Our Last Giveaway: Large Weaving Loom Set
*************This giveaway is now closed!**************
Welcome to the last giveaway between Montessori for Everyone and Alison’s Montessori! I hope you’ve been enjoying the giveaways, especially all the great comments that have been left. If you haven’t already, take a look at the holiday tradition comments, the holiday lessons comments, and the multicultural ideas.
This week’s giveaway is our grandest! The winner of this giveaway receives a $50 gift certificate from Montessori for Everyone and this lovely weaving loom from Alison’s Montessori:
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment sharing some kind of resolution you’re making for the new year when it comes to education – something you’ll do differently in the classroom or try for the first time.
For example, my resolution is to stop myself each time I’m tempted to step in and help my children right away and instead, let them figure out the issue themselves – even if it is frustrating to them and takes them some time to work out. That is really hard for me!
The guidelines:
The giveaway will close on Wednesday, December 30th at midnight CST.
The prize ships to the US only – weaving loom will be mailed, gift certificate will be emailed. If you are outside the US but have friends or family here that could get the loom to you, feel free to enter.
One entry per email address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday morning, December 31st.
Best of luck to everyone!
More time doing science activities, more time spent outside, and Bible story units are three resolutions I have for my two and a half year old’s education right now.
Thanks for this beautiful giveaway and happy holidays! I have lots of educational goals for this coming year. I’ll just name two. First, to read more to my children. I already read to them quite a bit, but I want to start reading longer books to my three year-old and encourage my active one year-old to actually sit through a whole picture book. Secondly, I, too, want to step back and let my kids explore this world on their own terms and do their own work. I hope to stop letting my schedule set the demands for their work and time and, instead, let their time line guide me.
As a homeschooler and mom of 10 my resolution is to make sure I spend that “quality” time with all of my students….the four youngest….especially with the sciences and history….
I resolve to observe & prepare more. I want the children to feel comfortable to use challenging materials & enjoy the work. I want to enjoy their “Aha” moments along with them. I want to use less “Good Job” & more “You did it!”
My education resolution for this year is to try and better my Swedish. It isn’t the best. :/
I always seem to be a step behind my oldest instead of a step ahead when it comes to the language area. My resolution is to get organized and get ahead of him to make more steady progress.
My resolution is to know all of the parent’s names. I teach at church as well as homeschool so it will be a challenge, but I’m up for it!
I want to strengthen and reform the “community” at my school- the community within my classroom as well as the community between home and school. The latter will be the most challenging!
My resolution is to make more materials for my Peace shelf. I have purchased the cirriculum but have not been very productive with it.
My resolution is to keep up the planning so that I have at least one scheduled craft activity for the children everyday. Since we use Montessori method the children usually pick the work off the shelf each day. I love doing themes and find that planning a hands on craft activity for each day helps me feel that I have “a plan” for a more scheduled type day…
Not sure if that makes sense to all of you, but it does too me and so that’s my resolution.
THANKS SO MUCH for this AWESOME giveaway. It would BLESS me so much to win!
Resolution: Allow my children more freedoms and to start teaching them more about spirituality.
My resolution is for us to get out and SEE more things; I’d like for us to go to the zoo, the art museum and the aquarium too.
My resolution is to let my daughter explore artmaking (regardless of the mess) and to get outside more for nature hikes!
Oooh, that’s such a lovely giveaway and will be such a blessing to the recipient.
My 2010 resolutions:
To keep the supplies and materials more organized and easier for the children and myself to get at.
To spend more time outdoors with my explorers.
To complete my Montessori 3-6 training (I’m almost done) and to start training for 0-3 as well.
Wishing you joy, laughter, and love for 2010~
I am upping the crafts/activities/learning experiences in many ways this year, as my son has turned two. I am making more handmade learning activities for him (like a learn to button quilt I finished yesterday), and will try to think/debate/plan less and DO more in terms of this type of crafting.
My resolution for the new year is to hold myself more accountable for our time. I am prone to let small interruptions in the day take over the whole day and I need to make sure we stay on track more.
This is really hard for me to do when I’m tired and it is so easy to use any excuse for a reason to let the rest of the day slide.
Wow! Thanks for such a great giveaway! My resolution is to do better at truly following my children.
I will try to learn more about science so I can explain to my children when they ask simple questions.
I am going to teach my son (2) to use a knife with bananas and butter.
I want to begin hiking with both kids.
Since I have a 2.5 year old and teach her at home, my focus will be on more fine and gross motor skills development. We will do more piano playing, jumping and standing on one leg games, and learning how to write her name.
My resolution is to create a larger unit based on the continent boxes and incorporate history and mythology elements with the materials in the boxes!
OH WOW! I have been wanting one of these looms!!
My resolution for our daycare kids is to have more open-ended activities available to them. I also want to set up a specific “baby classroom” for the younger children so that they do not have to share space with the older children. I have 4 under 2 and greater than 10 over 2. I think they would all enjoy themselves more if they didn’t have to compete across age ranges.
My goal is to provide more creative outside exploration time and a bigger better vegetable garden. Also, I’d really like to start a cut flower garden for the kids.
I resolve to be much better about recordkeeping. I tend to make it to step 2 (written records from observing all the children) and not get it all written in one record for each child until forced by conferences!
my resolution is to spend more time with my in the outdoor classroom. I want to do more gardening, bird watching and general observation of the beauty found in our own backyard.
My educational resolutions are to speak more Spanish to my kids. I get lazy. In that area, I need to make more challenging Spanish works for my son. Another thing I want to work on is religion. I am very sporatic about religious works.
Well, my DD is just getting old enough to start getting into Primary-like activities, and we’ve got a new little one on the way in a few months. So my resolution is to try to get some sort of homeschooling routine in place BEFORE we’ve got a baby in the house. What’ll happen after that is anyone’s guess, but I’m putting my hopes into momentum.
One of my resolutions for the new year ahead is to help create a continuity of care between home and school through parent education. SO many parents are anxious for their children to “get ahead” and I find they are giving them workbooks and such at home. I want to help parents see that the best education they can give their children involves quality time spent doing family things – not “school” things. Cooking, reading, and playing outside together are far more beneficial to the well being of the child (and her family!). I am sure this will be no small task!
This is an incredible giveaway! I have wanted this loom for my classroom for over a year! I teach Montessori 6-9 in a public school. My goal for this new year to make/create/compile content boxes for all of the 7 continents for my students constant use as a choice, instead of the couple that I have.!
My new years resolution for my preschool classroom is to get the children more involved in cleaning and maintaining the classroom. Cleaning is supposed to be just as much a part of the Montessori classroom as the lessons from the shelves. I tend to forget that at times!
I VOW to allow the my children to explore with the manipulative more before I jump in and try to micromanage. I think my 3 year old finds my “guiding” to be too restrictive and he loses the magic of learning somewhat.
I also would like to work more with my younger son on his motor development- I am going to put together some transferring and pouring activities once the Christmas stuff is cleaned up.
My 2010 resolution for our classroom is to allow my children to do more on their own, even if at first they do it wrong~I tend to correct right away. I will continue to show them the correct way to use certain “works” but I am then going to allow them to explore on their own from there. The other goal this year is to teach and allow time for cleaning and cooking. Because of the mess I tend to just do things myself but I have realized lately that it helps with my “work” load to allow them to help.
My resolution for the second part of this year is to develop richer and more imaginative reading comprehension activities. I have an amazing community of children who love to read. I want to find more ways to connect them to what they are reading, help them to develop some deep thinking skills, and find ways to share the books that they love.
I plan to do more science experiments; get the kids outside in nature more; and do more cultural lessons where they experience rather than just read about a culture.
My resolution is to step back, relax, and follow more and trust, trust, trust.
my resolution is to have patience with my children, teach them something new everyday, and do something for them everyday that makes them think, wow my mom’s the best.
I had a great idea to do a seasonal science table. A kind of mixture of waldorf and science I guess. Winter’s theme is going to be “Inside, Outside.” I just ordered some cloth for the table, and now we must explore to fill it with interesting things like a whole acorn and a cut in half one… I’ll post on it as soon as we start it.
I will (finally) get all of those art cards ready for the first art lesson. I will be more diligent about providing additional information about our “Composer of the Week”. I will be as patient with adults as I am with children. I will remember to be grateful every single day that I have a job that I love and for which I get paid. I am very blessed!
For 2010 I plan to have more fun at circletime but make it educational. I am making a flannel board and we will play educational games, hands on calendar, make a 100 board, etc… I think it will be great.
My resolution for this year is to spend more time outside with my children. And to get my Montessori training completed so I can be a Montessori teacher in 2011.
My New Years resolution for my class is to be a better model and to improve communication with the parents of my students
My resolution is to continue to buy and create more Montessori materials in math, language, science and history so that learning does not become boring. Starting out the new year with new materials means students will have more choices and more chances to get excited about their learning.
Poetry, poetry, poetry!!! I’m hoping that my girls will choose to memorize their first poems this year, and I want to find more poems that fit into the thematic studies that we do together, and to fit poetry into more works–copying poems for handwriting, studying rhythm, etc.
My new resolution is to just be…Be with the children and engage with them more. Being able to put down the checklists and enjoy the children. To be able to take the walk outside and not always have a plan where we are going. To be able give the children memories and enjoy these moments we have together.
I have many resolutions for the new year in the classroom.
1. more observations (and in depth)
2. more varied cultural materials
3. more artist and composer exposure (and more art projects)
4. observing other montessori schools and classrooms
5. continuing my own education (already doing…)
6. preparing to start my own school
7. Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
And much much more!
In the new year I plan to make more language materials, enhancing the area & making it more inviting for the children.
lots to do with a new year!
my biggest resolution is to be more open minded to other montessorians point of views and to learn from them!
Make lots and lots of materials!!! starting with the continent boxes! Goodwill is a great place to look (and find) varied cultural artifacts!
My resolution for this year is to learn more knowledge about Montessori. Hopefully, get to take professional classes and achieve my next level of degree at the same time.
Make time for bible study.
My resolution is to provide more structure and to better prepare our environment. Thanks to Lori’s work plans and comprehensive lists, I think I have a guide for an appropriate structure, but I have to implement it better. I want to do more presentations and more focus on appropriate use of materials.
This year my resolution is to educate myself alongside my children. We will have study time where I work with them if they need help and an additional study time where I will have uninterrupted time for studying myself. I think it is important to be a living example to my children and I enjoy learning as much as they do.
I homeschool my son with Downsyndrome and my resolution for the New Year is to work with him to read simple books and addition/substraction. I am proud that this school season he decided to write, not trace words or his own name.
I also want to continue to learn from others about montessori, I use the ideas at home and it has helped my son in soo many ways. Happy New Year!!
My resolution in the classroom this year is to plan more science experiments/explorations for our first graders.. We have two in our 3-6 classroom. My PERSONAL resolution is to train for and run in a half marathon. Thank you for the wonderful giveaways.. It has been so fun to read the responses..
I have two education-related resolutions this year!
1) To purposely prepare our home environment…which to me means I need to clear out the clutter…and we all need to manage what’s left in an organized fashion.
2) To include my 7yo and 5yo in planning our weekly and monthly educational goals and activities.
I resolve to answer the child’s call. I work with pre-K/kindergarteners. If a child shows interest in a work on a shelf, I will not tell him he is not ready for it and that he has not had a lesson on it-put the work back. Rather, I will make time to give him a lesson. If the child truly is not ready, I will show him something about the work that he is ready for such as color, numbers, letters. My resolution is not to quench the child’s interest in work.
To continue to simplify our lives…resisting the temptation to sign up for classes just because they all look so “good” and use all that reclaimed time to do what works best for us as a family…moonlight walks in snowy parks, bird watching, writing, reading, and taking the time to carve our own paths in this world.
Thanks for another fabulous giveaway!
How truly generous your two sites have been to us this month even more so than you are every month in helping us with our children. Thank you so very much.
A few of my resolutions with the education of my boys: have a routine in place so they know what to expect, bring in my 3 year old on longer read alouds that I think he is ready for, and most especially organization of materials so that we can all access them when needed.
Thank you again,
Michelle
I actually don’t currently teach anyone, but this year I’m resolving to volunteer some time to an after school program!
Use my vacation time to reflect on the unique gifts and challenges of each of my students. I plan to set individual , private goals with them and organize resources, time and my wonderful team to support each of them on their path.
My resolution is to do more history in the classroom, starting with personal timelines and family history. With all the family variations, I think it’s important to focus on each child’s family history.
Wow that loom is AWESOME, how fun that would be!!!!!!! you guys have been so awesome with these giveaways.
We are just getting started doing formal “homeschooling”, my goals are to sign up for some local hs groups/co-ops and to get my lesson plans/schedule written out and get more resources and materials. I guess more on the line of my “resolution” is that I want to be more patient and understanding and more organized. This is going to be a struggle as I have ADD and I also have a 6 month old so it’s going to be interesting…but my son is only going to be 4 in a few months, so we don’t have to do too much right now.
Thank you for this opportunity! I resolve to implement new activities:
1. I would like to seize the chance to develop my preschoolers’ natural creativity by providing art activities throughout the week by introducing the children to famous artists and art work they can replicate. I would begin by having a ‘Weekly Artist’ that we would study together using prints of famous paintings. I believe that Reproductions of great masterpieces inspire an appreciation of beauty at any age. I will also encourage the children to explore a variety of art materials on a daily basis.
2. As children strive for independence, I would like to display new Practical Life activities more often than I have been doing. I would like to incorporate silver and brass polishing, flower arranging as well as distributing classroom responsibilities such as children preparing and serving their own snacks to their classmates.
3. Finish my graduate degree in early childhood education.
I’ve fallen out of the Montessori habit and into a “let’s just sit and play and watch TV all day” habit. I don’t mind an occasional day like that, but not all the time. I’d like to revamp the kitchen station and rearrange the open shelves to bring some new life to old work and figure out what isn’t being used so that I can rotate it out.
My goal is to get a prepared environment up and going for my children- ages 5, 2, and 2 months. They all have different needs, we are working on a schoolroom for the older two and a baby area for the youngest. Plus incorporating their needs into the house, we moved to a rental house this year and it has been challenging to make it all kid-friendly for them.
I will work to spend more time outside as well as to bring in more activities for my 3 year old. She is so independent that I have been letting her “do her own thing” while brother is schooling but it’s time for her to have more activities (and an ever changing selection) of her own. This is what Montessori for Everyone is helping me do!
Wow! You were right the last giveaway truly is grand! Thanks so much! Anyways, my resolution is to try to let go of some of my expectations and truly “follow the child” more. I want to go into the week more open to what my daughter is interested in and develop the activities around that, rather than having in my mind “we need to accomplish x, y, and z this week utilizing x, y, and z materials”.
I really need to sit back and observe more. I learn so much each time I just stop and watch the children working.
When I go back next year, I will practice more patience and give more hugs.
My resolution is to give the children a lot more meaningful work in the kitchen. I have 4 ages 4 and under, so it is obviously easier for me to just quickly prepare meals and load the dishwasher, only leaving wiping the table for them. I have serving bowls and utensils for them, and dish pans for hand washing their dishes, now I just need to plan ahead and do it (or let them do it)!
After some R&R&R (rest, relaxation and re-intuning) over the holidays, I´ m resolved to respond from a space of peace and mindfulness, instead of reacting in our classroom. The children immediately recognise the shift in energy and truly we all exhale and benefit more fully and deeply. Letting go and letting good radiate and take over, thats my resolution!
Thank you for giving me a space to re-affirm my it!
Hey Lori! It is a beautiful giveaway! Since this is my first year homeschooling, I’m not sure what I don’t know yet
So, I have a laundry list of goals:
1. Preparation and Planning. My classroom is set up and our curriculum is solid (thanks to you, edutc.com and Alisons) but I am not so great at allocating the time to plan for the month (or even the week for that matter).
2. Field Trips. We are on such a great plane right now, I hate to stop the flow and venture out. But, I have to figure out how to weave those outings into our curriculum!
3. Use what we have. We have so many wonderful works, I just need to be sure they get used in our studies!
4. Network and learn from other Montessori homeschoolers!
I could go on for a while… but I’ll stop here
This year I am going to do more focusing on what I have done rather than what I have not done yet.
My resolution is to try to put myself in the shoes of the children I guide. To take a step back and think about what they are feeling, thinking and needing at any point during the day.
I want to plan ahead more so that changing materials on the shelves is not such a last minute rush and I want to develop new science materials – hands-on experiments..
Love the giveaway
To stand back and observe more, take more outings together and stop to enjoy the sun in our hair and sand in our toes. Happy New Year!
I am going to make myself available to the children instead of being caught up in the world’s problems
What I would like to do in the New Year is to work on really paying attention to my kids and enjoying the time I spend with them instead of spending the whole time worrying about what comes next.
I would like to work on further developing the relationships between the students in my classroom. Community building. It doesn’t come naturally to me; I need to be more aware and just do it.
This New Year, I want to make sure I ‘follow the child’ and observe them more. This way I won’t feel frustrated if they’re not working on something I think they should be working on
I also would like to set up some basic science experiments in our classroom for my 5 yr old.
To give the children more diverse choices of what to do and improve reading group consistency.
My resolution is to continue to work on respecting my chilren’s play time without getting annoyed with the mess they make. I’m going to make it a point to love them because of their messes, not in spite of them.
What a wonderful give away. My homeschooling resolution is to allow more child directed activities. My son has so many interests that I think it would be well served if I allowed him more time to persue them.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and one of my resolutions is to really honor the things my children absolutely love. For example, my oldest loves video games and he wants me to love them too. I’d rather spend my time reading or checking e-mail, but what message does this send to him about what’s important to him? So we’ve changed the video game rules. In 2009, it was Friday and Saturday only. In 2010, I’m changing the rules to include 30 minutes of video game instruction for mom each day. The hope is that in 6 months or so, I can be a gamer too. Then we can spend time together doing something HE loves and I can take advantage of teachable moments. Besides, what joy will it give him to teach something to mom. More importantly, I want to share his joy!
I plan to get “educated” about Montessori so I can do a better job and help my children become more independent.
I resolve to make a daily (or at least weekly) plan for my girls and then (the hardest part) stick to it! I find that our day goes so much more smoothly when I take the time to plan. As long as I plan, I love homeschooling and feel like we could do it forever. When I don’t plan, I’m constantly frustrated, I doubt myself and our family’s decision to homeschool, and I find myself wanting to enroll my kids in school somewhere. It’s been a hard lesson, but I’ve found that the success or failure of our homeschooling efforts falls squarely on my shoulders – a big responsibility but also a privilege that I must take more seriously.
Thanks for the opportunity to enter the drawing!
My homeschooling resolution is to spend more time following my children as they explore the world.
My resolution for my family is to simplify our life style and spend more time doing crafts and hands on learning. My resolution for me is to keep studying the Montessori method of education so that I can be better equiped to help my dd be the best she can be.