A Book is like a Friend..

by Sally Korte (IMS ā€˜15)
Ā Ā Ā Ā  Have you ever read a book and fallen in love with it? This is what happened to me when I read Lee Havisā€™ new book ā€œThe Technology of Scientific Educationā€. This book has become my best friend, the friend that you always want to have with you because his presence guides you to the light. A friend that walks with you and shows you the way to greatness.

Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā  This book has been accompanying me in different ways this summer. First it has enhanced the ā€œMontessoriā€ lectures that I present for Catechist of the Good Shepherd (CGS) in the states of Kansas and Oklahoma. It has been a great resource on how to structure and simplify my lectures.

Ā Ā Ā Ā  In the past I felt that my talks were complex and couldnā€™t really transmit the main focus of Montessori education that is to discover the childā€™s true nature. My talks were impractical and didnā€™t make a difference in the work of CGS. Now I can really transmit the main point of the Montessori principles. Many participants were so touched by the lecture that they ended up buying their own book.

Ā Ā Ā Ā  I opened my school ā€œShalom Prince of Peaceā€ two years ago, which has been well accepted in the community. As a result of this, the opportunity to add a second Montessori Primary room to the school was at hand. So, I had to mentor and train new teachers. Since I was unsuccessful in doing this in the past, I had some fear of failing in this area again. However, as I started reading the book, I knew I had found the ā€œPearl of Great Valueā€.

Ā Ā Ā Ā  Now, each staff has their own book, which I use as a basic text for training my new teachers. Before school started, we studied it together, and now that school is in session, I keep using it as a training tool for all. We are now in the fourth week of school and our new classroom is led by a new teacher and aide, which is functioning positively, thanks to this book.

Ā Ā Ā Ā  This book has become my best friend. I keep savoring it every night before bed. Last night I read about how to handle tantrums. I examined myself and saw that I could do better when this problem happens again in my school. I went to work this morning with the intention to solve tantrums by bringing the child to the present moment.

Contact: Sally Korte (IMS ā€˜15), Shalom Prince of Peace School in Augusta, Kansas, at the schoolā€™s facebook page, or by phone, 316-253-1254