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"Thirteen years ago, as a five-year-old in Mrs. Exarhakis's Primary class, I was told to sit on a rug with two other girls my age and count a big series of pink beads. This was my first day at Chesapeake Montessori School, one that began the amazing journey that I am still on. The bead chain not only introduced me to two of my best friends at CMS, but also opened a world of learning to me that is unique in itself. The aspects of the Montessori teaching that have given me a roadmap to success I learned on that very first day: understanding through visualization, exploration, and motivation.
Learning not by simply memorizing facts, but by visualizing and understanding the concepts behind the information, is key to retaining and expanding one's knowledge. Through numerous activities such as the sandpaper letters, the pink tower, diagramming, and the checkerboard, children learn actively….
Dr. Maria Montessori observed that children have a natural curiosity and enjoy learning. She once said, "The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, 'The children are now working as if I did not exist.' " Having the freedom to learn at our own pace, but the guidance of teachers to help us flourish in our studies, made learning a constant new challenge….
This yearning for exploration goes hand in hand with another trait CMS has instilled in so many children: motivation. Having such an independence and sense of self always drove me to want more. Not once in my life did my parents ever tell me that my grades weren't good enough; they didn't have to! I would get mad at myself for anything less than an A, not as much for the numerical value but for the fact that I knew I was capable of more. CMS taught me to do my best, and because students aren't rewarded or punished with clear-cut grades, they define what is acceptable by how well they know they worked, not by a number scale. Self-motivation is a trait that will take someone very far, and CMS students are lucky to learn this early in their lives.
I have studied ballet for 15 years, and, as a dancer, I have to be self-motivated. I look back now and realize that I definitely chose the hard path, by continuing ballet not for recreation but as a career, and I have surpassed others' expectations, and more importantly, my own limitations, only because of my own desire-my desire to learn more, to explore the connection between mind and body, to succeed at something not because I can or because it's easy-ballet is certainly not even close to easy; (just take a look at my feet and you'll understand)-but succeeding because I want to, because I know that that is what makes me happy.
CMS has taught each of us how to find ourselves by allowing us to become individuals, embracing each of our personalities, and loving us for who we are. So, graduates, hold on to what you have learned, not just about how to solve equations but about yourselves, and guide yourselves down your path. It is not always the easy one but is the fulfilling one, the one that makes you happy, the one that makes you want to learn more.
For the longest time after graduating from Chesapeake Montessori, my only wish was that CMS had a middle school too, maybe even a high school. And let me tell you, I just couldn't find a Chesapeake Montessori University anywhere in my college search! It's funny because I loved it while I was there and though I finally liked my new school, I just didn't realize how great CMS was until I was gone.
So, class of 2004, never forget the exceptional education you have been given, and remember that all the hard work you have done so far will pay off. Even though you can't be here forever, CMS will always be a part of you. Take your understanding, your curiosity, and your motivation with you and you will succeed."
Tara, 1997 Alumni
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