Practical Life on a Budget

My small school, Dundee Montessori, is operated in my parent's original home that I inherited. I have no big board of directors or big school budget. I make every decision on every detail by myself or with the help of Miss Shirley, who has been a teacher with the school for 14 years.

As a creative person, as most Montessori teachers are, my goal has been to present unique and original works for my students to do each day. I often tell them that this school will be the only place they will ever handle cow bones, or hold a horseshoe crab, or do the cool, fun practical life works I cobble together from cast offs.

I love putting practical life works together. We call them "table works" at my school and I continue to put new exercises together even though my store room is filled. I adore estate sales and Goodwill and so I continue to buy very cheap objects and I continue to love finding a way to use them. For me it is like a puzzle I must figure out. I bought these napkins rings but what do I use them for?

Here are the works on my shelf now that have all come from estate sales or Goodwill. 

Every tray, dish or spoon has been a bargain! 

Metal tins fit the star basket to make an attractive spooning work

Fuzzy pipe cleaners poke into this salt shaker.

Q-tips down the hole!

Sparkly pom poms drop into color coordinated napkin rings.

Those goofy ceramic kitchen animals with a spoon for a tail becomes one of our favorite works. 

Many different pieces from all different places comes together perfectly. 

Indian brass incense burners become a lid and top matching work with a pink pom pom to add inside.

What to do with a unique tree shaped bottle and hair bands.

So, all that is old is new again and finds a new and useful life!

The unwanted cast offs are very much needed in my life as a Montessori teacher.