Montessori Individualized Education

Montessori Individualized Instruction:

High AchievementHigh Growth

Struggling students still strugglingIncreasing enrollment of GT students

Core Philosophy of Individualized EducationPreparing the SchedulePrepared by Jami Boarman, HOS

1Instructional LeadersKaty Tompkins, Primary Instructional LeaderLisa Weiske, Lower Elementary Instructional LeaderSeth Webb, Upper Elementary Instructional LeaderDonnetta MacDonald, Lead Middle School TeacherLearning CoachesLower Elementary: Jessica Logsdon & Ellen IvyUpper Elementary: Judy Luehring

Before I go into that detail though, I want to introduce some very important people in our school, and these are our Instructional Leaders & Learning Coaches.

Our Instructional Leaders serve the very important role of leading their departments, coaching teachers, and supporting students. Their work is similar to our current department chairs; however much expanded next year so that all on our staff will receive the real-time support they desire in order to meet each students need. Using instructional Leaders is a research-based practice that assures that each classroom teacher has access to the current research, methodology, and professional development necessary to be exceptional educators. The Instructional Leaders and teachers are colleagues who work collaboratively to not only share the load but also to plan the individualized lessons for our students. These leaders also serve to improve our schools overall continuity and fidelity of delivering our curriculum and instructional programming. By being available to teachers and managing meeting times and collaborative opportunities, FHM will improve its overall quality control both within each department and inter-departmentally.

The Instructional Leaders and Teachers will also have access to Learning Coaches. These individuals are our highest trained assistant educators who demonstrated an ability and desire to serve in a higher capacity. Each coach will be designated to a specific area of instruction and will work with small groups of students throughout the day to either support or challenge that students learning. Some of our Specials teacher, who are trained in literacy or math instruction will join these coaches in the afternoon but, Im getting ahead of myself.

Please note that our Primary department will continue to have assistants; however, weve added an Associate Level teacher who will lead afternoon classrooms for our 3 & 4 y/os. Also, MS due to its 1st year size of 24 students and two teachers, will not currently have Instructional Leaders or Learning Coaches, but the model is available to them in the future as they grow.

2How we move (LE) step 1 (8:15 8:30)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabTech Lab / LibraryTTTTT

So on with what an Elementary day looks like. Well start with Lower el.

Students arrive and are settled in the classroom at 8:15 where they gather their work plans, and going through some of the rituals of the day. This is similar to this year, just starting 15 minutes earlier.

Important to note in this slide is that each class is divided into 3 groups. These groupings are not ability grouped per se, but serve to assure that students receive daily small group instruction in accordance with their individual instructional needs. You will hear us use words like coaching and instructional labs to denote these small group instructional periods. 3How we move (LE) step 2 (8:30 9:20)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabTech Lab/ Library(scheduled by class & student work plan)TTTTT

This slide shows the beginning work cycle of the day each cycle lasts 50 minutes, and allows for each student to have two 50 minute periods back to back to create an extended learning work period. So, at 8:30, of the students go to Specials leaving 17 students in the classroom. Of the remaining students, 6 go to either Math Lab, Reading Lab, or Writing Lab, or stay in the Classroom Lab for focused individualized instruction by their classroom teacher. The Labs are located similar to where they are now: reading and writing will occur at the tables located in the quiet alcoves of our hallways, and math will either be in a classroom or a designated area with materials.

The goal again is to provide small group focused instruction, and since this will occur daily, we can assure that students will receive this instruction more frequently. With this foundation, students are better able to engage in their work of the day, and deepen their work and study. It also builds personal responsibility for their work of the day. Using this pictogram, most, but not all of our vertical oval students go to labs 1st, the remainder of our students start their work cycle in the classroom.

4How we move (LE) step 3 (9:20 10:10)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabTech Lab / Library

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At 9:20, our 17 Circle smiles return and start lessons with their teacher. Tall smileys have had their lessons & are engaged in their work cycle or going to Library Lab depending upon their weekly schedule. Small smileys go to Labs as appropriate to their work plan.5How we move (LE) step 4 (10:10 11:00)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabTech Lab / Library(scheduled by class & student work plan)TTTTT

At 10:10, the 1st Work Cycle period reverses where now small & tall smilies go to Specials & round smilies are in the classroom or Labs getting small group instruction.6How we move (LE) step 5 (11:00 12:20)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabTech Lab / Library

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And at 11:00 all student return for a 20 minute morning wrap-up before the lunch period

4 6 students from each class will work w/ a trained parent volunteer & one of the coaches to set up the community lunch. (hoppers)As like this year, depending upon the classroom, students will either go to lunch or go outside with all students returning to the classroom for afternoon work cycle at 12:207How we move (LE) Afternoon (12:20 1:40)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabTech Lab / Library

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At 12:20, all students return to the classroom for both a class meeting or a large group study. Collaboration in community is a big part of Montessori instruction, so this is handled much as it is this year, and such work is considered a 21st century skill, as students will be working in small groups on short and long term projects related to the topics of study.

Class Meetings occur nearly every day and provide an opportunity for students to problem solve and discuss the many social issues, conflicts, life-related topics that are on their mind. These periods are key to building personal respect & responsibility, community respect & responsibility & environmental respect & responsibility

Community Learning Projects rotate in focus in each classroom. These may be based upon a literature study, writers workshop, culture, history, or science lab or other important unit of study. Whatever the topic, students will be led by the teacher with a support person on hand to delve deeper into understanding about oneself in the world. The Coaches will work in classrooms where it is best matched with the lesson of the day, and were planning to train a group of parents on supporting learning through Socratic questioning and Depths of Knowledge. These parents will not serve to be instructors, but more to foster students learning at deeper levels through these questioning techniques.

This period naturally ends either 40 80 minutes after it begins, and then the afternoon work cycle begins again with Labs re-opened.8How we move (LE) Afternoon (1:40 2:50)Lower El 1 Lower El 2Lower El 5

Lower 3Lower 4Reading LabWriting LabMath LabLibrary

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During this period, a Specials teacher joins the team as a Lab Coach, and the IL works in classrooms on a scheduled basis. The library is also open in accordance w/ the weekly schedule for instruction, and a students individual work plan.

At 2:50, all students must be in the classroom for daily wrap-up and readiness for dismissal.9How we move (UE) step 1 (8:15 8:30)Upper El 1 Upper El 2Upper El 3Upper El 4TTTT

So now moving to Upper El whose day is quite similar to Lower El, just an opposite use of Specials.

Students arrive and settle in by 8:15, gathering their work plans and beginning their group morning rituals.

10How we move (UE) step 2 (8:30 9:20)Math LabUpper El 1Upper El 2Literacy LabTech Lab

Rotating basis

Upper El 3Upper El 4Library Research

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At around 8:30 8:40, the 1st working cycle begins which again last 50 minutes and flow naturally into one another. In UE, this is the beginning of the small group lesson period; however, a portion of this period may be used for full-class instruction. All this is similar to this year. The difference is that groups of 4 students from each class will go to their initial Lab/coaching cycle. This is also the period in which students from each UE may move to the library for research (minimum 3 from each classroom). The tech lab is also open during this period which will remove another 4 students from each classroom on a rotating basis. This leaves around 19 students in with the lead teacher who uses the time for small group instruction and supports students in their work.11How we move (UE) step 3 (9:20 10:10)Math LabUpper El 1Upper El 2Literacy LabSpecials

Upper El 3Upper El 4SpecialsSpecials

Specials

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At 9:20, of the students go to Specials leaving 15 students in the classroom. Of those students, 4 from each classroom go to either Math Lab, Literacy Lab, or stay in the Classroom Lab for focused individualized instruction.

Again, the focus is to provide small group focused and frequent instruction allowing students to deepen their work and study. In this pictogram, most, but not all of our vertical oval students go to labs 1st, the remainder of our students start their work cycle in the classroom. 12How we move (UE) step 4 (10:10 11:00)Math LabUpper El 1Upper El 2Literacy LabTech Lab

Rotating basis

Upper El 3Upper El 4Library Research

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At 10:10 students return back from Specials, and since most of our vertical and small ovals have had their small group instruction to become engaged in their work cycle, they continue with their work. Small smiles now have an opportunity to work in the labs as determined by their teacher, and oval smiles (minimum 3 from each classroom) have library period, as appropriate to their work plan, and another group of students go to the Tech Lab. Round smiles receive small group focused instruction similar to that of the previous period.

13How we move (UE) step 5 (11:00 11:50)Math LabUpper El 1Upper El 2Literacy LabSpecials

Upper El 3Upper El 4SpecialsSpecials

Specials

This 3rd part of the morning work cycle is when our oval & small smiles go to Specials, leaving our round smiles to work in either the Math, Literacy, or Classroom Labs for small group instruction. It mirrors the earlier work cycle of the day.14How we move (UE) step 6 (12:00 1:10)HoppersUpper El 1Upper El 2Upper El 3Upper El 4Hoppers

PPPlaygroundLunch

A 20-minute morning Wrap-up begins at noon. So far, of the 3 hours of the morning, all students have had at least one 50-minute portion of their classroom work cycle with focused, personalized instruction, and another period of small group lessons. Theyve also had a specials period in a small class size environment. Each student has averaged a morning of a 1:16 student to teacher ratio in their classroom.

This period now begins the Self in Community portion of daily instruction & it begins with Community Meal.

Building grace & courtesy skills and positive relationships though our Community LunchHoppersParents partners for lunch & playground support: Training providedScaffolding community relations

Playground periods with organized games AND time and space just to be a kid

These are flip-flopped to manage #s in the lunchroom & playground areas15How we move (UE) Afternoon(1:10 2:10)Upper El 1Upper El 2Upper El 3Upper El 4TTTTCCIL

At 1:10 students return to the classroom, and as with Lower el, students participate in both Class Meetings and Large group Study.

Class Meetings these occur nearly every day and provide an opportunity for students to problem solve and discuss the many social issues, conflicts, life-related topics that are on their mind. These periods are key to building personal respect & responsibility, community respect & responsibility & environmental respect & responsibility

Collaborative Large Group study rotates on a different focus based upon a literature study, writers workshop, culture, history, or science lab or an other unit of study. Again, students will be led by the teacher with Learning Coaches and trained parent volunteers on hand to facilitate deeper understanding about oneself in the world.

This is followed naturally by the afternoon Work Cycle, where Labs are open again to support student learning.16How we move (UE) Afternoon(2:10 3:15)Math LabUpper El 1Upper El 2Literacy LabTech Lab

Rotating option by classroom & studentsUpper El 3Upper El 4Library / Research

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After the Group Period ends, the Afternoon Work Cycle will naturally begin. Labs are re-opened and led by both Coaches and trained Specials teachers. The Library & Tech Lab are also open for students in accordance with their work plan.

Around 2:50, all students must be in the classroom for daily wrap-up and readiness for dismissal

We hope this generalized view of the schedule is helpful to you, and while the slides cannot depict many of the nuances of our scheduling work, we hope that you see how using Instructional Leaders, Learning Coaches, and Labs will provide for the small group focused instruction we want for all of our students.

17Adult Schedule AdjustmentsEarlier start to the day 8:15

Early release Wednesdays at 2 pmProvides Instructional Planning time for all teachers!Thank You!

Aftercare & Afterschool Clubs available for students

One other thing we realized from our data review is that we needed serious time together as professionals to reflect upon and respond to our students learning needs. So, as Ive referenced in the previous slides, school begins 15 minutes earlier next year, with students in class & ready to go at 8:15. In addition, each Wednesday we will have a 1 hour early release time of 2 pm. This early release allows for teachers to meet weekly about each students individualized education plan, and provides important time for teachers to reflect upon student learning, evaluated assessment and observational data, and make any necessary adjustments to your students learning plan. We realize this may be a hardship for some, but we promise you will see amazing results.

Weve also created a plan to fit the needs of those who may not be able to arrive for the 2 pm pick up, and that is either through our regular aftercare program and our new Afterschool Clubs. While these are at a cost, we truly do hope these fill a need you have for your family giving you more time together in the evening. Well be sharing more about these over the summer. For now though, Id like to thank you for giving us the gift of time, so that we can better serve our students and find better ways to partner with parents as educators.18Partnering with ParentsSecretarial SupportCommunity Lunch LeadersDeep Knowledge Facilitators

Parent PartnershipInformation Meeting May 17th 3:30

We are extremely excited about this upcoming year, and were also looking forward to the opportunities for parents to be more meaningfully involved in our school. We know of these three areas that we will be looking for partners, and we know more ideas will surface, so please be sure to join us on May 17th at 3:30 for a Parent partnership Information Meeting. If you want to find out about ways to be involved, this is the place to start.19

THANK YOU!ReflectionCollaborationPersistenceAnalysisCreativity

At FHM we are always working to create the optimal learning environment, and when youre dealing with the time element, it requires reflection, collaboration, persistence, and a grand mix of the analytic and creative thinking. So thanks to all who participated with trust and belief in the unseen to create this intentional model of serving the individual and societal needs of our students throughout their day. And thanks to all who have stepped up to ask questions and find purposeful ways to be involved. This is how we create the environment that prepares our students for tomorrow. Its inspired learning in practice.20