Quiet Observation Time

Quiet Observation Time:

Hi Everyone,
I can't wait to see you guys (the big ones and the little ones!) this week at Wonder Studio!
It's that time of year when all of us have been at Wonder Studio for a while and I tend to notice the adults are getting quite chatty with one another (myself included!!).

I LOVE that everyone has started to form friendships and I appreciate that Wonder Studio is not just for the children but the grown-ups as well. Building a community is high on my priority list!

However, I also notice that in this community sometimes the magic of what the children are learning and experiencing can go unnoticed by the adults if we are in our own conversations.
So...I am proposing we implement a strategy I have used in previous years that typically brings a beautiful enlightenment...

I would like for us to attempt a 20 minute "observation time" during class. Here's how it would work:
Come in with your little ones as you always do...greet me, greet each other, catch up with one another for about the first 5-10 minutes of class as we wait for everyone to arrive.
Then, I will announce or indicate in some way that we are going to do our 20 minute observation time.

During this 20 minutes (and later we can decide if it's too long or too short, etc...) I am going to ask that you are as quiet as possible. Also, sitting down in a chair or as low as possible. Of course, please respond to your child, I would never suggest you ignore your child in anyway!! But, if possible, try to not initiate interactions with the children.

DO intervene if your child needs help in the way of pottying, hitting, biting, carrying worms into the flubber, etc..

The purpose of this observation time is to give you a focused opportunity to see what your child (and the other children) are experiencing, what are they curious about? What are they interested in, what might they need that would enhance their learning?

And the purpose for the children is to have less distractions from adult conversations, to see that we are focusing on them, and that what they are doing is important to us.

If appropriate, after the 20 minutes, I may ask for some feedback about what you observed or you can email me later.
I would like to try this at least 2x during the next few weeks and I will want to hear if you think this is a good addition to Wonder Studio or if you could do without it.

Mamas with nannies or grandmas...please share this email or information with those folks so they understand what is happening.

If you have any feedback or ideas immediately on this topic, PLEASE email or call me!!

I hope you will enjoy this quiet time as much as I do... ;)

Here's a blog Post that illustrates my thinking...Please do give it a read!!

http://thewonderstudio.blogspot.com/2013/10/roses-and-thorns-week-5.html

Here is some feedback from previous years:

Parent Testimonial 1
Dear Shannon,
I love this idea! It is part of regular Montessori practice to observe the classroom daily. It takes so much discipline because of the temptation to be intervene. As Montessorians, we try never to intervene unless absolutely necessary. But I find this so much harder as a parent. I am so excited about what my child is doing that I involve myself unnecessarily.

Parent Testimonial 2
I can't wait to try this! Thank you as always for your inspired guidance!

Parent Testimonial 3
I really really appreciate this. I feel a pressure to be social with other mom's (which I enjoy) and a pull between that and enjoying the time with Violet. I love just getting to watch what's going on in their little heads. Observation time was something I tried to do daily in montessori classroom and I often learned so much that I missed about the students during more interactive classroom time.

Parent Testimonial 4
I could not agree more! Great idea!

Parent Testimonial 5
I always say I don t like play dates because I can't focus on my kids needs and be really with them and in the same time I can finish an adult conversation so at the end it s not a good situation;-)

I prefer being there for my kids and the others and then have an adult time with friends later to talk quietly;-)
So , you have all my support !

Parent Testimonial 6
I really liked when we had the 20 minutes of quiet observation time. It gave me a sort of zen-like meditation experience. (Clearly, I don't have enough quiet time in my life!!) And it was really fascinating to see what your kids do when you're not talking. Also, It's really tempting to talk to the other parents and too easy to ignore our kids. Also I sometimes feel like I'm being rude if I'm NOT talking to the other moms, and the observation time gave me the "excuse" not to engage the other moms. Does that make sense? My vote would be to incorporate the quiet observation time into the regular routine. Just my opinion!