2. WTS #1 ~ RationaleWTS #1 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #1 states that a teacher
has a solid foundation and comprehension of the
subjects being taught, creating an environment of
understanding through lessons that are varied,
meaningful and appealing to the child, piquing their
interest which intrinsically motivates them to do
purposeful follow-up work.
3. WTS #7 ~ RationaleWTS #7 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #7 states that to be an
effective teacher one must be organized and systematic
when creating lesson plans that represent the various
topics required to suit the needs of the students as well
as covering the requirements of the state mandated
curriculum and the community at large.
4. WTS #1 and #7 ~
Artifact 1a, 1b, 1c
I have presented this series of math lessons to a group of
third year students that methodically carries the children
from the preparation of squaring numbers all the way to
squaring numbers with hierarchical value. This process
began at the end of the 2013-2014 school year when they
were in their second elementary year. By the look on their
faces, this work appears to be one of great accomplishment
for these two gentlemen who just finished getting set up for
Game 4: The Decanomial Square. This picture reveals
precision, order, concentration, collaboration and teamwork
at its finest. It is this work that is built upon and works
toward the most recent lesson they received: Squaring (a
quadranomial) with Hierarchical Value (see series of
lessons attached).
5. WTS #1 and #7 ~
Artifact 1a, 1b, 1c
I strive daily to make certain that I am prepared to make a delivery of
clear lessons that help to enable the child to make connections
between one subject to another, one lesson to another, all relating to
the bigger picture – the universe – and the child’s role in it. The
elementary Montessori classroom is where Cosmic Education takes
place, providing limitations to the information, given in a specific
order (as with the order of the universe), this is what piques the
interest of the child’s imagination and enables him to recognize the
pattern that is found in creation. For the child this creates the melody
for his ongoing education, facilitating the freedom of his own
personal construction so that he can grasp the concept of helping and
lending service to his fellow man. This is the theme not only of
Cosmic Education but also of all of Dr. Montessori’s writings and the
embodiment of her identifying what is there already in the child.
The respectful, thoughtful, caring ways that are innate in the child
are to be nurtured through this path of education, enabling the child
to see that change is possible.
10. WTS #2 ~ RationaleWTS #2 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #2 means that the
teacher not only appreciates the fact that children
have varied levels of intellect, are at different stages
of social maturity as well as personal growth, but
the teacher also knows how to diversify the lessons
given in order to adapt to this variability found in
all children.
11. WTS #2 ~ Artifact 1
What has only recently been coined “Differentiated
Instruction” has been the cornerstone of Montessori
education for over 100 years. Dr. Montessori
recognized through years of observation this need to
meet the child where they are at, through a variety of
lessons and conveying these lessons in small groups.
This picture is one of a group of two children – one
first grader and one second grader - receiving the
lesson together. I gave this lesson, Grammar Box IV,
to these two children together because it met the
intellectual needs of both children at that particular
time.
13. WTS#3 ~ RationaleWTS#3 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #3 means that each child
should be treated as an individual, not grouped
together with all children as a whole. Each child
learns at their own pace and different strategies are
necessary at times in order to enhance their learning
and make the material more understandable and
create meaning for all children, including those with
disabilities.
14. WTS #3 ~ Artifact 1a, 1bWTS #3 ~ Artifact 1a, 1b
WTS #3, Artifact 1a reveals a photo of a child who has painted
the seven different types of triangles with watercolor on a large
piece of paper and is at this point labeling each with a paintbrush.
The second photo (Artifact 1b) shows a child who is discerning
the seven different types of triangles with the use of the blue and
yellow triangles form the Geometry cabinet. They both received
the lessons of classifying triangles by both sides and angles with
the use of the Geometry Sticks; however, in order to solidify this
nomenclature, one child has decided on her own to use paint and
paper while the other, who has been diagnosed as being on the
Autism spectrum, needs something more concrete to handle and
to manipulate. I re-introduced these blue triangles because they
are very vivid in color and easily maneuvered, enabling the child
to trace them and label them in a more physical way that relates
more specifically to the manner in which he learns best.
17. WTS #4 ~ RationaleWTS #4 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #4 simply means that it
takes a variety of teaching strategies used in the
classroom to prepare the children with what is
considered today to be “21st
century skills.” There is a
long list of character traits associated with “21st
century
skills,” among which, critical thinking, problem
solving and performance skills are mentioned in the
teaching standard. This standard, however, identifies
the use of technology as one route in particular that is
necessary to accomplish this in the classroom.
18. WTS #4 ~ Artifact 1
In this picture I gave a lesson to a first grader on how
to utilize a laptop computer only for the use of typing
a Word document. She and all students who received
this lesson have a full understanding that the laptop is
just another tool that humans have created to assist us
in our every day life. The research information that
she compiled had to be written in cursive FIRST.
Because she was only in first grade, and my awareness
of spellcheck, etc., we focused on one area for editing
and that was correcting capital letters in her paper
prior to typing.
20. WTS #4 ~ Artifact 2
Dr. Montessori said that we should prepare the child
for the greater society/world in which he is to enter
upon leaving the classroom community. That said
knowledge of and use of computers are mandatory in
the 21st
century. The Montessori method also prepares
the child’s mind for the world outside by exercising
critical thinking skills with hands-on manipulation of
materials as well. This picture is of two first year
students’ lesson on common multiples, exemplified
through the manipulation of the bead bars, counting
the beads and then the child recognizing the common
multiples found in the numbers 9 and 6.
22. WTS #5 ~ RationaleWTS #5 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #5 states that the teacher
has a firm understanding of the developmental changes
and characteristics of children in the second plane. We
understand that children ages 6 – 12 have a strong desire to
communicate with each other and as a result, learn from
each other and are at times more receptive to peers than to
the adult in the classroom. We also understand that it is the
intrinsic desire of the child that drives them to learn and we
must appreciate their independence and provide positive
social interaction where the children are active participants
in their own learning, choosing their own work, guided by
the adult when necessary, creating a self-motivated learner.
23. WTS #5 ~ ArtifactWTS #5 ~ Artifact
WTS #5, Artifact 1 is a video clip where I followed the lead of
a first year student who wanted to read aloud to another first
year student and others around him became interested and
listened as well. During state mandated testing this student
has shown via body language and said verbally that he does
not want to read out loud around others (for testing he read to
me in the hallway, in private). Although the following
recording happened during “silent reading” time, I recognized
and seized the opportunity for 1) the first grader to gain
practice reading aloud at his own wanting and his own pace,
and 2) the others around him to listen and appreciate the
reading by a peer rather than an adult, building self-
confidence in his reading ability as well as supportive peer
interaction in the classroom.
25. WTS #6 ~ RationaleWTS #6 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #6 is one that is so very
important in the classroom. Not only must a teacher
be effective in their verbal communication with the
children, she/he must also use nonverbal cues and
gestures to convey meaning to a child, especially so as
not to interrupt a lesson nor to break a child’s
concentration with whom they are working. In
addition this standard addresses the use of technology
in the classroom to enrich each child’s sense of wonder
and their need to collaborate with other children in the
classroom.
26. WTS #6 ~ ArtifactWTS #6 ~ Artifact
WTS #6, Artifact 1 is a video clip of two children
working on Raz-Kids.com on the iPads provided for the
classroom. The child with the headphones is having
difficulty reading the questions at the end of the
passage, so I asked the other child if he would be so
kind to assist his friend in reading the question for
him. The excitement of the child having difficulty
after being helped by his peer, instead of me, the
teacher, is one of true joy and accomplishment. This
artifact reveals that I have intertwined both
technology, acquiring reading skills, and collaboration
with these ever-seeking first year students.
28. WTS #8 ~ RationaleWTS #8 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #8 identifies the need
for testing students on the advancements they have
made in the classroom. This standard states that it is
important for the teacher to accomplish this both
formally and informally to make certain that the child
is continuing to develop academically, socially and
physically within the social setting of the classroom
community that the children are creating around them.
29. WTS #8 ~ Artifacts 1 and 2
To follow are video clips of students’ presentations of their work, more specifically
their follow-up work that they created with very little guidance from me, other
than asking what color paper did they want to use. This is a common theme in my
classroom – after a lesson the children create their own follow-up work depicting
the content received from a Geography lesson with their own ideas of the lay out
and medium they will use; they write their name and the title of their work on a
“Presentation Sign-up Sheet” that the children created; together we determine an
appropriate time to present; the child presents to those interested in the
presentation while others work silently. In this clip the first year student is
presenting Three States of Matter – Solids, Liquids, Gases and a third year student
is presenting his further research on The Two Tropics.
This is an informal assessment of what the child has taken away from the lesson,
how deep of an understanding they have of the material, and guides me in what
lesson to present next. The children are absolutely thrilled to present (this is a
voluntary option) just as much as those who are eager to listen. Aside from these
“formal presentations,” I am constantly observing from afar or while walking
around the room, asking questions that draw out of the child what they know on a
particular topic that is centered upon a lesson they received.
31. WTS #9 - RationaleWTS #9 - Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #9 means that a teacher is
constantly evaluating his/her own teaching and
interactions, not just with the students, but also with the
community at large, parents, and other professionals. This
standard addresses a teacher’s ability to take a look at
herself and constructively criticize when necessary, know
when and where to bring more to the classroom and know
when to allow the child to grow, therefore the teacher not
thinking she knows so much. As Dr. Montessori has
impressed upon us to be vigilant observers and not to
interrupt the concentration of the children, evaluating
carefully our role as a guide to their understanding.
32. WTS #9 ~ ArtifactWTS #9 ~ Artifact
WTS #9 – Artifact 1 is a prime example of how critical
it is not to shut down a child’s creativity, for we know
not what connections are being made in the child’s
mind. He was being respectful of the material, soI had
to stop myself from hastily asking the child put away
the Geometry sticks, for the work he had accomplished
was not exactly that of the lesson he had received. But
at that moment I reevaluated the situation and waited
to hear the child’s rationale…please listen to the
reasoning mind of the child with no previous
Montessori experience before this year…
34. WTS #10 ~ RationaleWTS #10 ~ Rationale
Wisconsin Teaching Standard #10 means that it is
important for teachers to communicate effectively and
ethically with other teachers and professionals in their
building and in their classroom. It is also very
important for teachers to engage in effective
communication and forge interactions with parents as
well as organizations in the broader community in
order to support each student’s education.
35. WTS #10 ~ Artifact 1WTS #10 ~ Artifact 1
WTS #10, Artifact 1 supports Wisconsin Teacher
Standard #10, as it is a bimonthly newsletter that is
sent in each child’s “Friday Folder” to convey to the
parents the daily happenings in the classroom as well
as upcoming events in the school building. My co-
teacher and I meet each week to discuss the contents of
the newsletter and how to better involve the parents in
their child’s education as well as satisfy those parents’
necessity to know what work is being accomplished in
the classroom, if they don’t have the opportunity to
observe.
37. WTS #10 ~ Artifact 2WTS #10 ~ Artifact 2
WTS #10, Artifact 2a and 2b reveals a project that was initiated after a
debate erupted in our classroom last school year about plastic waste. I
solicited the help of the children along with their parents to support a
worthy cause of “film recycling” via Trex Company, Inc. First I
requested the approval of my principal at the time (Elizabeth Brown)
and then I emailed monthly newsletters to the parents reminding them
to have their children collect and bring to school all of the plastic bags
they had collected. The children weighed the bags and helped to place
them into my vehicle to take to the local Target store for recycling. The
children graphed the monthly totals that were collected, and the result
was that our small school of 28 students won the contest and gained
recognition across the state, amongst more than 400 schools that had
participated! This project rendered numerous benefits for the children’s
education by not only working with their parents and their community
to collect the plastic but also contributing to a much greater cause of
helping take care of their earthly environment!
40. ~ in closing ~~ in closing ~
This portfolio should be titled:
The Portfolio of the children of Northeast Wisconsin Montessori –
2013 to the present.
Compiling the data and information for this portfolio has further solidified
exactly what Dr. Montessori made clear throughout all of her lectures, books
and lessons: this is not my work, this is the work of the children. I am so
grateful to have been trained in such a way to appreciate the importance of
the teacher being a guide to understanding in the realm of educating today’s
youth. The properly prepared environment as well as the properly prepared
adult in the classroom is what enable children to succeed by being stimulated
intellectually and thereby enjoy coming to school every day. I hear it often
from parents throughout my small community of children that their child is
so happy to get up every morning and go to school (well, it’s a little tough on
those days when the temperatures plummet below zero but they come with
big smiles, nonetheless).
41. All of the Wisconsin Teaching Standards are deeply woven in the
fabric of the training I received at the Montessori Institute of
Milwaukee. The verbiage is slightly different but the melody is
the same. I strive everyday to uphold these standards that Dr.
Montessori set forth in the AMI training I received and what
Wisconsin has determined as a requirement to demonstrate
proficient performance in my craft.
All of the video and photographs contained herein were taken
inside of my classroom at the Northeast Wisconsin Montessori
School in Cleveland, Wisconsin from 2013 to the present (video
and photo release statements on file for review if needed).
~Suzanne Buchanan
Editor's Notes
See file “Artifact 1 & 7 Lessons”
The written square of the decanomial: (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10)2 worked out by the student which took the remainder of the day.
Notice the paper in cursive on the table top stand to her right.
