The Closet and Headgates

I wasn't going to blog this week since I have so much to get ready for this weekend, but since I don't want to start it all this morning, I decided that writing a quick post would be a nice way to procrastinate :-)

I attended a class at the TJED forum entitled "Ingredient #20 - The Closet".  The class was about making sure you have a great closet full of inspirational things for your children.  (The closet is referred to in the Leadership Education: The Phases of Learning book).  This is essentially what it says:

Materials must be close at hand, as Montessori taught.  They must be ordered adequate, safe for children, and in the same room where the family sits to study together.  Ideally, a closet in the family room copies the organizational style of the bookshelf:  Core materials on the bottom (toys), Love of Learning in the Middle range(dress ups, paper, rules, craft materials, etc) and Scholar Phase items above (Monopoly, Clash Flow, math and geography cards, etc).

The closet class taught about the importance of creating this "magical" environment for the children.  Mary Ann Johnson is The Closet Coach and she helps people find the best things to put in their closets.  I liked what she had to say and I recognized she was teaching true principles.

However, at first glance, it seems like the principles don't necessary go hand-in-hand with Headgates.  Some of the specific suggestions don't (having kits, a lot of craft materials, etc), but the principles certainly do.  The true principles are what makes the concept so powerful!

What I noticed that I was doing, as I thought some more about this, was using the principles she uses for creating a magical environment in a closet and applying them to my entire house.  Here are Mary Ann Johnson's closet's rules of engagement:

1. Consistent Structured Time

We must make sure our education time is sacred and that we do not let other things interfere with it.  You only allow the closet to be opened during a specific time.  After or before that, it is off limits and all things must go back in it.  Mary Ann mentioned that kids liken it to Christmas everyday because it is something that they look forward to at a certain time.

In our home, we also have consistent structured time.  I try really hard not to run errands or do anything that interferes with it.  We call this time "free time".  No books, toys, board games, instruments, etc.  are allowed until free time.  We all look forward to it everyday and I have seen that the children now see play, learning and studying as a privilege and not as something they have to do.

2. Be Present

Mary Ann mentions that it is tempting to open the closet and let the kids go at it while you go get things done.  She says it's important to be in their same room, answering questions, but not micromanaging.  You could even be reading your own book.

In our home, I'm trying to model the behavior that I want the kids to be engaged in during free time.  It is tempting to get on the computer.  Even though I don't ever play games or waste my time on the computer (when I do get on it, it's to read and learn or write) my kids don't see it that way.  So, during free time, I practice an instrument, read, write in a notebook (maybe to type it out later) or go outdoors with them.  This way we are in the same room (unless the younger kids have gone downstairs to the play room).  I don't like the toys in the family room because they are distracting to the children who are trying to read so we keep the toys in the toy room.

3.  Keep the Closet Locked

She says you don't necessarily need a lock, but it should only be available at certain times.

I talked about how this works in our home in #1 above.

4.  Add and Remove items

Mary Ann talks about the importance of taking items away that they rarely use and putting items in that you want them to be interested in.  She talks about the importance of not having too many things in there.  Few things make a more inviting environment.

In our home, we have been getting rid of a lot.  The fewer toys they have, the more their imaginations are engaged and the play room is an engaging place to be.  I have a hard time narrowing down books, but too many books can also be overwhelming.  I try to use cuddle time as a time to introduce them to a few books.  I do need to get rid of more books though.  It's important to go through the house and do a six month purge.  Right now, we are doing a monthly purge until we have things more under control.  We're getting there, but we still have too much.

In regards to adding items, sometimes I'll see the need to add something else to our home.  Right now, I want to buy binoculars so we can study nature a little better.  I also want a Wildflower book with local flowers.

5. Weekly planning

She talks about the importance of planning the content of your closet on a weekly basis so it is fresh and exiting.

 I have tried to do a similar thing in our home (see our Master Inspire Plan).  There are things I want to explore with the children on a weekly basis so we can all be inspired to be curious and want to learn more.  This one is hard sometimes, but I realize it's important and I am improving.

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So you see, I love the closet principles.  I love them so much, I am applying them to our whole house.  Why limit it to a small space?  It's been fun to making our home this "magical space".