The Montessori Schools of Connecticut Annual Professional Development Conference was held on Friday, Nov. 1, here at FWM. Our staff came together with over 400 Montessori educators from all over the state to focus on the theme: From the Individual to the Community – Building a Culture of Belonging.
The keynote Speaker, Andrea Fleener, spoke on building collaboration, cooperation, and community with the overarching theme: “It takes a village.”
She discussed Maria Montessori’s quote, “It’s the process, not the product.” Shifting the focus from the end result to the learning journey encourages children to value their own efforts and progress rather than striving for a perfect end product.
Andrea also talked about the quote by former Alabama University coach Nick Saban. He said, “Becoming a champion is not an easy process. It is done by focusing on what it takes to get there–and not on getting there.” This means that in order to be successful in whatever you choose, one must commit to a process, not just a goal. She also shared Nick Saban’s description of the football community and drew a parallel to our school community and how each member of the community contributes to the process that leads to each child’s success.
To truly support children, we need a strong foundation of cooperation, teamwork, and community among the adults in our school. By coming together with a shared purpose, we create a safe, caring environment for every child we serve, whether we work directly with them or not.
As we aim to build the best “village” possible, we focus on the needs of children. We rely on the support structures we have built, from the Head of school to our teachers, to our Parents Association, class parents, etc. In doing that, we can shape a school community that encourages each child’s growth. It is the intentional action and the role of the adults that create our nurturing community.
