We all know the importance of silence in Montessori classrooms, but when I attempted a lesson on the subject, it quickly spiraled out of control. One child took the ‘silent treatment’ a bit too and decided to showcase his impressive balloon animal skills during our meditation time. It was hard to keep a straight face while trying to explain that silence is sometimes golden, but not when it’s accompanied by squeaky rubber noises.
Totally get that! We had a similar moment when a kid decided to bust out the maracas during ‘silent reading’ time. It’s tricky to manage sometimes, but I’ve found setting specific activity times can help.
, I know that feeling! Just last week, I tried to hold a moment of silence and a kid started reenacting a dinosaur fight. It’s tough to keep a straight face.
, I can totally relate — during a moment of silence, one kid decided it was the perfect time to start clapping like he was at a rock concert! It’s tough to set a serious tone when they find such hilarious ways to express themselves. Maybe next time, I’ll try using a visual cue like a timer to signal when it’s time to be quiet.