La Pratica - Weekly Practice Sessions for Montessori Album

La Pratica is a weekly 4-hour supervised practice session, held via Zoom, where guides-in-training of both Nido & Toddler and Children's house Diploma courses are invited to further their understanding of specific presentations through practice with materials and to work towards album completion.

Montessori presentations are the essence of our curriculum and pedagogy; program quality relies on guides making deep, meaningful connections with children and with the Montessori materials and exercises. La Pratica is an opportunity for guides-in-training to connect with other adult learners and refine their material presentations while under the guidance of a Montessori Mentor.

• Guides-in-training in either Nido & Toddler or Children's House diploma programs

• Those who have already participated in Guided Materials Practice sessions during Foundational Studies

Come prepared to practice with specific materials. Review your albums and submissions to determine which materials you would like to practice with. Choice of materials might be based either on your diploma progress or on the needs of the children in your community.

Set expectations for your community: whether you will complete your practice inside or outside the classroom environment, be sure to set your community up for success by collaborating with supporting adults and helping them plan for specific activities or routines while you attend the practice sessions.

If you have specific questions during the practice session, you are welcome to communicate with the instructor in the chat. The instructor may also offer some general feedback based on their observations. Feedback will be given in private and via the Zoom chat.

Whether you will be in the classroom or outside of the classroom, ensure you set your community up for success by collaborating with those taking over, helping plan for specific activities, etc. If you are attending the session while in your classroom environment, be sure to set up the computer in a discreet place, where the instructor has a view of your practice, and where it will not be a distraction for the children.

Covering the screen with a piece of paper/cloth is an option, though be sure to keep the camera unblocked. Turn your computer volume down/off to ensure there are no disruptions to the children.

If you are practicing in the classroom, prepare a simple phrase, or present a Grace & Courtesy lesson to the children prior to your practice, to let the children know that during this time you are not available. For example, “I am practicing with the Pink Tower right now. I am not available. You can ask Ms. Brenda for help; I will let you know when I am done.”