#practical life

CARROT MUFFINS

1 ½ cups flour ▢1 cup sugar ▢½ teaspoon cinnamon ▢½ teaspoon baking soda ▢½ teaspoon baking powder ▢½ teaspoon salt ▢½ cup vegetable oil ▢⅓ cup brown sugar ▢2 large eggs, at room temperature ▢2 teaspoons vanilla extract ▢2 cups finely grated carrots, not pre-shredded carrots, they should be freshly grated Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper or silicone cupcake liners (or grease well with cooking spray).

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl combine oil, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in grated carrots. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until completely incorporated. Fill muffin liners 2/3 full. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to continue cooling.

✨ Practicing Independence, One Dish at a Time 🌱

“To let the child do as he likes when he has not yet developed any powers of control is to betray the idea of freedom.” - Maria Montessori

Many people have the misconception that the Montessori philosophy implies that children are free to do whatever they like whenever they like with no rules or boundaries in place. Freedom within limits is one of the core concepts of Montessori education. This concept allows children to explore their environment and do their own learning independently with some guidance from their teachers. Because of the way a Montessori environment is prepared (low shelving, organized work spaces, and logically ordered activities) it encourages the child to move freely around the classroom and independently choose their own work within limits of appropriate behavior. The limits are ground rules that are established at the beginning of the school year: respect for oneself, respect for others, and respect for the environment.

Respect for oneself teaches children how to properly use the materials in the classroom to avoid self-harm. It also helps children learn how to independently take care of their bodies and how to be responsible for their own belongings. Respect for others involves both social skills and good behavior. Children are allowed to choose work independently or they can work in small groups. In order for children to work in small groups, they must be invited to join and understand that they must not interfere or disrupt another child working. In our classroom community, all children must show respect for one another. Respect for the environment relates to taking good care of all things inside the Montessori environment. Children are expected to properly handle the materials, putting work away correctly, and taking care of plants, classroom pets, and all living/nonliving things in our environment.

There are various types of freedom within a Montessori Environment. As we have discussed before, movement is a major part of the Montessori philosophy. Freedom to move allows the child to move around the classroom and continuously find purposeful work independently. By allowing children to move freely in their environment we are encouraging them to learn more about their environment and their interests. Freedom to make mistakes is a type of freedom that really promotes critical thinking and problem-solving. The Montessori materials were designed to have a visual control of error, which guides children to correctly finish the activity through hands-on experience. Freedom of time gives children the opportunity to work on activities for as long as they like. This in return, allows children to develop at their own pace and learn great concentration/focusing skills. This also helps to build their patience, as there is only one of each activity out in the classroom. Since children have freedom of time to work on materials as long as they like, they also have the freedom to repeat. The work cycle gives children time to practice and repeat activities until they’ve been able to master them.