Community Lifeat Roadstead Montessori High School

The Montessori Prepared Environment for Adolescents.

Part 1: Setting Up a Community of Peace Eran Livni In this blog series, I am going to explain how we, at Roadstead Montessori Middle & High School, form one of the most fundamental components of a genuine Montessori school. This is a prepared physical as well as non-physical environment. …

An aerial view of Norfolk, VA and its waterside in 1892, the location of nowadays Downtown Norfolk

A Montessori study of Place: Downtown Norfolk, VA

This blog post is about a Montessori study of our school’s home place: Downtown Norfolk, VA. Being a Montessori study, it is an active process of learning through participation. David Kahn, the leader of the Montessori adolescent movement, writes that, for Montessori middle and high schools, “[p]lace inspires belonging. Place…

Teenagers learn through ambivalence how to see the complex picture of reality

How Ambivalence Empowers Teenagers

This is my best friend; I hate this guy so much My teachers are the best; my teachers are the worst I can’t wait to go to college; I don’t want to go to college I’m pretty; I’m ugly I’m so sad; I’m so happy Ambivalence is the Mark of…

We can slow down Coronavirus with Science. How Masks Reduce Transmission.

Part 1 of many.by Steve Nelson (Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Math teacher at Roadstead Montessori High School, Norfolk VA) Viruses are very small. The Coronavirus is about 100 nanometers wide. It’s hard to comprehend this size. The smallest unit on the standard ruler used in school is 1 millimeter. If we zoomed in and…

We All Need Art

What is the point of creating art in the first place? Is it really worth anything? Does it add to your life? Does it add to society as a whole? Why make it part of any curriculum? Whenever grown ups fear that children aren’t learning enough, the arts are the…