Each year I meet individually with the Twin Parks Montessori School teachers for a time of reflection – like a mini retreat. Teachers write about our school mission and how it resonates with them and how life at Twin Parks is going. This year I asked them to reflect on their childhoods and what they remember doing as a child that has contributed to their happiness as an adult.
The answers are so interesting and vary from memories of large extended families, cooking with Grammy, taking pleasure in simple things like playing in the mud and creating forts from natural found objects outdoors. I remember building forts and learning to collaborate and negotiate with the neighborhood children. There were many life lessons learned during that unsupervised playtime.
This shared time with teachers is so valuable. Not only does it give me time to make individual connections, but I learn so much about what people value. And in turn what they bring to the students at Twin Parks. So my suggestion for you today is to think back to your childhood – what did you love doing?
Dr. Kathy Roemer's NYC Montessori News 