History lessons from a 9-year-old Montessorian

My son goes to a trendy private school.  He receives a whole-child, internally-motivated, peaceful-problem-solving, diversity-celebrating, juice-box-and-sweet-treat-free education.  We love our little Montessori community, really we do.  But sometimes I worry that Isaac, who is developing into a stellar human being with a heart of gold, is missing some of the finer academic points.  Take our conversation this evening for example.  We dined out tonight at Chili's, which for some reason Isaac refers to as "El Chee-lays" in a fairly convincing Spanish accent. If we were eating in Chile, of course.  Anyway, here's what Isaac explained to me:

Isaac: "Mom, you know that crazy French general, Napoleon Dynamite?"

Me: (Cough, sputter, choke) Ummmmmmm.....

Isaac: You know the only thing that guy is famous for?!? Being short!

Me: Uh, are you sure?

Isaac: Well, and he was completely insane and tried to take over the planet.  Which isn't allowed. They had to arrest him and put him in a jail all by himself on an island with 1000 guards.  I think it was Alcatraz.

Me: Hmmm.  Where did you learn about this?

Isaac: Everybody knows it. Also, I heard about it when my class was at the pool for swimming lessons.  Alex said he couldn't do something because he is too short and Jovann said that Napoleon was short and he practically took over the world so being short is no excuse for anything.  Can I have some of your french fries?

I know I should have corrected him but honestly, I didn't know where to begin.  I was baffled, so I defaulted to intitiating a goofy-face-making contest across the chips and salsa.  Consequently, my child went to bed tonight with the same Captain Bizarro understanding of world history that he woke up with this morning.  And I guess it isn't entirely the fault of the overpriced-crunchy-granola education, is it?

Poetry Slam

Isaac and his classmates at Montessori Children's House of Durham have been preparing for months for their Poetry Slam.  Each child chose poems to memorize and recite for a gathering of fellow students, staff and parents.  As a first exercise in public speaking, it was a very positive one.  Isaac's face glowed with pride when it was all over. 

Isaac's teacher, Johanna, was there to support the children, prompting them discretely should they forget a line. It was obvious to me how much the children trust Johanna, and how much she believes in them. 

The children turned their classroom into a coffee house by laying out snazzy table cloths, draping strings of white lights around the room, lighting tiny tea lights on every table, and preparing snacks.

I had a wonderful time.

You can listen to Isaac's recite two very charming poems here, if you'd like:

Circle of Lights

Thursday night when the sun went down and the full moon rose, we all gathered on the little field at the bottom of the hill to listen to the kids of Montessori Children's House of Durham light up the night with their sweet little voices. The school buildings were dressed in twinkling white christmas lights and each child held a warm flickery candle. See if you can spot Isaac adding his voice to the chorus. Here's a hint -- look for the ever-present wide-brimmed thinking cap.

"If all people lived their lives

as if they were a song

for singing out the light

There will be music for the stars

to be dancing circles in the night"

The late night didn't slow Isaac down any the next morning. Just me (sigh). Here is his in his home-made Jedi speeder.

Take cover!

School Starts Early

Every morning on the way to school, Isaac asks, "Are we late today?"  Although seemingly a simple yes or no question, we've actually developed quite a few alternate response options.  Technically, Isaac is supposed to be dropped off between 8:10 and 8:20.  At least once a week, he is dropped off between 8:25 and 8:30 and I am forced to admit, "I'm sorry, but yes we are late."  Most of the time he arrives between 8:20 and 8:25, so I say, "Well, not really."  Occasionally we roll in at 8:20 on the dot and, quite justifiably, I insist, "Absolutely NOT late."  A time or two we have gotten there between 8:10 and 8:20, but this happens so rarely that I actually brand our arrival, "Early!"  As a consequence, I'm not really sure Isaac has any idea at all as to what being on time means.  Sigh. 

Here's Isaac on the morning ride:

Are we late today?

Here I am, considering my answer:

 

The good news is we always get there!