Snegana Baranina
“I like Montessori system because it’s all about a child’s concentration. I think it is very important to develop this ability to be fully in the process, to be here and now.”
Assistant of early childhood
I’m a teacher, I’ve worked at school for five years. I found out about Montessori system when I went on maternity leave and gave a birth to two sons.
My eldest son went to a traditional kindergarten, but I wasn’t satisfied with it. I looked for a different attitude, for a different interaction with the teachers and I began to explore different approaches.
I was interested in the Montessori system and when I found this center. I was very happy to have this opportunity here in Tallinn. My husband and I set up a first meeting and after we decided to change the kindergarden. After with my younger son we started to go to the group “Mother and the Baby”.
I like Montessori system because it’s all about a child’s concentration. I think it is very important to develop this ability to be fully in the process, to be here and now.
I really like that there are no cartoons here, trying to lure the children.
As a mother, I like that the child himself is independent in almost everything. Starting from the beginning he immediately gets acquainted with the basics of self-service. For example: how to fold cloth, where to drink, how to choose his own job and how to clean up after himself putting things back.
Since I also worked in traditional pedagogy, I know how things go on there, and the values of Montessori system really impresses me. I believe that if a child is not interested in particular activity, no matter how I will act, the kid will not take it.
But if the child is at the peak of his own interest, he can do a really impressive results and your role is just to give him space and time.
If the child now wants to wash dishes, sweep leaves, it is necessary to give him this freedom. But unfortunately more often it happens so: here’s the mother decided that it’s time to learn the numbers or letters, and she pushes the child to do it. And in the end the have a baby who can count, but doesn’t have skills to help himself, such as how to dressed up independently or even how to go to the toilet. I think it is wrong.
What else I love about my job is observation. I like to watch children without interrupting in their activities.
I observe how they walk, eat or work with materials. I really like to see how they do their own discovery about this world
You don’t have to constantly entertain a child, you can give him a pelvis, a jug, show him how to use it, and he will do it himself, in his way. Of course, we make sure that something unexpected or bad doesn’t happen, but we don’t interrupt him without really necessary.
The child is in the center by himself and our role is to be attentive to his needs.