The Montessori Academy at Belmont Greene Presents “The Glass Classroom”

ASHBURN, Va. - Feb. 6, 2015 - PRLog -- What is a Glass Classroom?

100 years ago, in 1915, Dr. Maria Montessori opened up a temporary Montessori classroom at the Panama Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.  It ran for the duration of the event.  She called it a “glass classroom” because it was surrounded by windows and was created expressly for the purpose of allowing unobstructed observation for all visitors.  It was another example of her genius, because she knew that seeing a Montessori classroom first hand is the best way to understand it.

On Saturday, February 28^th from 10am to 10pm, the Montessori Academy at Belmont Greene will duplicate Maria Montessori’s glass classroom in the Macy’s Wing of Dulles Town Center Mall.  From 10:30 to 12:30, students from the school will be demonstrating their work in a “wall-free” classroom to give visitors a glimpse into a typical day for a Montessori Student.  The rest of the time, the head of school, Bart Theriot and teachers from the school will be available to answer questions and give families an introduction to their school and methods of teaching.

How will the children keep from being distracted in the middle of a busy shopping mall?

The Montessori Academy at Belmont Greene has led the way in Montessori education for the last 15 years. They are very experienced and know what they are doing.  As Bart Theriot, Head of School states, “We know Montessori and we know children.  In all honesty, we could setup a classroom on Main Street in Disney World and the children would work as if it was just another day. There’s quite a bit of science involved in this method. Everything in the classroom from the work and furniture to the teachers themselves has been prepared to engage children in their own innate interests.”

In a Montessori classroom, the idea is that the children control the classroom, not the teachers.  The mixed age group of children, (3-6) work together as a community. From the older mentors to the youngest students, each makes a contribution. The children are self-directed with the freedom to choose work that is meaningful to them.  The Montessori teacher is there as a guide, but at times, the children will be working as if the teacher is not even in the room. It may sound like a recipe for chaos, but it’s not.  It really works and the glass classroom will be a great way to show exactly how things operate.

What does the Montessori Academy at Belmont Greene hope to accomplish with this event?

Bart Theriot, Head of School states, “Even though it has been 100 years, Montessori is nearly just as misunderstood now as it was back then.  As the head of school at the Montessori Academy, and a teacher trainer, I spend a great deal of time raising awareness for Montessori.   But my reach generally only extends to the people who visit my school or read my blog posts (www.mabmontessori.com).  So the glass classroom is a way of putting Montessori out there in front of completely unsuspecting people who don’t know what they’re missing. If one more child enrolls in Montessori because of it, we will consider the event a success. But I believe we are going to accomplish much more than that.”

The Montessori Academy at Belmont Greene is located in Ashburn, VA and has provided authentic Montessori for children age 10 weeks through 10 years since 2001. Owners/Directors Beth and Bart Theriot (Mother and Son) are both certified Montessori teachers. The Academy is a full member of the American Montessori Society. The faculty consists of master teachers, nearly all of whom have worked with the Academy for 10 years or more, for further information on Montessori educational methods and schools, visit www.AMSHQ.org or www.AMIUSA.org or for a more laymen’s perspective checkout www.montessorimadmen.com.  The Montessori Madmen are a fun group of dads who are passionate about Montessori, but don’t take themselves too seriously.

If you would like more information and history on the Glass Classroom project, please visit these links: http://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/History-of-Montessori-Education/the_glass_classroom, http://www.montessoriglassclassroom.com/, https://www.facebook.com/glassclassroom. To set up an interview with Bart Theriot, visit the glass classroom, tour the school, and learn more about the Montessori Academy at Belmont Greene, please contact, Elysa Leonard with Splash Communications via email atelysa@splashmarcom.comor by phone, 571-426-5145.