For both students and educators, summer is a time for adventure, relaxation, and rejuvenating the spirit. I like to spend mine seeing family and exploring these woods. While there, I remember that we operate much like the forest surrounding us; relying on an annual cycle to spur growth. In going our separate ways for a […]
It is summer at Arthur Morgan School. Our students have left, and the campus is quiet. We miss their excited voices and constant energy. For years staff used the summer months as a time to tend to the school’s garden or make necessary repairs, but since 2015, AMS has put its campus to a more […]
Ruth and Rey were never that interested in auto mechanics. Throughout their time at Arthur Morgan School, they focused on taking different classes. Having an artistic eye, Ruth leaned toward print making, pottery, or paper making. In these course she learned important scientific concepts while also expressing herself. Rey, on the other hand, had interests […]
When most people think about middle schoolers, the idea of putting them in a room with burning hot metal might seem crazy. Naturally clumsy and apt to distraction, these young adolescents don’t make the primary candidates for learning blacksmithing, a craft in which safety is a must. However teaching blacksmithing to middle schoolers can be […]
As a middle school that believes strongly in the Montessori approach, we love getting our students off campus. Outdoor trips throughout the school year along with the 18 day field trips every spring provide our middle schoolers with natural and real world interactions. However while their away, our beautiful campus with its art studios, prepared […]
Every year when our 18 Day Field Trips return home, students share their experiences with their peers, parents, teachers, and community members. Trip sharing is a community event to which all of Celo is invited. It is an opportunity for students to proudly present what they learned while traveling. It also gives them the opportunity […]
When most educators talk about experiential learning, they typically apply the concept to higher education or work training. They think of experiential learning as a way to prepare college graduates or new hires for employment. Unfortunately when the term is applied to middle school classrooms, experiential learning usually has a more watered down connotation. Websites […]
Service learning has always been a part of Arthur Morgan School’s 18 day field trips. Even in the school’s earliest trips, staff and students found communities that needed helping hands. The tradition continues today with the school’s current field trips. Through hard work and new relationships, our middle schoolers are gaining an understanding of why […]
A recent trend in schools is to turn part of their campus into a garden and use it as a teaching tool. Whether its a sensory garden, vegetable garden, or livestock program, integrating farm work into their classrooms provides teachers with a plethora of experiential learning opportunities. In the spring, students can use seeds and […]
As a middle school art teacher, I am often inspired by my students. Middle schoolers are knee deep in the messy process of trying to figure out who they are, what they stand for, and what makes them unique as people. They ask the big questions. They begin to rebel against the constant adult monitoring […]