A Visit to Lefferts Gardens Montessori School

At the end of April,  I had the chance to visit Lefferts Gardens Montessori School in Brooklyn New York.    I actually went to the talk they were hosting for teachers and parents on the Tuesday evening when I arrived.  Dr. Marlene Barron, a Montessori educator was giving a talk on how Montessori Principals develop Self-Regulation.  I was very excited to attend and listen to Dr. Barron's talk.  In the end, the talk was about children and making real life choices and how we chose to expose them to life all around them and those choices.  Why we choose Montessori and what Montessori children do in their days that is so very different from other programs.  We also looked at Forest schools in Scandinavia and how those teachers are inspired to reach and teach their children with their natural environment every day no matter what the weather is.  As a Montessori educator myself I was excited to have Dr. Barron share her experiences and knowledge from her many years in the field.  Dr. Barron, echoed what I already knew but,  sometimes when your in it every day for many years it's comforting and reassuring to hear from someone who is still so passionate about Montessori today as she was 50 years ago.  This fed my soul.  It needed feeding.  I was craving a learning opportunity for myself and here it was right in front of me. 

Movable alphabet work.  Three letter phonetic spelling.

A few days later, I returned to the school to do some observations.  I got to spend time in each of the classrooms at the school from toddler to elementary. 

The Casa classrooms were charming and felt like an extension of home.  I love how in New York every square inch of space is used.  Waste not want not.  I saw it over and over again.  from thoughtful and fully used spaces in the classrooms to cutting hand towels into smaller usable sizes so they are not wasted.  I cam away with brilliant ideas and a renewed sense of self.  I am a Montessori teacher, and I must stay true to my calling and the philosophy of our method for teaching.  It's so important to be the student from time to time.  to take that time to reflect and create space.  That's when the ideas come and where that sense of renewal comes from. 

When your student takes all the numbers out for the hundred board and they get mixed up!

When I got to speak with the teachers, I heard the some of same things that I struggle with.  "How do you get to everyone every day?"  "How, do you manage this and what about when the children use all the Sensorial materials at once?"  What I heard was so very reassuring and so very much like my own classroom. 

Math Shelf

"Does it all have to be perfect?"  No, it doesn't and sometimes we make ourselves so crazy with the need for perfection.  There is perfection in all the imperfection and I need to appreciate that.   I am working on appreciating that.  Lefferts Gardens Montessori School, is in a converted house.  It has three floors and a basement space with a beautiful library in it.  They use the parks and many green spaces all around them.  I loved walking around neighbourhoods and discovering all the little parks tucked into tiny places in the middle of a space you would not expect it to be.  A wonderful example of this was the High Line Park.  A converted rail bed turned into a green space above the city.  I walked it one of the days I was in New York.  All along the path, different Preschool groups were there playing and having lessons outside.  There was also a volunteer community garden group maintaining and looking after the garden spaces all along the path.  It was wonderful. 

I soaked up as much as I could.  I enjoyed all of the artwork I got to see and I felt the love at this school so very much.  From the parent support at Dr. Barron's talk, to the kind and loving environment the teachers and administration have created at this school.  It was truly a morning well spent.  I hope I get to go back, next time maybe I can teach them yoga!

The jobs board in the classroom.  Each child is assigned to an area or shelf to care for each day.  Its very much teach them to do it themselves.  Such a sense of pride and ownership in these classrooms.  It was overflowing. 

Library.  A fantastic use of this basement space. 

The last day of my trip I was able to connect with Ms. Wendy's family.  It was important for me to connect with her family.  It helps me keep her with me.  She was my Montessori mentor and a very dear friend.