Generosity of Spirit and Great Parent Teacher Conferences

With parent conferences fresh in many Montgomery County parents’ minds, a quick question:  What are the characteristics of your childs' best teachers?

Many agree that great teachers are organized, articulate, passionate, patient, thoughtful and gentle.  I am sure you saw these traits at your recent conference.

Deborah Meier, an oft-quoted educational writer and Board member of the Coalition of Essential Schools adds,  “…the qualities that make for those ‘great’ teachers: broad and eclectic interests and passions of their own, the capacity to find almost anything interesting, an ability to keep many balls in the air at once, and to share their enthusiasms and generosity of spirit with others…. [and they can] imagine possibilities in virtually all [their students].”

Meier’s notion of generosity of spirit resonates with me.  And it makes me realize why I am so grateful to work at a place like Evergreen School.  In this Thanksgiving season, I appreciate our school's generous culture and its optimism about children. Thank you, parents and teachers everywhere, for all you do to perpetuate, sustain and nurture caring schools and the spirit of community in them.

John DeMarchi is the Head of Evergreen School in the Silver Spring/Kensigington/Wheaton area.  Evergreen is a Montessori school for children age 2 to third grade.  They are hosting an admission Open House on Friday, Novemebr 16 from 9 to 11 am.