My Classroom

I guess I've been ignoring this space quite a bit lately.  I thought you all would like a glimpse into where I've been sending all my time.  Today's post will have before pictures.  This is what the room looked like when I took over in September!

On the Last day of the Congress

Emily and I went to the deepest underground train stop in North America.  

There they had a core sample and a time line.

 

Montessori International Congress 2013

At the end of July we headed up to Portland.  I attended the Montessori Congress and we found a place to live.  Here are some of the highlights...

Graduation

Well my friends I'm officially a Montessori teacher.  

Here are some photos from the diploma ceremony yesterday.  

Hanging out before the ceremony



Getting seated



Listening intently to the speakers.

Diploma in hand

Alex and I after it was all said and done!

Wordless Wednesday

Material Making

Here is what I've been doing other than studying over spring break.  

First thing Monday morning all of this will be turned in for approval.

Vocabulary Enrichment cards 

Amphibians

Today

Today...

Just another day

I feel like all I do now a days is work on making materials.

Here is my progress on a set of land and water form Definition stages.  

I showed you all this the other day.

This is the water-coloring I did for the book and the matching cards.

I have put the two halves of the book together and added the definitions.

What to Do on a Snowy Day?

Why Language materials of course.

What I've been up to.

I seem to have been neglecting this space lately.  Here are something that I've been doing lately.

One day last week we spent a day learning some watercolor techniques   Here are my attempts at making land and water forms in watercolors.  

Then for the past month or so I've been working on these geography materials for my future classroom.  

Here are the ones I'm going to be turning in tomorrow.

Origami Boxes

On the last day of class for this year was a day of fun and not lectures.

Mystery Bag

The Mystery Bag is another Sterrognostic activity for the young child.  HERE is a full description of the activity.  The objects are items that can be identified by touch alone.  I've collected them in several locations. The bag itself I made.  I made three actually.

Sorting

This is an activity for children three and a half to four years old.  This activity is designed to be used with a blindfold and refines the stereopnostic sense. HERE is a complete description of how the activity works. I collected the tray and bowls from various locations.  Tray from Home Goods and the bowls from World Market.  The beads used for sorting are three different shapes  but otherwise feel and look the same.  While blindfolded the child sorts these beads into bowls according to their shape.

 

future list

Things I need to start collecting for my future class room.  

Colored Pencils for Metal Insets 

Amazon

Graphite Pencil 

Amazon

Pencil Holders 

Neinhuis USA

And some things I may or may not need to purchase, but aren't they pretty?

Sandpaper Letters 

Neinhuis USA

Movable Alphabet 

Neinhuis USA

Dusting Cloths

Dusting cloths

what I've been up to

I've put together an activity for children three to three and a half years.

The idea is to teach them how to measure flour with a measuring cup.

Books -n- stuff

I'm on the look out for these books:

Sara and the Door

Updated About Page!

Welcome!

I'm Dianna.

At the end of July 2012, my husband, Alex and I packed our car with as much of our possessions as we could fit and drove off into the sunrise.  We left behind books, plates, shoes, desks, wine glasses, and our beloved kitties.  Don't worry, the kitties and everything else are staying with Alex's parents.

After a long five day drive (which took us six days), we landed in our nation's capital, Washington, DC.

Read all about our Journey, Day One , Day Two , Day Three , Day Four , Day Five , and  Day Six .

We are now settling into our new home in the basement of a DC suburb house.  As we do this we await the arrival of our kitties, search for a job for Alex and I prepare myself for the year ahead of grad school.  On September fifth I begin a Masters of Montessori Education at Loyola University Maryland.  I am truly blessed to have this opportunity, if you had asked me last year where I would be right now I would have never guessed that I'd be this far away from California, let alone starting a graduate program.

For this year I'm unsure what direction this blog will go, but I hope you stick around.

This will be our journey together.

Thank you for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoy your stay.

The Players:

Dianna:

Blogger, Dancer, Reader, Sewer or Sewist, Photo taker, Maker of things edible and not so edible, Lover of things old.



Alex:

Husband, Video game player, Pasta Maker, Griller extraordinaire.



Mamasita:

Cat, Breaker of dishes, Player of cat toys, Catnip aficionado.



Zoey:

Baby Kitty, Snuggler, Nuzzler, Biter, Lover of laps and laptops. 

A Good Day

I'm finally done with my class.  I do not generally stress over classes, but this one (the first class in two years) threw me for a loop this past month.  

But not today.

Today, was the last day of class.  I'm free.

I can start planning for our big move.  So much to do, so little time.  

Today, I walked around down town for an hour.  

Wondered into a used book store and found one of the books I need for school for only $3.00.  What a steal.  I picked up a couple more Montessori books while I was there and they were inexpensive.

After that I walked up Seven flights of stairs.  Nothing like stairs to make you feel really out of shape.

And to round out the day, I finally had enough energy to clean the house while listening to Joy the Baker Podcast

I haven't done this for awhile.  I've been very busy.  

So strange as it sounds.  This makes me very happy!

Today, the kitties and I listened to...

Episode 45: Like Nobody's Blaziness

Episode  46: Tiers of Tears

Big News

Big, Big, Big, News...

I got into graduate school...

I have been accepted to a Master's degree program in Montessori Education at Loyola University Maryland.

WOW!!!

Now, I just need to figure out how to get me, Alex, Zoey and Mamasita all the way across the country.


View Larger Map


And, how to pay for it all.

But, for now I'm going to be happy and celebrate!