written by Jean Peters, Elementary Program Director

When you walk into an elementary Montessori classroom, you are drawn to many things. The shelves have interesting materials to explore. The tops of shelves showcase interesting objects to observe. There are a wide variety of plants and animals. The art on the walls invites you to look closer. The colors are calm, the furniture is wood, the room feels light and uncluttered. It is a wonderful place to spend your day!

We call this a prepared environment. “Prepared for what?”, you might ask. Prepared for students to explore their world, their past, and their future. Prepared so that students can develop the skills needed in life. Everyday the environment is restored to be ready for the next day. Before the school year begins, guides spend many hours preparing the room to be an optimal learning environment. Each room has its own look and feel, yet they are all governed by the same principles. These principles are: freedom, structure and order, beauty, nature and reality, social environment, and an intellectual environment.

Each room has many different options for seating, most of which are for multiple students to create a collaborative and social environment. Each room has distinct areas for different subjects. Each room is filled with materials to explore and manipulate. Each room is a community.

I have had the opportunity to observe in many, many classrooms in the 30 years I have been in Montessori education. One of the biggest indicators of a successful classroom is the feeling that you do not want to leave! All of our prepared environments are beautifully prepared for students. We will be opening up our classrooms for observation and I highly encourage each of you to come and observe. Lower El observation will start on October 16th and Upper El will start after trips on November th.You can sign up here - Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary.. While you are observing, look for these principles!