This past week, the elementary and junior high students
hosted their first Museum of Montessori Art Parent & Child Adventure! It was a huge success and I, for one, am so
thankful for the incredible turnout.
Over the past couple of months, the children have been
preparing for this event by creating beautiful pieces of art. The children, ages 6-14, created art ranging
from the styles of Impressionism to Street Art.
The range of work was phenomenal. The children really enjoyed learning about different artists and what inspired them. Years ago, when I studied music professionally, I remember how I felt when I found a piece that seemed to reflect who I was as a person and how I was feeling at a particular time in my life. I believe that this is what our students have felt like as they have studied different artists. They seemingly connect with an artist or a particular style of art and become inspired. I can personally state that there is nothing better than observing a child who is inspired. The attention to detail, the care for the work, the personal investment – it really takes your breath away.
When I first began at The Montessori Academy, I remember
looking so forward to January and February when my students would begin
creating their Windfall project. I
looked at that time as a time when our classroom community would work on
creating something beautiful together. I
had decided early on in my tenure here, that our project would be a reflection
of the culture or continent we were studying that year. By doing this, I was able to integrate the
visual, kinesthetic and musical arts into our daily learning.
More recently, I began exploring and integrating art into
our curriculum as a means to building community. When we can create together, we can work
through conflict together, as well. As I
have lost the ability to play my violin and express myself through my music, I
have become much more passionate about expressing myself through art and more
importantly, the teaching of art in the classroom.
There is much to be learned about how our children
learn. We may never know what truly
inspires a child – what drives them to do more, be more, learn more. This is why it is important to open a child’s
eyes to the many possibilities that are out there.
I am so excited for Tuesday, November 20, because it is on
this day that we will assemble our community art project – something that is a
reflection of our individual selves and our community family, as well. It is hard to imagine a more powerful
statement of what it means to be a part of The Montessori Academy at Edison
Lakes.
Submitted by: Kathy Kolata
