A reminder that our Elementary School Curriculum presentation is on Thursday, September 28 at 5:45 PM. We encourage all parents to attend to learn more Torit’s challenging 1st-6th grade Montessori curriculum. This is an in-person event.
Transitions. Early childhood and elementary teachers often talk about "minimizing," "managing," and "supporting" transitions for young children who value the predictability of routines and familiar structures. Don't we all?
Red flags are raised for teachers when young kids have to move from activity to activity too often, or from person to person, or from inside to outside. Transitions can be smooth or rough, easy or destabilizing. The former and the kids are like angels. The latter, and tears flow, anxiety skyrockets, and adults are tense.
The way young students react or respond to transitions should tell us something: they're not much fun for adults either. In the 15 years I've worked with PK-8 teachers and now infant/toddler/preschool teachers, I've come to see personality types. In a nutshell, Torit teachers prefer the predictable, perhaps because they know how important it is to create and maintain a productive classroom. Our teachers know a thing or two about successfully managing change. Upset the routines, muddle the transitions, and things go awry. Keep things evenly paced and predictable, and everyone's happier.
We encourage parents to keep to predictable household routines: meal times, bath times, bed times, wake up times. As parents, you know how important this can be to ensure domestic tranquility.
At Torit, my job as Head of School is to minimize the turbulence, remove the friction, and let people manage the transitions. I do that behind the scenes and also by checking in with families and teachers as you come into school each morning, taking care of issues that distract from Torit’s core mission, and anticipating ups and downs as the year unfolds.
With September three fourths done, the patterns we establish now will help us navigate transitions and help our children thrive. If you want help creating home routines that best support students at Torit, please let me know.