by Letty Rising
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When fresh out of Montessori teacher training, you have at your handy disposal at least two armfuls of curriculum binders, often called “albums” which hold the entirety of the Cosmic Curriculum for you to present to your students.
Whether you wrote your own albums composed of notes from lectures from knowledgeable teacher trainers, or had the lessons pre-written and provided for you, you have pages and pages of knowledge that you get to share with your students. Many teachers now have these resources in digital format, but even for those who have not had the experience of sweating and straining while transporting numerous albums to and from the car, the figurative “weight” of the carefully designed Montessori curriculum doesn’t go unnoticed.
Once long ago, a teacher told me that when she was talking about the Montessori approach to a traditional educator, his response was “Oh Montessori, that’s a canned curriculum.” I was surprised by that comment, because the last thing a person who is drawn towards a non-traditional educational approach wants to hear is that they take part in any sort of curriculum that might be considered “canned.”
I thought a lot about this comment afterwards, and realized that, if not careful and intentional, it could be considered true in some instances.
For instance, if a teacher takes every single lesson and presents them in a prescriptive fashion, giving certain lessons at certain times and for certain ages, giving each lesson to each child regardless of personal needs and interests, then yes, it could be described that way. And while we have these thorough and detailed lessons in our minds and/or at our fingertips, these presentations are just the beginning of a life of learning new knowledge, skills, and information. Even in the elementary years, we will find reason to go beyond the lessons we were presented in our own teacher training programs.
What does it mean to go beyond the albums?
The Montessori albums are meant to be a framework, and within this framework there are (and should be!) numerous opportunities for flexibility. It’s important for teachers to recognize that the albums are only the starting point! They offer the keys to the universe, and these keys unlock the doors to deeper learning.
This means that you won’t necessarily use everything in your albums for every single child. As a guide, you will be observing your students, and taking note of the things they need to know as members of a society or culture. You will also take note of things that children WANT to know about, and they will often come up with topics that you might not find in your albums.
Finally, going beyond the albums also means that you may tap into numerous other kinds of resources to support the development of your elementary children.
What does it look like to go beyond the albums?
Before we talk about what going beyond the albums looks like, let’s first identify what is NOT going beyond the albums.
Relying on printed worksheets in place of work in your albums is not going beyond the albums, it is modifying the Montessori approach. In some ways, one could say that giving students worksheets in excess goes against the albums.
While many of the concepts in the albums are concepts found in worksheets, the Montessori approach often involves a visual or kinesthetic component, which allows for a more engaged learning experience. Lessons and activities beyond the albums can offer a similar kind of experience.
Instead of relying on worksheets as an alternative resource, consider the following options:
You can create your own lessons.
This is something you will want to do if a student shows an interest in a topic that isn’t covered in your albums. Some popular areas for lesson design are topics such as chemistry, physics, and history, just to name a few. You can use the template that your other lessons follow, create the lesson, and create a new album or add it to your existing albums.
Remember that lessons tend to be either procedural (e.g. math or language) or in a story format, and it is likely that you will be creating some lessons that involve the writing of stories. This is great, because we all know that everyone loves stories!
You can create extensions to existing lessons.
You might find when giving lessons that there is some additional aspect that you want to add to a lesson. For example, in the area of biology, the ecology section is fairly slim, with just a few lessons available. You might want to create some additional lessons on ecosystems or the food web. Or you might want to share knowledge about different biomes. Extending the existing lessons is a great way to deepen their knowledge on particular topics, and from there they can springboard into further research.
You can gather resources and make suggestions for follow up work.
Not every new addition to the curriculum needs to be a formal write up of a lesson. You might want to gather interesting books that touch on topics that were presented and add additional information. You can read some information straight from these books, or you can give students the resources to discover further on their own.
You can gather visual aids, artifacts, and hands-on manipulatives and tell a story or show a different way to master a concept.
Maybe you’ve been trying to demonstrate a math concept using the bead bars with a student who isn’t grasping it, and it’s getting stale. Can the same concept be demonstrated with unifix cubes, or drawn images? Can you tell a new and different story using visual aids? Remember that the key to a sound Montessori lesson is to have an experiential component, and there are lots of ways to be creative in a presentation!
A Note about Updating the Albums
Part of what it means to go beyond the albums is to ensure that the information contained within them is current, relevant, and accurate. One aspect of this is ensuring that the lessons in the albums reflect current scientific understanding. Maria Montessori was a scientist and ahead of her time in many ways, but even since her time, the information we have regarding history and biology in particular has changed and needs updating.
Another aspect of updating involves ensuring that the variety people, cultures, flora, and fauna are represented in the lessons, as well as varying perspectives when appropriate. Looking at our albums from an equity/diversity/inclusion lens is an important aspect of updating our lessons to ensure that they are current.
Final Thoughts
Remember that your albums are a dynamic, living resource! Just as Montessori believed that things change over time, so too will your albums if they are kept current and relevant according to new information and times.
Don’t be afraid to add content to your albums, and to revise existing content for both accuracy and inclusivity. And besides adding and subtracting from your album, you can also go beyond the albums through use of a variety of experiential props combined with a compelling story.
Thinking about how you can extend your work, and support the children in extending their work, will go a long way in contributing to an environment filled with interest-driven learning.
Letty Rising has been involved in Montessori education for over 15 years. She holds a B.A. in Sociology, a California State Teaching Credential, and an AMI elementary diploma for ages 6-12 and an M.Ed from Loyola University in Maryland. She has held positions as a Homeschool Education Specialist, Montessori Elementary Teacher, School Director, Principal, Montessori Coordinator, and Consultant in several public and private Montessori school communities throughout the years. Letty currently supports schools around the world through professional development offerings, consulting, and mentoring.