Montessori coffee buzz

X-tine, one of the other lovely teachers in my classroom (there are three of us all together) came up with this new practical life lesson. Coffee grinding. How fabulous is that? The children are loving it, and the whole school smells like fresh coffee in the morning. Yum!

Coffee Grinding

Materials:

• Coffee beans in a dish
• Spoon
• Hand-crank coffee grinder
• Jar for grounds
• Brush and pan (aka crumber)

Procedure:

• This is a food lesson, so wash your hands first!
  
• Put on an apron and unroll a mat at a table
  
• Place the items from left to right across the top of the mat, introducing each one by name
• Take the tray back to the shelf
  
• Bring the grinder to the front and center of the mat
• Slide lid open (or open however yours might open)
• Set the dish of coffee beans to the left of the grinder
• Pick up spoon and situate in pincher-finger grip
• Spoon a few scoops of coffee beans into the grinder
• Close the grinder lid
  
• Place the spoon and dish of beans back in their places at the top of the mat
• Start grinding!
• Open the lid every once and awhile to check the coffee grounds
• Bring the jar to the right of the grinder and open the lid
• Open the coffee grinder (on ours, the whole lid with crank twists off)
  
• Spoon the grounds into the jar
• Close the jar and close the grinder
• Reposition all the items at the top of the mat
  
• Bring the tray back to the mat and replace all the items, except the crumber
• Crumb the mat, the table, the chair, etc. and empty loose grounds into the garbage or compost

Purpose:

• Control and coordination of movement
• Organization and sequence
• Indirect preparation for math and language

Point of interest:

• Coffee grinder
  
• Coffee beans
  

Ages: 3 1/2 and up

*This lesson is a great precursor to grating lessons, like bread grating and soap grating.

I looked around online for hand-crank coffee grinders. X-tine found hers at Butterfly Herbs in Missoula, but I couldn't find it in their catalog. Cuda Coffee had the best selection that I could find, but none just like the one we're using. I'd like to find one to use at home! :)

Ross Peak

I've always wanted to make it to the top of Ross Peak, and on Saturday we finally did! We being me, R, Rosie, and the merry men. It took us about four hours up and back, the views were grand, and no one tumbled off a cliff! Overall, it was an excellent adventure!

new p.l. lessons

dry pouring

Is it obvious how much I love practical life? I promise I'll post about the other avenues of the Montessori classroom someday because I love them, too! Practical life lessons are just so much fun to set-up... it's the one area of the classroom that requires the Montessori teacher to use her own imagination and creativity.

lock and key

Here's the lesson routine at our school:

A child must have a lesson from a teacher before he can use a material. He may request a particular lesson, or the teacher may invite him or her to do a certain lesson. Here's a song we sing at circle time to remind children of this:

(to the tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" - sort of!)

when I look upon the shelf,

there's a work I'd like to do.
I've haven't had a lesson,
so this is what I'll do.
I'll ask.
I'll watch.
I'll wait my turn.
now, I've had a lesson
I know just what to do!

tonging

The teacher introduces the child to the lesson by saying its name and then asking the child to repeat it. This is tonging. Please say tonging. (When the child's in the routine, he'll naturally repeat the name of the lesson.) Thank you. First, it will be my turn. Then, it will be your turn. (We emphasize this language over and over to the children.)

droppering

It's important that the teacher models the lesson first because this gives the child an opportunity to observe the task performed with mastery. For example, when it's his turn to spoon, we really want the child to hold the spoon pinched between his thumb, pointer, and middle finger, so his fine motor muscles will be strengthened and prepared for writing.

spooning

During the child's turn, the teacher's job is only to observe. The child should know that she is there, enjoying the experience with him, but his main connection should be with the material. The teacher's motto is teach teaching, not correcting. She lets the child explore the material in his own way and pace without interrupting him. If during his turn, the teacher feels that he's totally missed the purpose of the lesson, she'll make a note to present the lesson to him again at another time.

sponge squeezing

After both the teacher and the child have taken their turns, the teacher tells the child that he can now do the lesson again whenever he wants. Children will repeat lessons at their own will, but many of them will tire of spooning the same popcorn kernels and pouring with the same pitchers. Sometimes, all it takes is a new tray to get a child to repeat a lesson!

waiting-for-winter hat #1

Here's a photo of my first homemade hat of the season. When the breeze starts getting that pre-winter chill, I just have to break out the needles and yarn. Believe it or not, there is quite a breeze blowing through Livingston today. Maybe I'll spend my Friday at home just knitting and drinking coffee. I'll post some of my hat patterns on here someday....

the pumpkin patch...

I just had to post the new October-themed bulletin board in our classroom - it makes me laugh! I invited children to draw what they would find in a pumpkin patch on the white paper at the bottom of the board. I wish I would have taken a closer-up picture! They drew not only pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns, but also snowmen. Our school is taking a field trip to a real pumpkin patch next week... I hope they won't be disappointed about the lack of snow!