Children’s House 2 Lead Guide Jessica Robson spent the last year simultaneously teaching and pursuing her AMI (Association Montessori International) Primary Diploma from the Montessori Northwest Training Center in Portland, Oregon. It was an amazing and intense experience that “profoundly impacted” the way she thinks about children and about teaching. Here, Jessica talks about her journey and where it has led her.
What was the experience of getting certified and teaching at the same time like?
Training and teaching concurrently was quite taxing. I worked hard with the children all day at school and then completed homework until late in the evening each night. I hadn’t been a student since finishing my Master’s Degree in 2009, and I was a single person without children then. Learning how to balance a full-time workload and a full-time courseload, while also being a mother and a wife, was an extraordinary feat. My strategy quickly became one of prioritizing the most important things that needed to be completed in preparation for the next day. My nuclear and extended families were so supportive during this time, cooking and taking the girls on weekly adventures to give me additional time.
For each lesson we learned in my training course, I was required to complete a detailed drawing outlining each step in the presentation. Since drawing does not come naturally to me, each illustration took a long time to complete—but they really helped me remember the details of each lesson. I still reflect back on the approximately 165 drawings I made when I’m working with the children and sharing presentations.
In addition to training remotely throughout the school year, I spent a total of 9 weeks, across two summers, training at the center in Portland, Oregon. This was probably the most difficult aspect of my journey, as I had never been away from my children for more than a week—5 weeks seemed almost unbearable. The night before I left for my first summer intensive session, I laid in bed contemplating just how disappointed Kari (HMS Head of School Kari Headington) would be if I decided not to board the plane. Ultimately, I did pack my case and I bravely walked down the jetway through the tears.
Luckily, I made the most incredible friends in Portland. While I knew no one when I arrived, within a few short days, I realized I had met my soul sisters. We grew immensely close during those five weeks together. We supported each other as we preserved through long hours at the training center and endless hours of illustrations and essay writing on nights and weekends…all while being away from those we love most. We laughed together, we cried together, and we built bonds that will last a lifetime.
Me and my new friends on the first day of classes
Soul sisters by the end of the summer intensive
Ms. Katie’s (Children’s House 2 Classroom Assistant Katie Skinner) support was instrumental in my being able to teach and train simultaneously. I could always count on her to lend a listening ear and a helpful hand.
When the full cycle children graduated at the end of May, it truly was a celebration for all of us. They had guided me as much as I had guided them.
Katie kept everything afloat while I tried desperately to multitask and manage my numerous responsibilities. From shopping lists, to Friday folders, to ordering the necessary supplies, Katie was on top of it all. I will be forever grateful for Katie’s support and friendship. Her shoulder collected quite a few of my tears and her words reassured me, day after day, that I was extraordinary.
Kari, like Katie, supported me at every juncture on my journey. Despite her ever growing list of demands as head of school, Kari somehow managed to spend countless hours in our classroom guiding the children so I could complete many hours of observation. She stepped in whenever I needed additional time to complete assignments, she commiserated when the work seemed insurmountable, and she believed in me when the finish line felt too far and my courage wavered. Through it all, I got by with a little help from my friends.
The children, being the gracious and loving souls that they are, surrounded me with love. When I made a mistake, they forgave me. When I was exhausted, they lifted me up with their smiles and encouragement. They were patient with me when I didn’t know the answer. They trusted that I would learn the answer and would share it with them when I could. The children taught me that, although I have tendencies towards perfectionism, that it’s ok to make a mistake.
I skipped my graduation ceremony so that I could get home in enough time to board the plane with my family at Logan airport.
At times, my daughters expressed sadness about missing our quality time together. We sighed and groaned together as we acknowledged that this was really hard. But all the while, I persevered and so did they. My hope is that Daisy and Emmaline observed my determination to achieve my goal and pursue my passion. I hope my diligence inspires them to tackle their own dreams with confidence and to always believe in themselves as strong and capable women. In the end, we celebrated with a trip to Disney World that we had planned before I decided to take this training course.
Although it was very difficult to teach and train at the same time, it was quite beneficial to apply new knowledge in the classroom immediately. It was very helpful to learn theoretical and practical content and then practice right away. This practical application really helped me integrate this vast wealth of knowledge.
What are you most excited about for your classroom this year?
It feels wonderful to have a detailed understanding of the scope and sequence of each of the four areas of the Montessori classroom. Now that I understand the progressions, I am fully able to support the children in their personal growth and development.
Mr. John (HMS Facilities Manager John Schulte) and the new Sandpaper Letters shelves.
This year, I am excited to put my own personal touch on the classroom environment. Two of the major physical changes were adding shelves to display the Sandpaper Letters and designing bookshelves to personalize the classroom library. I have always been especially passionate about literacy and reading instruction (this makes sense since I was a reading specialist before taking a sabbatical from education to raise my young family). During my training course I learned that displaying the Sandpaper Letters in this way facilitates frequent use. These wooden cards, acting as a bridge, truly do mark the child’s entry into the world of literacy. I strongly felt they should be readily accessible to the children. Now that they are on the wall, the letters are in constant use. These Sandpaper Letters really help the child see that letters are how we make our language visible to others. We play “Bring Me” games for review and repetition of the letter sounds. The children visit the wall for help when wanting to remember how to craft a letter in cursive using their pencil. They provide a sensorial impression for the youngest children. And they are a beautiful piece of artwork adorning the walls where we gather to delight in literacy experiences.
The new library corner
Additionally, I wanted to create a classroom library that was a warm and cozy invitation to explore books. This is a place where the child can come to explore stories, first through visual images and later through the written word. It’s also a place where the child can decompress, breathe, and relax…a sanctuary of sorts.
What lessons/topics/experiences from the training meant the most to you personally and professionally?
I was profoundly impacted by the way that Maria Montessori viewed the young child.
As a prior public school educator, I had subscribed to a Behaviorist model of “behavior management” enlisting the help of rewards to promote compliant behavior. During my education classes in undergraduate school, we learned about Behaviorism and positively reinforcing desired behaviors in the classroom. In my “Behavior Management” class, we were taught how to create a token economy where students could earn tokens for positive behavior and later trade those tokens in for tangible rewards. We were also taught to use color coded systems to manage undesired behaviors. For example, if a student was calling out in class, the teacher would ask the student to move their card from green to yellow as a visual warning about the negative behavior. If the behavior continued, the teacher would instruct the student to move to red, thus indicating a consequence would be issued. I used these systems for years and they were successful in creating what could be perceived as an “orderly” classroom environment.
I am in the process of unlearning those techniques and, instead, engaging with the children from a place of deep respect. How beautiful an idea it is that we are supporting the child as they learn how to self-discipline; how to choose a reasoned path. I am working to replace the, Do as I say attitude with the notion that I can support the development of freedom by giving the children liberty to act upon their choices. This has required me to completely reevaluate my ideas about what it means to be a “teacher,” and also “a parent.”
It wasn’t until I started working in a Montessori school, that I began to think more deeply about these practices I was taught to use in college. Montessori speaks about traditional schools and the practices used to bend the child’s will and replace it with the teacher’s will. The children are not given the opportunity to practice exercising their own will; instead they are encouraged to make themselves into a model of the teacher.
Through examining the writing and work of Montessori, I am learning about the development of the child’s will and how it’s a force that is beneficial to life. I want to help the children develop fully through opportunities to self-select and carry out work in the classroom. I am learning that there are three levels of obedience and that obedience is something that is developed, similar to the other parts of a human’s character. In the first level of obedience, a child might be able to obey sometimes, but not others. During the second level of obedience, the child can always obey if there are no obstacles in the way. But during the third and final level of obedience, the child chooses to obey.
In the classroom, we can use The Silence Game to help the children control their impulses and develop their will power. This game is a respectful way to practice collective obedience.
How was AMI training different from the work you did to get your masters?
The AMI training course was a personal transformation. I was awakened to the notion that the child has the power to construct themself through interactions with the prepared environment. Children are not blank vessels or tablets waiting to be filled by the adults in their lives. As the teacher, I can think of myself as a tour guide, directing the child towards experiences that will help them develop. The art of careful observation helps me notice what activities would be most beneficial to the child at this moment in time.
When I worked in public school, the teacher was always viewed as the most important person in the classroom. How much could I “teach” in a day to fill the children up with the knowledge they needed to be successful on the test. It often felt a bit like the “Mrs. Robson Show”. I was constantly on display, trying to keep the children excited and engaged so they would learn what I was told was important for them to master.
That is not the case in the Montessori classroom. My role as the “guide” is centered around “connection.” I constantly ask myself this question: How can I connect the child to the environment in a meaningful way so that the child can construct themself? I can coach and inspire the children, but they must each do the work for themself. Once that connection has been established and the child begins concentrating, my job is then to withdraw and observe.
Montessori emphasized that the guide must be patient and humble, while also being a strong leader. I am no longer an “entertainer,” I am a patient and humble coach hoping to inspire the children through love.
My biological children brought me into the world of Montessori school. The children in our classroom continue to teach and inspire me every day. They inspire me to see the good in every person. They model unconditional forgiveness and understanding. They encourage me to be the best version of myself, constantly modeling grace for myself and others. It is my hope that the work I do in Hollis, New Hampshire will be the seeds of change that will sprout peace, love, and acceptance throughout the world, long after my work is finished. My home is in the Children’s House, for that is where the work takes flight. As Montessori said, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”
Jessica’s daughters Daisy and Emmaline when they were in Children’s House