Montessori, the Art of Observation, and Social Justice
Tree of Life Charter School is in its 21st year of operation this school year. It has been a school year, like no other, that we have ever experienced. Even though it has been an unusually difficult year with distance learning, Tree of Life is continuing on and looking forward! The month of January is open enrollment and the school is accepting applications for the 2021-22 school year. Tree of Life is an intentionally, small charter school that currently serves about 80 TK-6 students. The school is looking into (in the near future) to adding a 7th grade, then 8th grade the following year.
Tree of Life is the only elementary school in the Ukiah/willits area to use the Montessori method. It is named for its founder, Maria Montessori. Maria Montessori was an Italian physician and philosopher during the early 20th century. Born during a time when women did not have many choices in their occupations, she chose to go to medical school and, in the face of resistance, earned a medical degree from the University of Rome in 1896. During her life, she observed and studied how children learn and defined human tendencies that are universal in all humans. Through trial and error, she created a “prepared learning environment” and trained teachers (or guides) to “follow the child.”
All the guides at Tree of Life are Montessori trained and California credentialed teachers. During Montessori training, guides learn how to observe without bias, which lends itself to social justice. They learn how to make observations based on fact, not what they think is happening. They spend some time each day observing the students working in the classroom, then make decisions based on those observations. Montessori teachers are also trained to continually examine themselves and the classroom environment to be sure that the needs of every student is met. It is these things that make the Montessori classroom lend itself to social justice.
Interested families are invited to visit our website at www.treeoflifeschool.net and fill out an application. Open House will be held on April 14, 2021. Please call the office at (707) 462 0913 to find out if it will be virtual or on campus. You can also call the office to find out what our current educational plan is- distance or in person- as it can change.