Classroom Leadership Archives - Lockhart Learning

08 Nov

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy, Normalization, Observation, Routines and Rituals

Gratitude: An Empathy Superpower

November 8, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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With the sugar highs of Halloween beginning to recede, the race to the end of 2024 has begun! Pressures to prepare for upcoming gift-giving holidays and end-of-year celebrations are inescapable. But between...

16 Oct

Classroom Leadership, Control vs. Influence, Education for Peace, Peace/Harmony, Self Care

Leading from Behind

October 16, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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In Montessori, much of what we do involves setting the stage for children to become their best selves academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We do not normalize children; we create the environment...

01 Oct

Classroom Leadership, Gratitude/Empathy, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Normalization

Spotlight on Sociability

September 27, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
3 comments

If you are a regular reader of Lockhart Learning blogs, you know that last time, I made the bold assertion that Normalization may be the most misunderstood and underutilized concept in Montessori...

17 Sep

Classroom Leadership, Control vs. Influence, Intrinsic Motivation, Normalization

Putting the Normal Back in Normalization

September 17, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
5 comments

Normalization may be the most misunderstood and underutilized concept in Montessori philosophy. If that statement surprises you, consider this: if/when we talk about normalization, the conversation most often centers on observed behaviors...

01 Sep

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Executive Function, Normalization, Transformation of the Adult

Great Expectations: Establishing a Purpose-Driven Classroom

September 1, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
1 comment

Image by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay Ask someone at your favorite coffee shop to describe the purpose of school, and you will most likely hear about teaching academic skills in preparation for...

24 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy

Getting to Know You: Building the Classroom Community

August 23, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
Building Community
2 comments

Image by bess.hamiti@gmail.com from Pixabay One of the first tasks for Montessorians at the beginning of the year is establishing a welcoming, beautiful physical environment. We know that...

01 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Environments, Routines and Rituals

Prepare to Launch!

August 12, 2024
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
Before Children Arrive, New School Year, The Prepared Adult
4 comments

Happy New (School) Year! This is the time when seasoned guides and freshly minted Montessorians alike are entering into what I call The Time of Great Anticipation. I love this opportunity for creative...

09 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Executive Function, Intrinsic Motivation, Normalization

And the seasons, they go round and round

August 9, 2023
Featured
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
4C's of Intrinsic Motivation, Beginnings, Fostering Normalization
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My grandfather once told me, “The older I get, the longer the days and the shorter the years.” I guess that’s why every year I am surprised when August rolls around. ...

07 Oct

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Environments, Peace/Harmony

Beyond the ROSE

When I talk to experienced Montessorians about what is different in their post-COVID classrooms, one of the most common responses I hear is that children do not remember (or never experienced) how...

02 Sep

Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Normalization, Routines and Rituals

Turning Corners

September 2, 2022
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
Pursuing normalization
2 comments

I have always looked forward to the first transition of the school year. The time when the class segues from the work of establishing routines to the comparatively smooth process of practicing...

25 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Normalization, Observation

Sowing Seeds

August 25, 2022
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
Knowing each child enhances teacher effectiveness
2 comments

Image by Lukas from Pixabay Today, I spent the afternoon harvesting this year’s crop of garlic. Lifting each individual bulb from the soil gave me time to think about what an...

30 Apr

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Normalization

May Day or Mayday?

May 1, 2022
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
Endings
2 comments

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay Happy May Day - the first day of the craziest month of the school year! Did you know that May Day is the halfway point...

19 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Routines and Rituals, Self Care

Planning Refreshments

September 16, 2021
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Welcome to the cusp of yet another new year! Some schools have already received children; others are in their final approach. We have planned and prepared our physical and logistical environments to...

23 Dec

Education for Peace, Peace/Harmony, Transformation of the Adult

Resolution – Happiness in the New Year

December 27, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
4 comments

My grandmother was a woman full of homespun wisdom. One of the things that she said when things didn’t go according to hopes or plans was, “You can get used to anything...

27 Oct

Balance, Classroom Leadership, Peace/Harmony, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

Reclaiming Joy

October 29, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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I have never run a marathon. In fact, those of you who know me personally are probably doubled over in laughter at the very idea. (You’re welcome for that image!) But even...

25 Sep

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Community/Social Environment, Distance Learning, Navigating Change, Routines and Rituals

Ubiquitous Change

September 25, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
1 comment

When did you first realize that the pandemic was going to change our day-to-day lives at a fundamental level? Believe it or not, here in the US, it has been about 6...

19 Aug

Distance Learning, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Remodeling Paradigms, Routines and Rituals, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

Serene Courage

August 19, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
1 comment

It always surprises me in the fall when the leaves begin to turn. Seemingly overnight, select clumps of leaves on a few trees and shrubs pop as if testing the conditions for the remainder. This...

01 May

Control vs. Influence, Education for Peace, Peace/Harmony, Remodeling Paradigms

Sink or Swim?

May 1, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
3 comments

Have you heard the news? There sure is a lot of it these days! I have come to the conclusion that whatever news you are looking for you can...

09 Apr

Balance, Education for Peace, Remodeling Paradigms, Routines and Rituals, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

Hope. And Vision.

April 12, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
4 comments

In the last two weeks, we have seen a change in COVID-19 coverage – a slight shift in focus from “duck and hunker down” to “what to brace for in the coming...

27 Mar

Community/Social Environment, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

Taking Control of Our Narrative

March 26, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
4 comments

Life in recent weeks has been a bit like living in the middle of a suspense-thriller, hasn’t it? Protagonists are working tirelessly to unravel medical mysteries and to create structures to sustain...

19 Mar

Classroom Leadership, Remodeling Paradigms, Routines and Rituals, Self Care

Finding Our Way

March 19, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
6 comments

“We shall walk together on this path of life, for all things are part of the universe and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.” Maria Montessori

06 Mar

Balance, Classroom Leadership, Control vs. Influence, Education for Peace, Healing Self-Image, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Remodeling Paradigms, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

Health, Happiness, & Longevity

March 5, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
2 comments

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay The other day, I jumped into the car to run errands and caught the last 30 seconds of a radio interview with a new author. ...

28 Feb

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Control vs. Influence, Redirecting Children, Transformation of the Adult

Should

February 28, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Lately, I have been particularly aware of the word “should”. It feels like this word has been cropping up more than usual, explicitly and implicitly. Perhaps it is an effect of being...

21 Feb

Education for Peace, Forgiveness, Gratitude/Empathy, Peace/Harmony, Remodeling Paradigms, Transformation of the Adult, Uncategorized Musings

Habits of the Heart

February 19, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Every Presidents’ Weekend, interns return to our training center for assessments, instruction, and time to share discoveries with one another. It is a harbinger of spring, a little like the swallows returning to Capistrano. ...

14 Feb

Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Transformation of the Adult

Every Day A Leap of Faith

February 14, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
4 comments

The longer I work in Montessori education the more I realize that practicing Montessori is a radical expression of faith. Yes, there is an abundance of anecdotal evidence that The Method fosters...

07 Feb

Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Peace/Harmony

Tipping the Scales

February 6, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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I was recently invited to write an article for the CGMS newsletter on bullying. Since this is an unfortunately common problem and a timely topic, I am republishing the article here...

01 Feb

Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Transformation of the Adult

Wisdom

February 1, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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When my husband and I travel, we love to wrap ourselves in some aspect of the local culture. We see the sights, of course, but we also scour the hometown papers and watch for flyers...

17 Jan

Education for Peace

Practicing Radical Peace

January 17, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
4 comments

As schoolchildren around the US know, Monday is set aside for the celebration of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was a martyr for the cause of racial...

10 Jan

Education for Peace, Executive Function, Peace/Harmony

Pick Up What I Am Laying Down!

January 8, 2020
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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I have been thinking a lot lately about hearing and being heard. Yesterday, while working at my kitchen table, I heard a dove. I couldn’t see it, but my...

20 Dec

Education for Peace, Healing Self-Image, Peace/Harmony, Transformation of the Adult

Unconditional Love

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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It has been said that family is the people who, when we knock on the door, have to let us in. I like that - it reflects the unquestionable value of the...

13 Dec

Education for Peace, Forgiveness, Peace/Harmony, Routines and Rituals, Transformation of the Adult

Establishing a Stress-Free Zone

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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This is the time of year when posts start popping up on social media commiserating with teachers in the last days before winter break pop up, proclaiming, “There’s no tired like teacher-before-winter-break tired,” or...

06 Dec

Education for Peace, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Peace/Harmony, Transformation of the Adult

The Power of Humility

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Anyone who has tried to create an “elevator speech” to explain Montessori education has experienced both the power and the challenge to our method: it is so multi-dimensional that it is impossible...

22 Nov

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Peace/Harmony

Mindful Interactions

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Years and years ago, a colleague returned from a Montessori conference with a list of the qualities that our interactions with one another can take on. It was expressed as a scale...

15 Nov

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Environments, Gratitude/Empathy, Peace/Harmony, Transformation of the Adult

Do You See What I See?

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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I love the Sunday funnies. Give me the color comics and a perfectly made cappuccino and I am guaranteed 30 minutes of bliss - and some occasional pearls of wisdom. Two weeks ago, there...

08 Nov

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Community/Social Environment, Cosmic Education, Education for Peace, Normalization, Peace/Harmony

Connectivity

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Occasionally, I have an experience that is so profound that I feel I simply must share it. Sunday evening’s All Souls Procession in Tucson, Arizona was one of those occasions.

01 Nov

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Normalization, Self Care

The Difficulty of Isolation

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Last week, I was honored to speak at a gathering of Montessori teachers from the British Columbia Montessori Teachers Public School Association - a Montessori teachers' union. This inspiring band of teachers...

25 Oct

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Control vs. Influence, Education for Peace, Peace/Harmony

Good Drama/Bad Drama IV: Control Issues

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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In broader educational circles, October is sometimes thought of as a time of the doldrums, when everything becomes a bit too routine. It is midway between the exciting start to the school year...

18 Oct

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Environments, Forgiveness, Gratitude/Empathy, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Peace/Harmony

Good Drama/Bad Drama III: Hurt Feelings and Put-downs

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Have you ever had your feelings hurt? Of course, you have – it is part of life! Every time we put ourselves “out there” we risk having someone respond in an unexpected way. Sometimes, the...

11 Oct

Classroom Leadership, Education for Peace, Gratitude/Empathy, Peace/Harmony

Good Drama/Bad Drama II: Tattling and Tootling

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Last week’s blog talked about creating opportunities in the classroom for good drama, lessening the need for bad drama; this week we begin a series of blogs addressing specific “bad drama” behaviors...

04 Oct

Community/Social Environment, Education for Peace, Routines and Rituals

Good Drama/Bad Drama

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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October! Already! By now we are seeing not only a change in the weather and in the flora and fauna, we are seeing a change in our classrooms; we are settling into a routine. Just...

20 Sep

Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Normalization, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

Herding Cats

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Complete the sentence: Montessorians are ____________________. Have you ever pondered how many completely different, absolutely accurate ways there are to complete that sentence (…some more irreverent than others…)? I suspect...

13 Sep

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy, Peace/Harmony

When Peace is a Verb

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Saturday, September 21, is International Day of Peace. As Montessorians, we strive for everyday to be a day of peace, but this day, set aside by the UN in 1981, gives us an opportunity...

06 Sep

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy, Normalization, Peace/Harmony

Normalization and Empathy

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Last Monday, we marked the date on the calendar that once-upon-a-time marked the beginning of the school year in the US: Labor Day. Of course, nowadays schools start back up at various times from the...

30 Aug

Gratitude/Empathy, Healing Self-Image, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Peace/Harmony, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

What if…

December 23, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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This weekend marks the 149th anniversary of Maria Montessori’s birth – an occasion for which I am deeply grateful. Just think how our lives would be different if she had not been...

23 Aug

Big Stories, Classroom Leadership, Classroom Management, Cosmic Education, Intrinsic Motivation, Normalization, Routines and Rituals

Inspiration

August 24, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

One of the great joys in life is unexpectedly experiencing something that animates us, that prompts us to an elevated or exalted place, that breathes new life into us. We tend to...

16 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Normalization

Knock, knock…

August 16, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

When reading the title of this week’s blog, did your brain automatically reply “Who’s there”? If so, you have a tell. You work with elementary-age children, an age that we might laughingly refer to...

09 Aug

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment

Welcome Back!

August 8, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

As a child, I always looked forward to the beginning of the school year. I think that is partially because my mom put us (mostly) in charge of our own summers. We determined how...

10 May

Gratitude/Empathy, Routines and Rituals

The End

May 9, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

Endings. And beginnings. They tug at my heartstrings and make me a bit sentimental. Or maybe I am sentimental by nature - maybe endings just legitimize those emotions. Either way, they trigger feelings of gratitude...

03 May

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy, Normalization, Routines and Rituals

Preparing for Landing

May 3, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

Today’s blog is a continuation of last week’s topic of attending mindfully to transitions that are about to happen for our children. Last week we looked at practices that preserve normalization in our classrooms...

26 Apr

Classroom Leadership, Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy, Normalization, Peace/Harmony

Ready for Take-off

April 26, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

Have you noticed? Mere days from now we will turn the calendar to May – the crazy month filled with culminating projects, Mother’s Day gifts, final report cards, graduation preparations and celebrations, and a score...

19 Apr

Big Stories, Cosmic Education, Environments, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Routines and Rituals

Sacred Spaces

April 25, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

Last week, I was blessed to attend a reunion of Montessorians; we all had taught at one particular school in Colorado over the past 30 or more years. Many of us had...

08 Mar

Community/Social Environment, Effects of Testing, Normalization, Peace/Harmony, Self Care

We Are Not Alone…

April 25, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Today’s post continues the discussion started last week on unanticipated and often unrecognized side-effects of a season focused heavily on standardized testing and test prep. Last week addressed the impact to classroom...

01 Mar

Balance, Effects of Testing, Intrinsic Motivation, Normalization

Defending Normalization

April 25, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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I grew up outside of Chicago where, back in the day, they put cinders on slick roads in the winter. By February, the sidewalks and gutters would be full of ash-infused slush...

23 Feb

Healing Self-Image, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Remodeling Paradigms, Transformation of the Adult

Sweating The Small Stuff

April 25, 2019
Posted by kwoodberry
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Do you ever get the feeling that the Universe is asking something of you? When I get that, it feels like random people tugging on my sleeve, each whispering the same thing into my...

16 Feb

Community/Social Environment, Implementing Montessori Philosophy, Self Care, Transformation of the Adult

On The Transformation Trail

April 25, 2019
Posted by kwoodberry
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Tomorrow I will be with a group of fellow travelers on the path towards self-actualization: our current elementary interns. If this weekend runs true to form, they will arrive exhausted, half-sick, filled...

08 Feb

Community/Social Environment, Gratitude/Empathy, Routines and Rituals

Sugar Substitutes

April 25, 2019
Posted by kwoodberry
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It is that time again, when teachers are anticipating — with some combination of dread and amusement — one of the sweetest holidays of the year: Valentine’s Day. Personally, I love the idea of...

25 Jan

Control vs. Influence, Executive Function, Normalization, Time

Sweet Deferred Gratification…a Healthy Hunger

April 25, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart
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Welcome to the third in a series of blogs on creating an authentic working environment. Last week’s blog was all about shifting our paradigms to support a classroom culture that overtly values learning,...

18 Jan

Balance, Control vs. Influence, Executive Function, Normalization, Peace/Harmony, Redirecting Children, Remodeling Paradigms, Time

Time Well Spent

April 25, 2019
Posted by Betsy Lockhart

How was your week? Since today is Friday, if you are like most teachers, what you are feeling right now is relief that the weekend is here! But when you think about...