About Me!
Welcome to my blog! The beginning of a new learning adventure through the lens of appreciative inquiry combining my true passions Montessori education and nature. The website was designed using Appreciative Inquiry. Stevenson (2007) described Appreciative Inquiry as the process focusing on what is working and how we can do more of it. The project is designed to enhance the existing curriculum already being followed in a Montessori classroom by creating an outdoor prepared environment. This website is the culminating piece of my project-based research and partial fulfillment of my Master in Educational Montessori Leadership. Degree.
A little bit about me…
I love spending time outdoors hiking, camping, paddle boarding, swimming, throwing stones in a creek, and jumping in puddles. I am Lower Elementary Montessori teacher, and parent of two Montessori, nature-loving children and the idea of providing outdoor learning opportunities thrills me as a parent and educator.
My current place of practice is at an independent Montessori school that follows the Montessori Method and BC Curriculum. The school identifies itself as a contemporary Montessori school which allows them “to make decisions based on best practice and requires us to stay current, always asking the question: ‘What are the implications for our school? ‘Does this information allow me to better fit the needs of our students?’ (Selkirk Montessori, 2021).
By extending this personal journey with professional development and curriculum design, I want to help support Montessori educators view the community and nature as an extension of the indoor prepared environment.
One of the most inspiring ideas for this inquiry that has resonated with me for over 10 years was a simple guided nature walk. The naturalist spoke about the importance of revisiting the same place again and again to observe the changes throughout the seasons. This wisdom changed my perspective of feeling the need to visit new places all the time. With this inspiration in mind the idea to create an outdoor prepared environment was sparked!
“When children com in contact with nature they reveal their true strength.”
~ Maria Montessori
