I went to Bloom for a Montessori Apparatus Workshop while training with MCI (Montessori Centre International). I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. Bosnia was a place I wanted to go to to learn about history and culture, not a place I thought to train at. But goodness was I mind-blown. The fact I could do both was even better! Going to Bosnia and studying at Bloom made me feel at home. It was the most impactful experience I have ever had during my journey of being a teacher. The school was more than fully equipped. I had not seen all of the Montessori apparatus before until then. The lessons on the apparatus were taught in great detail by the fabulous Wendy Compson. Our group also became very close and worked very well as a team, which is always positive. We were introduced to the apparatus, were able to practice working with them, and practiced teaching them to Montessori trainers in training prior to our exam. I was also invited to be in the shoes of a child, learning in Bosnian (a beautiful language by the way), which was a very eye opening experience. This inspired what I needed to practice to become a better teacher. We were also given an experience in Montessori’s philosophy and were able to delve deeper into her idea of ‘cosmic education’.
Bloom is an Earth School. It is a plus that Bloom is also located by the forest. Through their multidisciplinary approach to understanding the natural environment, Bloom contributes to the child’s holistic development. They truly practice cosmic education – starting with the universe as a whole, parts of individual cultures, history, geography, life forms and cycles – giving the child some perspective into their world that everything is connected. This leads to better understanding of information and relevance, which then captures the child’s interest to continue learning.
At Bloom, it is not like going into work and being with colleagues. It’s going home to a family, full of passion and love. All of the staff, from the head, administration, teachers, cooks, cleaners, and builder/caretaker are all a family who truly believe in their work and the positive impact it has on the future. They are such hard workers and truly love what they do. They love the children and teaching pure beings about life, love and sustainability, through experiential, hands-on learning. If children want to learn about the neolithic period, they would make stone structures out in the backyard. If they want to learn about food production or agriculture, children would grow vegetables in their greenhouse and garden. Learning by working the land. Children were also given the opportunity to build a shed. There is also a treehouse where they can take a break. On top of this, all of the food that is consumed in the school is carefully planned to be nutritiously balanced, and picked fresh from the back yard.
All in all, the quality and well roundedness of Bloom School has superseded any ‘expectation’. Super impressive! It is definitely a place I would like to come back to do continuous training at, and my first choice of school I would send my child if I were a Mother. They are a highly respectable team and I am forever grateful to have been a part of it for 2 weeks. This experience will stay with me for life. Thank you, Bloom, for welcoming me into your home!
Christa Moser