by Letty Rising
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It’s feeling like summertime across much of the northern hemisphere, and while some of you might be in the throes of lazy summer days, sipping iced tea on a lounge chair by the pool, many of you are starting to break into a sweat as you think about the school year quickly approaching! This is true if you are a new teacher who hasn’t yet stepped foot into your soon-to-be classroom, but it’s even the case that seasoned teachers get those end-of-summer jitters when it’s time to start making plans for students to arrive.
While many people love planning for back to school and have no hesitations diving right in, others feel trepidation by the very thought of sitting down and making plans. Those first few weeks, in particular, need to be carefully planned and thoughtful, because it’s what happens at the very beginning that sets the tone for the entire school year.
For those of you who aren’t in the know, I have a Classroom Planning Bootcamp that launches every year during late summer. And for those of you who have taken the Bootcamp in the past, you might be happy to know that there will be some revisions and additions to the Bootcamp that you will be able to take advantage of! The great thing about becoming a member of the Bootcamp is that it is a lifetime membership, and as new content is added, existing members benefit from the additions.
Why the Bootcamp may be your next best professional investment
Being a strong Montessori teacher is HARD. Being a new Montessori teacher is exceptionally hard. And, being a Montessori teacher under challenging circumstances is hard.
The Bootcamp idea was born from Seemi at Trillium Montessori, out of an observation that teachers needed “more” after their training. Sometimes that “more” was just an affirmation or a review of what they already knew. We know that when learning something, most of us need to see something several times, and in a variety of different ways. And sometimes there are gaps in knowledge and skills that need to be learned.
Seemi had been running a Bootcamp for teachers of children ages 3-6 for a few years, when she approached me and asked if I would be willing to create an Elementary Bootcamp. Of course, I said “yes,” and when doing so, I had no idea just how well received it would be! I can’t believe we are going into our 4th year of Bootcamp (yes, the pandemic years are a blur, so my timeline is sort of warped, which makes the thought of 4 years even more surprising!).
From that very first launch, I’ve been emailed, messaged, and approached at conferences by people I don’t even know who have expressed how helpful and practical it was. And I was very clear on wanting this product to be practical and relevant for the teachers who are in the trenches. Teachers don’t really need modules on the planes of development or human tendencies. Not that those things are bad, they are great, but hopefully, you learned about them in your training! If not, there’s a plethora of theoretical books, articles, and blog posts on these topics that you can turn to.
When creating the Bootcamp, I thought a lot about what I needed to know when I was in the classroom and wanted to offer helpful tips and tricks that teachers could implement in the classroom right away. I also thought about the teachers I worked with as a Head of School and the things they struggled with along the way.
In so many teacher training programs, there is a huge focus on learning the content…and with Cosmic Education being so vast and all-encompassing, how could it be otherwise? However, if every single thing we needed to know was infused in every training, the training would likely last more than 2 years, and most aspiring guides don’t have the time or the finances to do that.
This leaves little time for the social, emotional, and operational aspects of classroom life. The nuts and bolts, such as how to effectively lead a classroom, how to create and maintain systems and routines, how to deliver the content we learned in training, how to communicate with children and parents, how to establish a culture of work, and much more.
Who is the Bootcamp For?
The Bootcamp is ideal for new teachers who have just come out of training, or who have been in the classroom a year or two and still trying to find their footing.
However, I have also been pleasantly surprised to find that highly experienced teachers have enjoyed taking this course as well! When I asked them “why?” There were usually two responses. Either “I want to stay current and relevant, and my training was so long ago, this has served as a nice refresher.” Or “My training wasn’t strong and I feel like I have some gaps, and when I looked at the list of modules I saw some modules I could benefit from.”
What kinds of things will I learn?
The Elementary Bootcamp consists of 3 modules, and in each module, there are several sections. The content is as follows:
Module 1: Planning
- Preparing the Environment
- Classroom Systems and Procedures
- Planning and Record-Keeping
- Tools of Accountability
- Assessment
- Preparing Yourself
- You and Your Assistant
- You and Your Parent Community
Module 2: The First Days of School
- First Days
- Classroom Agreements
- Community Meetings
- Community Building Activities
Module 3: A Culture of Work
- Observation
- Homework
- Presentations and Projects
- Effective Communication
- Teacher-Child Conferencing
- Establishing a Culture of Work
If even 50 percent of these sections look like helpful information to you, I encourage you to join the waiting list here:
https://courses.trilliummontessori.org/p/elementary-bootcamp/?affcode=17532_1t8k6vco
This year I will be revamping some of the modules, and adding a section or two to the existing modules. The new sections added are based upon feedback from existing Bootcampers regarding what they’d like to see more of.
Facebook Group
When you enroll in the Bootcamp, you are invited to a private Facebook group with fellow Bootcampers from past and present! Teachers can feel free to ask questions, post photos of their environments, and share their joys and struggles.
Final Thoughts
The beginning of the school year is often fraught with many uncertainties. By joining the Bootcamp, you’ll have some additional tools at your disposal that will help you be more prepared for whatever comes your way next year, particularly during those delicate first weeks of school when you will be setting a tone that paves the way to a self-directing, well-functioning classroom. And if you’re already a member, you will have the life-long membership benefit of receiving any updated Bootcamp versions. Come join our growing community that is dedicated to elevating their teaching craft.