Green Child Magazine Back-to-School 2014 | Page 54

Grace & Courtesy:

Helping Our Children Learn to Behave

When we see our children not functioning
the ways we wish, in many cases, we simply
re-present the behavior that we want, without
shame or blame. When children are deliberately
naughty, we may need to take stronger action,
help them calm down and try again.

“Grace and Courtesy” lessons
Here is a sample list of grace and courtesy lessons many Montessori teachers use in their
classrooms to establish the culture of respect for
self, one another and the environment. Feel free
to take whatever suggestions may be valuable
for your family or your classroom and create
your own list that supports your values.

Classroom Management Lessons:
• How to listen to directions
• How to get the teacher’s attention
• Place hand on teacher’s shoulder
• Wait for acknowledgement
• How to raise hand at circle time and wait to
be called on
• How to wait to speak after others finish
• How to shake hands with teacher/adult
• How to ask for help from a teacher or another student
• How to greet a visitor: “Hello, my name is....
Welcome to (our home or name of school).”
• How to listen to a story or poem without
shouting out questions in the middle of the
story
• How to learn a song at circle time
• How to sing with a group
• How to recycle paper

Care of the Garden
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Watering the plants
Pulling weeds
Setting up a plant area
Sweeping walkways
Harvesting

Social Skills with Adults &
Children:

54

• Friend greeting a friend
• Making an apology
• How to admit a mistake and ask to be
forgiven
• How to say, “I’m sorry. I won’t do it
again.”
• How to give comfort to another
• Asking, “Are you all right? May I help
you?”
• Getting a teacher
• How to introduce friends: “Mary, this is
my friend, Tomas.”