As a Canadian living in Japan, I enjoy taking a break from the summer heat and visiting my parents in Canada. They live about an hour north of Toronto in a rural area surrounded by farms. Since moving there from the city, my mother, who grew up on a farm, embraced the country life. Along with a thriving vegetable garden and a coop full of chickens, she decided she would try her hand at beekeeping.
The Flow Hive
For those of you who don’t know, myself included, keeping bees is no easy feat. There is so much that goes into caring for the bees, as well as harvesting the honey. However, my mother did her research and found the most amazing solution—The Flow Hive. What's great about this beehive is that it is made with a synthetic honeycomb that can separate, allowing the honey to freely flow out of the hive through a tap. Unlike the traditional methods of harvesting honey, the bees are undisturbed, safe, and free to continue making more honey.
The Buzzy Classroom
This got me thinking of the similarities between this particular beehive and the Montessori classroom. Much like the Flow Hive, with its pre-made honeycomb, the classroom is thoughtfully designed and prepared to support the children and their work. As Montessori educators, a large part of our role is to prepare an environment that supports the children’s independence and natural development.
In the Flow Hive, the bees are introduced to their new environment and find themselves in a place designed to nurture and support their natural instincts. Once they have settled into their new hive they do what comes naturally to them, without the extra work of building the honeycomb.
The Honeycomb School
It was an exciting experience harvesting the honey for the first time. Unlike traditional harvesting, we didn't have to open the hive or remove the comb. The bees continued their busy work as the honey was collected through a tap at the bottom of the hive. There was even a small window where you could observe the bees as they bustled about, working hard on their individual tasks.
For those of you who have observed a Montessori classroom in full swing, you can appreciate the special moments where children are engaged in their tasks, caring for themselves and others, and utilising the environment created for them. In these moments we can take a moment to enjoy the hum of activity, similar to the buzz of busy bees.
Bronwyn Yamasaki
Olive Teacher
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