A Cosmic Vision
One of the very basic tenets of Dr. Montessori’s Cosmic Vision and Cosmic Education is the belief that there is an interconnectedness of all things. At Eagle Peak it is our goal to help our students come to see their role in this universe, their responsibility and the effect of their choices.
It may be subtle, but the foundation for this process is laid as simply as the arrangement of the classroom in a Montessori environment. The teachers’ role is to organize the classroom in such a way as to allow the child to flow naturally from lesson to lesson. They can visually see the progression of where they start and where they will move as they proceed through the curriculum.
Philosophy and Pedagogy
Maria Montessori built the foundation for her teaching principles on the belief that by allowing children to develop to their fullest potential, their contributions to society would lead to a peaceful world. Her philosophy of showing respect to children by preparing environments of materials, experiences, and attitudes suited to the characteristics of each stage of development is the foundation of Montessori training and practice today.
Eagle Peak Montessori School follows the Montessori pedagogy, one that gives children the freedom to explore and develop to their fullest potential while working with didactic materials, in groups and independently, within a prepared environment. The aim of the materials in a Montessori classroom is to move the child from a concrete understanding of concepts to abstraction. The expectation of respect—for self, others and the environment—guides the Montessori Method. Every room in our school is prepared to meet the developmental needs of the age group served within the environment.
WHAT DOES A MONTESSORI EDUCATION LOOK LIKE?
Active Learning
Classroom
Individualized Learning
Teachers
Multi-Age Learning
Freedom Within Limits
Core Principles
Independence, Order, Respect, Responsibility. These four words are the cornerstone of the Montessori program at Eagle Peak. Our hope is that when your children graduate from our environment to their next academic endeavor, they will embody all four of these life-long concepts.
Independence
For Montessorians, independence is the ability to be self-sufficient.
Order
Order is a sense of organization or structure
Respect
Respect is treating each part of the environment, (people, places, animals and things), with an appropriate tone, touch and manner.
Responsibility
Is understanding that all choices have consequences which affects others as well as ourselves.
It is our hope that our students will someday be the catalyst for change in the world.
Our aim as Montessori educators is to create a learning environment in which independence in the student is fostered. This takes place by allowing them to make choices and to learn from those choices. The underlying message in this process is that with all freedom (choice) comes responsibility.
It is also through the Montessori emphasis on responsibility that we look for the students to understand their part in the greater community. It is our hope that our students will someday be the catalyst for change in the world. That they will be leaders who understand what their task is, in Dr. Montessori’s words, their “cosmic task”. They will work for a cleaner environment, for helping those who are not always able to help themselves, and that they will have the skills to help resolve conflicts on a larger scale.
AS OUR CHARTER STATES:
It is our belief that by learning without artificial boundaries and discovering their capacity to live in peace, children will become life-long learners and responsible citizens whose actions reflect sound character, ethical behavior, and a clear understanding of their own and others’ self worth and dignity. Our students will become socially aware, responsible people, who live in harmony with nature as stewards of the earth.