Remote learning: voices from FloMont
How do you impart a Montessori education without being physically present with the children? When the philosophy is so hands-on and experiential, how do you keep the learning process alive if children are confined to their homes? In this guest blog post by FloMont World School, we hear the voices of parents, teachers and children as they take us through their journey since March 2020.
What was it like for the parents?
I spoke with:
- Rashi Dwivedi: Rashi is an Independent Consultant and a proprietor of a Training and People Development firm. Rashi’s son “V” is now 6 years, 4 months old, and enrolled in the Lower Elementary Montessori program at FloMont. He has been going to FloMont since January 2017.
- Divya Saurabh: Divya is an IC design engineer. She and her family moved back to Bangalore from Singapore in mid-May, in the middle of the pandemic. She has two children — whom she had enrolled at FloMont back in December, because she loves the Montessori system, and her son, “V”, who is 8 years old was already in a Lower Elementary program in Singapore. Her daughter “T” is 3.5 years old and enrolled in the Casa program.
Q. What did you feel when schools closed in March because of the coronavirus?
Rashi: We were not too worried because April and May are anyway summer holidays. What we felt sad about was that the due to the government orders, the school had to close abruptly and the children did not get a chance to say goodbye to their friends (some of whom would not be there in Grade 1 in his class). Apart from that, we were not worried. We did not feel much loss in terms of academics because the month of March is mainly a revision of concepts at FloMont. We were also confident that FloMont would come up with something to keep the children engaged.
Q. What was your reaction when FloMont announced their remote learning program?
Rashi: They were very upfront and always kept us updated about their plans. Even when they did not have any concrete plan, they gave us a date by when they would do so. Based on our experience with the school we were very confident that whatever they would decide would be in best interests of the child.
When they first started the online engagement sessions, Shahista was personally involved in each of them. The children were very happy to see her. At FloMont, I guess, every teacher knows all the children by name and the teachers really made the children comfortable.
It was a very well-thought-out plan with a balanced curriculum and assignments.
Divya: Initially, I was very skeptical. The Montessori method relies so much on tactile, physical experiences for learning that I was sure this would not work over an online program. In fact, during the first class, “T” was sitting and quietly doodling away while my husband was paying attention to the teacher! It was hard for her to comprehend that this person on the screen is live and talking to her, that this is not TV.
Q. How has the experience been for your child, and for you?
Rashi: As I said, it’s a very well-thought-out plan. The children have been given material kits at home that they are very excited about. There were a few teething issues initially with the online sessions but they were resolved. FloMont is very receptive to inputs. They have a protocol in place for reporting issues, but if needed, we can directly call Shahista.
Every weekend, or alternate weekend, the admin team calls us to check how things are going. For most of the sessions, they have a backup teacher who takes over in case the main teacher has issues with internet connectivity. (It happened recently and the transition was smooth).
While the physical classes were longer, the online engagements are of a shorter duration. It starts with a roll call, after which the main activity is presented. All the classes are interactive and keep children engaged. Apart from interactions during the class, every session ends with 5 minutes of interaction where the children can talk about anything they want to share. Classes range from Maths (for which children use the kits), Language, Sports, Storytelling, Kannada, Arts & Crafts, etc.
Divya: Over time, “T” started to relate to the teacher, and a relationship has built up. She observes the session quietly but I know that she is absorbing stuff. The teacher may do a presentation on practical life, and later in the day she comes and asks me, “Can I do sooji tracing?” or “curry-leaf picking” or “pounding-pounding”?
I have also been learning from this experience. I have set up shelves with material to replicate what the teacher shows during the online class. The school has provided activity kits that mimic the Montessori material, and “V” explained to me how the Math material is used.
After 11 in the morning, the children are on their own and they often take material from those shelves and do activities with them. I’ve also reminded them that in school they are supposed to put the material back on the shelf, and they do so here as well.
The only thing that has not happened is a social connect with their classmates or children of their own age. Since we moved here recently, there hasn’t been any opportunity to build those relationships.
While it is not an ideal situation, I can say that the learning has not stopped.
Q. What is your life like these days, balancing work and a child at home all the time?
Rashi: It is difficult, but it’s also good to spend time with ‘V’. I try to build a structure around what FloMont is doing and his interests . Instead of planning his whole day, I mostly bother about how he spends maybe 3- 4 hours in the day (with various activities based around what he is learning plus other constructive activities of his interest). I don’t micro-manage his entire day but ensure some one-on-one time with him every day. He loves to read and doodle and does a lot of that. We have stocked up a lot of books, puzzles, etc to keep up his interest . “V” and I jointly attend a morning exercise session which gives us a fun time to bond and also sets the tone for his day. He is free to watch selected cartoons on TV for 30 minutes after lunch. He is involved in various other activities at home and enjoys baking or cooking, which we do very frequently. I have also scaled down my own workload to spend time with him.
Divya: So we moved here in mid-May and the month of June was totally chaotic! Our house was not set up, the children had no clear routine and we were still sorting things out. By July, things had become saner.
Both my husband and I have flexible work routines, so we spend the mornings with them. One of us is present during the online class, and we sometimes have to provide a little nudge if their attention wanders or they don’t catch what the teacher said. But in the afternoons, we just let them be. Because they have each other, they sometimes play together or work on their own stuff. We only need to intervene if there is a fight!
The classes have really helped to set a routine for the children. Even if it is just an hour in the morning, that session helps to set the agenda for the day. As working parents, we don’t have the time to plan their days and activities for them. Having the online session at the start of the day where the teacher presents or discusses a certain topic for the day, followed by having relevant material and assignments helps us. The children know what to do because they’ve listened to the teacher in the morning and they know the topic. Therefore, they are able to pick up on that and work with it during the day. If they come to me, since I also sat through those sessions, I know the topics, so I simply nudge or redirect them back to that :)
Q. How would you sum up your experience with FloMont so far?
Rashi: I am very happy with FloMont’s approach, and the way they have designed this program, keeping in mind — timings, topics, how much time a child can be engaged, and very little homework which is good enough to keep the concept fresh in their minds.
Academics is only one aspect of a school. We must also consider what a child is learning in terms of behaviour and inter-personal skills. “V” is a confident child with logical thinking, and I think a lot is due to the base that FloMont has provided. I also see the other children at FloMont — their confidence, clarity of concepts and observation skills are really outstanding.
Divya: I am pleasantly surprised that a Montessori style online education is possible! I was very skeptical initially and was sure that this period would set them back. It is not an ideal situation, and we definitely want to get back to a normal situation. But I am not cut-up or disappointed. I’m also not feeling guilty that I’m neglecting my children in any way.
The key contribution of the online sessions is that without them I’d have to come up with all this myself and execute it, which is beyond my capability as a full-time working parent. In short, I find that I don’t need to be the teacher, I only need to be the guide and that’s easier :)
Now, let’s go backstage and hear how the FloMont team has been coping with all this.
Ms. Niloofar, Head — PR and Strategy, FloMont
March 10th — The date that turned our world upside down!
Happy chatter, wide grins and palpable excitement! Every child practicing for Annual Day, eager to put on a memorable performance for their parents and friends! Next thing we hear, “School is closed from tomorrow, coronavirus is doing the rounds. Annual Day has been postponed indefinitely!” Indescribable disappointment, so many tears and not just from the children!
Oh well, this too shall pass and we will be back to school in no time. Let’s consider this an extended summer break. Alas! This was not to be. Amidst a nationwide lockdown with no end in sight it became difficult to keep track of the day or date. No vacations, no friends and a tad too much of the dear family!
Fast forward to May and we are faced with another looming crisis — schools are not going to reopen in June! FloMont is an authentic Montessori school and the very essence of the Montessori Method is hands-on experiential learning with a lot of interesting material. How are we going to make sure our children continue their learning in an effective and familiar manner? Time to burn the midnight oil!
After extensive planning, we came up with comprehensive learner’s kits for our children — the Casa Montessori Kit designed for our 3-to-6 year olds and the Elementary Montessori Kit for our 6-to-12 year old children.
How does one get a young child of less than 6 years of age to sit down calmly, let alone engage their tender minds virtually? So we decided to enlist the help of our parent community. Online Engagement sessions would be conducted for our parents who in turn would engage our children offline. Even before the raging debate of “Online classes — Yay or Nay?”, we decided we would conduct engagement sessions of 45 minutes and not more than 3 times a week. Interact with our parents twice a week and meet our children once a week for social interaction using story time, art, craft and other fun activities. We would also divide our children into single age groups which is contrary to the multi-age groups that is a distinguishing feature of a Montessori classroom. A similar pattern was to be followed with our older children, only in this case the engagement sessions would be conducted with the children themselves.
So, that’s the kits, curriculum and engagement schedule handled. Now, it’s time to get our crew aboard this virtual ship — our teachers! Zoom, Google Classroom, Learners Kits, Publisher, Lesson Planning, Presentations, Teacher Orientation, Parent Orientation and umpteen discussions later, we are all set to welcome our children back to school. We can’t wait to see them all! Their cherubic, enthusiastic and smiling faces are what gives most of us technically challenged dinosaurs the courage to start that first Zoom meeting!
What are some of the thoughts running through the teachers’ minds?
Ms. Sanjana — Casa Teacher
“I am going to miss my children; we would have done so much more in school. It’s quite a task teaching online as each child is at a different level and this will result in either holding them back or taking it fast. To overcome this we instruct our parents on what needs to be done with the children and it’s just not the same as talking to the children.”
Ms. Roma — Elementary Teacher
“I was filled with joy when I got to know that online classes were to be conducted. But there was a fear within as to how to teach effectively using technology the Montessori way!”
Ms. Nusaiba — Casa Teacher and Storyteller
“The best part of teaching comes from the experience of interacting with children in a tangible and prepared environment. With the lockdown coming into effect, the realisation of not being able to interact with children in physical classrooms has been challenging.”
But isn’t teaching online easier than teaching a classroom full of children?
Ms. Sanjana — Casa Teacher
“Online classes involve a lot more work than physical classes. A lot of thought and effort goes into covering lessons in a minimum amount of time while ensuring effective learning.”
Ms. Kusum — Casa Teacher
“Preparing for online classes, involves a lot more time than usual since we have to be mindful of delivering the material in an effective and easy-to-understand manner. Sometimes I end up working late, in order to get things completed for the next day. Virtual training is challenging and time consuming as it is new to most of us. At the same time it’s helped me develop my teaching skills and gain experience in the online environment.”
So what keeps you going?
Ms. Sanjana
“I understand that we have no other option right now and that’s what motivates me to take each class. On the positive side, I am finding innovative ways of teaching and ideas to improve my classroom environment for when things normalize and we are back in school. I am not a tech-savvy person and I’m very passionate about what I do. I just love to teach the children! Hope things get better soon.”
Ms. Kusum
“At the end of it all it’s the faces of all my children and the memories of fun times at school that keeps me going at this difficult time. I can’t wait to be with my children again!”
Ms. Nusaiba
“Seeing your students’ faces every week instils a feeling of routine and normalcy in us, which is required during these uncertain times. Overall, my experience with online teaching has been fruitful and I eagerly wait to interact with my students every day.”
Ms. Roma
“The students are awesome and have adapted well to the online classes. It’s been over 2 months and I’m glad we all could adapt swiftly to the changing needs.”
Ms. Maithily, Head — Junior Casa
“Our parents are displaying tremendous amounts of commitment, passion and enthusiasm in making the online engagement programmes a huge success and have also been an integral part in moulding and shaping the young minds in challenging times like this.”
What about the children? What do they say?
Let’s spare a thought for the unsung warriors amidst this chaos - our children! Imagine the emotions running through those tender minds! What was meant to be a relaxing break after a busy and enriching school year turned into staying home all day! Has anyone asked them what they think of this mess?
Some of our children from FloMont shared what they were feeling.
How were they spending their day during the lockdown?
“I do a little writing, I play with my brother, I do math and I play with my toys.” — “I”
“I exercise, have breakfast, watch cartoons, I play and do some drawings.” — “S”
“I play, I watch TV, do online classes.” — “R”
“I play with my toys, the computer, play with my family, colour and write together.” — “P”
“Sometimes I play with my cousins and sometimes I get bored.” — “Z”
Doesn’t summer normally mean — travelling, picnics in the park, trips to the swimming pool, popsicles, muddy clothes, scraped knees, sunburned faces but immense happiness at the end of the day?
What they missed the most during the lockdown?
Playing outdoors, friends, teachers, school, going out, travelling — across the board!
What they wanted us adults to do to make the future better for them?
“I want the grown-ups to save water and food.” — “Z”
“Do the right things, don’t cut down trees, don’t kill animals and keep yourselves safe.” — “P”
“I want the adults to plant more trees — don’t cut them down, save water, don’t kill animals, save the environment.” — “I”
Shahista Ismail, Founder & Managing Director
“Montessori is an education for independence, preparing not just for school but for life.” — Maria Montessori
Dr. Montessori believed that adaptation to the environment is the first necessity of success. One of the fundamental tenets of the Montessori philosophy is that we meet our students where they are with what they need at that time. When COVID happened, as suddenly as it did, as an educational community, we were left asking ourselves, “What is needed right now?” , “Can Montessori work online?”, “How can we look to assist our children in their learning in a manner that is familiar and effective?”
A Montessori school does not begin a school year with structured curriculum plans and weekly lesson schedules. Instead, we set a path of learning that has broad ideas and lessons that are guided by the interest of the child — sparking their curiosity and leading to learning through discovery. This also means that we, as a school, are better equipped than many others to adapt and jump into the unknown, forever keeping the child at the very heart of our efforts, meeting them where they are, with what they need.
Our focus for this year, has been relationships and the mental health of our children. We strongly believe that this pandemic has given us an opportunity to strengthen our bonds and work closely with our parent community to ensure good mental health among our children. This year has been hard on everyone, and each of us have been asked to do a great deal more.
There have been and continue to be days of stress and days of great rejoicing, when things go according to plan. However at FloMont, our children will always be our guiding light and at the very heart of all our endeavors.
Photo credit: FloMont team
To read about a typical day at FloMont in pre-COVID times, see this article.
