at Boardwalk Montessori School, the staff is privileged to witness them becoming leaders in their third year. They demonstrate resourcefulness and problem-solving skills.
Montessori is an educational model that focuses on the whole child.

As the children move on into the community, we trust they will be respectful, responsible and resourceful human beings.

“We must construct an environment for the child in which they can be active…..if we are to have an education capable of aiding the development of humanity. Education must begin the day the child is born, and the child must be able to live in an environment built for them, an environment that answers their needs. ”
Dr. Maria Montessori