Often when I observe children working in a Montessori classroom it reminds me of listening to a lovely symphony; thus was the case this morning. It began with a time of tuning up. The children arrived slowly over a period of about 10 minutes. As they entered the room they started their routine by washing hands and selecting an activity; that is when the music began. A couple of children warmed up in the library, glancing through familiar titles. Three banded together to assemble a floor puzzle of the Presidents, and one soloist carefully arranged silk flowers in 6 different vases and then decorated each of the tables. It was a lovely harmony of activity and spontaneous socialization.
During our morning meeting, one could almost hear the unison as the children recited pledges, read Bible verses, and shared prayer requests. Although their ages and grades are varied, their spirit of curiosity, and joy unite them. It is a lovely sound. By the end of the day I had observed many choruses produced by this very alive yet soothing group of musicians. The youngest and newest member enjoyed repeating his part several times--rehearsing it over and over to perfection. The more seasoned players delighted in tutoring their less skilled colleagues while building their own self confidence. The melodies were enchanting.
Some days the tempo is more stimulating, and the volume less soothing, but today the orchestration was perfect and the music delightful.
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