This was taken during one of my first Early Childhood Montessori teacher training sessions at West Side Montessori School (WSMS) in the fall of 2019. I decided on a career change after I gave birth because I knew that I wouldn’t be returning to a restaurant kitchen after staying at home to take care of my infant. Most of my family members have taught professionally at some point in their lives, so it made sense for me to add early childhood education to my resume. WSMS is located in the same neighborhood I first lived in when I moved to New York, so the subway rides going there always feel nostalgic.
I started Montessori training at the same time I began working at a Montessori school downtown, where my daughter was able to attend as well. Unfortunately, it closed for good after this school year ended due to the pandemic. We were lucky to be a part of that community and I am grateful for the time I spent observing and guiding toddlers. It was such a gift to learn from experienced teachers, while being able to still be present for my 2 year old.
I’m committing to writing more about my Montessori journey for myself, so someday I can look back and see what my transformation was like. I’d rather post on my personal blog than on social media platforms because of my mixed feelings of their business decisions. Maria Montessori was an advocate of peace and if she lived today I’m assuming she would have strongly expressed her views against the promotion of violence that is being allowed to reach more people online.
I’ll be sharing passages from books I’m reading for teacher training and my thoughts about it. I’ll post about my challenges making our tiny NYC apartment a better environment for my toddler. I’ll write my observations and work preparation. Self reflection is important for teachers so I need to work on that practice daily.
Thanks for reading!