It is impossible to sit in a Primary class and miss a sense of the teacher’s and of the children’s artistic flair.
Late one morning as the older children put on their white aprons and wheeled out the kitchen cart loaded with the tableware and linens,
Older Primary children begin to set tables for lunch.
a younger child worked at an individual table by a window stitching muslin in an embroidery hoop.
The precision required for embroidery has entirely captured this child's attention.
The teacher gestured at a sign propped in the windowsill, the word “Peace” cut from a light natural wood. She was amused by another child’s suggestion, earlier in the morning, that it was “plain” and could be enhanced with some painted flowers and butterflies. She had agreed with the child and invited her to carry out this plan if she wished.
Meanwhile, the work of setting the tables continued:
The napkins were set out.
The glasses were carefully placed at each setting.
There was a vase of flowers available from the morning’s work:
Some flowers in a small vase with a doily.
Seating for lunch was now available both in the classroom,
A table for two inside the classroom.
And al fresco:
A table for two on the porch.
Later that afternoon, the idea for decorating the window piece was implemented.
A child's idea takes shape.
Precision was required for this ambitious project, and commitment to the design.
Montessori's "an eye that sees, a hand that obeys, a soul that feels" in action.
First a pencil drawing to provide an outline,
Another carefully spaced flower is sketched.
Then, another figure is ready to be painted.
Ready for more paint.
Would you like to see how this project looked when completed?
Maybe when you come to visit us, you’ll see it, proudly displayed in a window.
Do you like to look around for ways to make things in your everyday environment just a little prettier—in the way you set the table or in the way you choose to spend an extra few moments?
Thanks for reading our blog. Tell us about your artistic flair and that of the people who surround you.
