We are all guilty of becoming complacent. It happens.
In our busy lives, we often resist change, and this is when we start thinking things like, “But we have always done it that way” or “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.”
My guess is that we have all said at least one of the above phrases at some point in the past year. While we likely had good intentions, the above phrases can actually be considered dangerous. Why? By sticking with the status quo and not questioning our actions, we deny ourselves the opportunity for future growth and improvement.
I am not advocating recklessness but rather encouraging you to consider areas in your school that are on autopilot or processes that have not been reconsidered for a while.
Let’s examine a few areas that tend to fall into the “set it and forget it” mentality and might need some attention.
1 – What is your school’s reputation?
From a business perspective, a school’s reputation is also known as its brand. It is essentially how you choose to portray yourself and how you are seen in your community.
If we consider what a brand is, there are three key components:
- Who you are – When did you last look at your organization and consider this question? Specifically, what makes your school unique and stand out from the other educational options in your area? What values does your school embody? How has your school evolved over the years?
- Who you want to be – What are your school’s goals, and how is the school moving to achieve those goals? Have you been simply going with the flow, or is your school actively moving forward with a mission in mind? Is your mission baked into your culture?
- How people perceive you – Are you communicating the above two bullets to your parents and community by your actions? What language are you using in your communication? Are these elements in alignment with your values and goals? See what people say about you online or ask your community for feedback.
2 – What is the state of your classroom environment?
A core element of Montessori principles is creating a prepared environment for our children. A classroom should be organized, accessible, and inviting. If you are an administrator, when was the last time you stopped and really looked at how your classrooms are doing? If you are a guide, have you considered monitoring a peer’s classroom or asking a peer to monitor yours?
A few areas to consider in re-assessing the classroom might be:
- Are classroom observations done regularly to monitor flow, engagement, and learning styles?
- Are materials refreshed and rotated to meet the interests of the students?
- Are teachers adjusting the environment to meet the child’s needs?
3 – What are your data collection practices?
Unfortunately, data collection often falls into the category of, “but we’ve always done it that way,” and we may resist change. It’s easy to see why—it’s a repetitive practice that seems simple enough, and if it gets the job done, why change it?
Why? You may miss a significant opportunity to serve your students (and staff) better. Observations are the foundation of Montessori methodology, and we collect data on our students’ development to guide their growth. Data and technology are ever-evolving, and their power to improve student success is growing.
Some things to consider regarding your data collection process are:
- What data are you collecting? Are you collecting data to encourage equitable engagement and participation of all demographics? The more meaningful data points you can collect, the more you can see a clearer picture of your school’s teaching and learning processes.
- Are you collecting consistent data throughout your school? Individual processes in each classroom and handwritten notes may limit your ability to detect patterns and potential issues in student development.
- Is student data available to those who need it? Montessori schools are designed to serve the child. When administrators, guides, and parents have access to the same information, true collaboration on student growth is possible.
- Are you making data-driven decisions? As the saying goes, numbers don’t lie. Collecting the correct data can help identify students’ academic, social, and emotional growth patterns and trends. Having data support your decisions is essential for paving the right path for each student.
- Is there a more straightforward way to collect data? The processes of collecting data and observing children should complement one another, not compete. Relying solely on handwritten notes can be time-consuming and provide inconsistent information. You can simplify data collection processes by creating consistent processes throughout our school and leveraging today’s technology to help you gather the data you need quickly and efficiently.
4 – How are you supporting staff development and wellbeing?
Our guides and support teams are the heart of our school. If we want happy and healthy students, we must ensure we have happy and healthy teams. While individual needs will vary, here are a few things to consider in supporting your team:
- Work/life balance: Our guides and support teams are dedicated to nurturing our students. How are we nurturing them? Are you providing enough time off and minimizing the need for after-hours work? Check in with your team one-on-one and ask how they are doing and how you can support their well-being.
- Opportunities for growth and skill enhancements—Education and growth don’t end with graduation—they are a lifelong process. Do your team members have growth and development plans that highlight their strengths and support their challenge areas?
- Are you reinforcing the mission? – Teams function best when everyone understands the goals and how to get there. For new hires, you want to be sure your orientation practices are thorough and in line with your mission. However, don’t forget to keep current staff updated on how the school is performing and any shifts in strategic direction.
- Are you recognizing the positive? When something goes wrong, is it called out so it can be fixed? When something goes right, is it called out so it can be celebrated? Recognizing achievements and what is going well is essential to creating a positive work environment. Make sure you have a recognition system—give regular shout-outs and gold stars to those who earn them!
- How often do you receive feedback from team members? If not very often, you may want to consider why. Do you have an open environment where team members feel comfortable giving feedback? Creating an environment that allows and encourages team members to share feedback on their needs results in employees who feel supported and valued.
5 – Are you truly connecting with parents?
As educators, we are focused on our students, but if we don’t partner with parents in their children’s development, we are not addressing the whole child. Unfortunately, with all that we have going on in the classroom, parent engagement can sometimes fall on the priority list, and we don’t see the level of engagement that we would like to see.
How can we prevent this from happening?
- Focus on meaningful communication—Parents are just as busy as we are, so when sharing information with them, ensure it is relevant and to the point.
- Provide concise updates on their child’s development. It may be tempting to send cookie-cutter updates to save time. However, this can actually waste time with irrelevant information. Instead, try focusing on brief but specific updates.
- Have a simple communication platform—Do you have a singular platform for guides and parents to connect? Having one place where everyone can connect allows them to share important information quickly and easily.
- Educate parents and students—Montessori parents place great trust in us. Many of our parents were not Montessori students, yet they trusted our methodology to provide their children with the best possible education. To honor and deepen this trust, offer Montessori-focused education sessions or resources for parents. The more we can help parents understand the Montessori pedagogy, the more likely they are to keep their children in a Montessori school as they age.
- Encourage Montessori practices at home—When parents understand the impact of our teaching practices and how they work, we can create true partnerships by encouraging them to continue Montessori practices at home, which ultimately serves the child more profoundly.
As Montessorians, we ultimately work to serve our children. Now that the year is ending, we have some time for self-reflection. Are we achieving what we hope to accomplish? Is the status quo where we want to be, or is it time to make changes?
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