Welcome to Sunday Showcase #3! For this week I want to introduce you to Katie Morton. I have the pleasure of knowing this amazing lady in real life and I wanted to share with the world her passion. She is such a giving and thoughtful person and this all rings true with her teaching aids on her blog. I had the opportunity to interview her below.
One of the things I love most about her blog is that it is a unique way to teach kids. She works with a Montessori School and has really tried her best to design her lessons that adapts to all her kids. Read the interview below then go and check out her site.
What made you get into blogging?
I started my blog mostly as a place to store and upload files so that they can be added to my Pinterest board. A lot of teachers use Pinterest to share ideas. I knew that I had a lot of ideas that I wanted to share, so I thought, I need to get my stuff on Pinterest. But then I realized, Pinterest is really just a fancy way to link to something, so I decided to start the blog so I would have that something to link to. My plan is to only upload and share my own work, things that I have made myself for the children in my classroom.
Have you ever had any formal training or education in your blog subject?
Yes. My blog is all about preschool Montessori work. I have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and I am currently working on finishing my Montessori certification through a Montessori organization called MEPI (Montessori Educational Programs International). MEPI is just one of many different Montessori organizations that offer certification in Montessori.
What was your greatest failure and how did you learn from it?
This question is hard for me, not because I don’t fail, I fail as often as most people I suspect, but I try to never look at failures in a negative way. A failure is just one step on the way to a success. Maria Montessori thought that teachers should think more like scientists, that they should think of their classroom as a place to run experiments. So each time I make a new piece of work for the classroom, I am running an experiment. I have my hypothesis, which is usually along the lines of “These children will like to do this work that I am going to make.” Then I make the work and put it out for the children to try. Sometimes my hypothesis was right and the children love what I have made and are instantly engaged, but other times, I was wrong. They didn’t engage with the work I made or I presented it to a child that wasn’t quite ready for that lesson. When this happens, I make note of what to change (save this lesson for later, change how the lesson was given) and then I try again the next day.
Who has influenced you the most with your blog?
In a way, Maria Montessori would be the most logical answer, because if I wasn’t a Montessori teacher, in a Montessori classroom, I wouldn’t be making Montessori work and I wouldn’t have started the blog. I have seen some great Montessori blogs over the years though, mostly by mom’s using Montessori in the home. Some of my favorites have been Counting Coconuts (http://countingcoconuts.blogspot.com/), Carrots are Orange (http://carrotsareorange.com/), and Chasing Cheerios (http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.ca/).
How much time do you spend blogging in any given week?
Well, I’m not sure yet. I uploaded all of the work that I found on my computer that I have made in the past. I usually make at least one new piece of work for the shelf a month, but sometimes I use other downloads instead (a lot less work for me!) So I think I will just have to see how it goes. When I make something new, it will get added to the blog.
Is blogging your profession or just a hobby?
Just a hobby, but a way to keep track of the things that I have made professionally. I love the school that I work at now and I can’t imagine leaving, but if something happened and I left, I’m glad to know that I have all this work backed up in a place I can access anywhere.
What is your passion?
Teaching! Few things are better than being a witness to a child’s “ah-ha!” moment. I am also very passionate about finding ways to use technology in the classroom to either improve my teaching or to improve the child’s learning. I am so lucky to be at a company that embraces technology and has the means to provide it to the teachers and the children.
What is your ultimate goal in life?
To be near the people I love and experience as many things as possible. I want to try everything, go everywhere, see everything. I am a lifelong learner. I get very excited by ideas and new information and experiences. I think a happy life is one with a great balance of trying new things and returning to enjoy and savor the pervious experiences you love.
What legacy would you like to leave behind?
The legacy of a woman who impacted the lives of many and never said no to a new experience.
Is there anything you want the readers to know about your blog we haven’t covered?
Montessori education is AMAZING. Many people don’t know anything about it and I really hope that any parents, especially those with preschool age children, do some more reading about it and maybe search out a Montessori school in their area to visit.
Don’t just take my word for it, please visit her blog and let her know that you saw her here on “Sunday Showcase.”
As always, If you would like your blog to be featured on here, please do not hesitate to email me at craftyartistkc@gmail.com and I would love to feature you next sunday.
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