Montessori in the Pines
In August 2021, I moved to Bend and started teaching at Montessori in the Pines, a private Montessori preschool and kindergarten. I was drawn to this school because of the student-driven approach through Montessori, as well as the focus the school has on outdoor connection. As part of our daily routine, the children help take care of our chickens, rabbits, worms, and garden. Because of my experience of growing up on a farm and playing music most of my life, I became in charge of our music and outdoor programs, including designing and implementing a brand new garden space.
Building the garden space was a large project that included many hours of research, planning, drawing diagrams, making calendars, and of course physical labor! I worked with my surpervisor and many of our amazing parent volunteers to get the initial stages accomplished, and then the kids got to help me a lot with the planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting. Gardening in Central Oregon is particularly challenging since there is very short growing season and frost can hit at almost any point. This challenge meant a lot of planning around frost protection and planting schedules, as well as being able to act quickly based on weather predictions!
Building the garden space was a large project that included many hours of research, planning, drawing diagrams, making calendars, and of course physical labor! I worked with my surpervisor and many of our amazing parent volunteers to get the initial stages accomplished, and then the kids got to help me a lot with the planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting. Gardening in Central Oregon is particularly challenging since there is very short growing season and frost can hit at almost any point. This challenge meant a lot of planning around frost protection and planting schedules, as well as being able to act quickly based on weather predictions!
This was my first time teaching preschoolers, and I learned so much through caring for these young children and watching them grow over the two years that I was in Bend. I noticed that I am now more patient with myself and others, and continue to stay calm in times of crisis. Working with preschoolers has also greatly improved how I communicate with others in a gentle, firm, and succinct way.