logo

MariaMontessori.com

A Project from Montessori Administrators Association

teachers

Why Montessori?

Jennifer Rogers by | Montessori Blog

Preaching to the choir
A persuasive tone in speech and writing lends an urgent and important feeling to any topic. Then again, talking or writing persuasively about the benefits of a Montessori education before an audience of parents whose children are thriving in Montessori classrooms is a little silly. Parents who attend school meetings and read blog posts are among the best. They are typically people who are already thoughtfully engaged in education and parenting.

At every parent meeting, teachers look out into an audience of familiar faces. We notice that the same people also volunteer, ask honest questions in parent-teacher conferences, participate in fund-raisers, and arrive at school on time. We look for their faces in our audiences because the smiles are reassuring, and also because we know our words will make an immediate and lasting difference in the lives of their children. It’s a grand exchange, but asking “Why Montessori?” is a risk. Redundancy is boring, and smart people do not like to be bored.

My response to the “Why Montessori?” question is not detailed or exhaustive. It is a broad-strokes personal narrative, loaded with opinions formed in more than two decades of teaching. The arrangements of space, time, and people that I consider essential to an authentic Montessori education are not doctrinal. Others would answer the same question differently, but accurately.

I could easily add to the following list, but I could not take anything away.

Diversity
The youngest Montessori students gather information through observation and admiration of their older classmates. The oldest students are challenged and often transformed by urgent demands to help and guide their younger peers.

The failure of most public and private schools to incorporate diversity into the formation of classrooms and curriculums has been widely reported. It is an old and persistent problem. The segregation of ages and the standardization of curriculum is a lost opportunity. Standardization and segregation are huge limitations to academic achievement, and to the growth of human understanding.

There are children learning in Montessori classrooms from a kaleidoscopic array of ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds. They learn as much from each other as they do from formal lessons. Geographically isolated Montessori classrooms can be more homogenous than a school located in a diversely populated urban area, but every authentic Montessori school has a student population of mixed ages and abilities. Montessori students are not differentiated by age or intellect.

This diversity is, in my opinion, the single factor that has the most profound and lasting impact on the education of young children. Montessori students demonstrate how much we have to learn from each other as well as how much each of us has to offer our world.

Prepared Environment
Furniture in Montessori classrooms is the appropriate size for the children who will use it. This is also true of the tools, utensils, and materials they will hold in their hands. Pictures hang on the wall at the level of the students’ eyes. Every classroom is organized in such a way that the sequence of learning is materially present on the shelves and obvious to the children. The goals of independent decision-making and internal motivation are built into the carefully prepared environment.

Montessori classrooms are as different as the teachers who tend them, but they evince an attention to order and beauty rarely witnessed in education. Most are filled with light, plants, fresh flowers, and an ambiance of grace. Environments affect the quality of the experiences within them. The earliest memories of learning are, for Montessori students, forever associated with the warmth and peace of their first classrooms.

Purposeful Work
Maria Montessori was educated and trained as a physician. Throughout her long life, she remained fascinated with her observations of human health. The work she offered her students was always purposeful, and it always involved the coordinated work of mind and body. Montessori understood that a strong mind paired with strong hands led to optimum development of a child’s intelligence. This was true with her first students, and it remains true today.

© MariaMontessori.com

Students in Montessori classrooms have daily opportunities to select their work. Children may repeat the tasks they select as often as they desire, until the task is mastered. Work chosen independently and repeated without interruption often leads to deep concentration. Montessori’s ability to cultivate and protect the concentration of young children through their purposeful work remains one of her most significant contributions to the education of young people.

Skilled Leadership
A traditionally structured classroom usually includes a teacher-directed curriculum. Time and space are marked and organized by the strong, clear voice of a teacher who is trained in an age group or an academic discipline, mathematics, for example, or four-year-olds, or music.

Montessori classrooms are active, creative, and adaptive communities. The teacher’s voice is seldom heard, and she frequently sits beside a child as he or she learns. It might seem that the hierarchical structure of a traditional classroom would require stronger leadership and stricter discipline. Actually, a healthy Montessori community requires a much more intelligent and intuitive style of leadership.

Montessori teachers must be skilled in the practice of observation and comfortable with the independent, purposeful movement of young minds at work. Nationally and internationally accredited Montessori teacher training courses are intense and demanding. This is as it should be. Montessori teachers should be experts in the abstract principles and concrete materials that structure the life of a classroom.

Silence
Visitors to Montessori classrooms first notice the beauty and order present throughout the environment. They also notice the quiet, especially if they are accustomed to teacher-directed systems of education. There are no bells prompting students to change activities or locations, no intercom, and no video or television instruction. Montessori teachers do gather the entire class for special events, singing, or shared story, but the voice of the teacher does not direct the movements of the children throughout the day.

In Montessori classrooms, there are occasions when the classroom is silent, when every child in the community is at work. More often, Montessori environments are characterized by the quiet hum of children at work, moving and talking together about subjects that demand their undivided, uninterrupted attention. In a contemporary culture heavily influenced by the interruptions of technology and the distractions of screens, this is a rare and precious gift.

Why Montessori?
If it were possible for a young child to answer “Why Montessori?” in a phrase or sentence that stretched beyond her limited frame of reference and her real gratitude for the fun she had a school that day, she would probably say, “I found myself!” Though their academic accomplishments are remarkable, the greatest achievements of Montessori students are far grander and more lasting.

Montessori students do have a confident, comfortable understanding of the academic concepts they will rely upon for the rest of their lives. They are academically strong not just for the short-term, but for a lifetime of learning. They also have a realistic understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and talents. They can identify times and places when they should lead, as well as occasions when they should ask for help.

The experience of working in an intelligent community helps children understand both that there are some tasks we must do alone, and that we need each other to achieve our goals. Even our youngest students know how to reach inward and outward. The inner teacher of a healthy Montessori child is more reliable than any methodology or even the guidance of a talented teacher. Our students know how to work toward a goal, how to persevere when challenged, and how to connect in meaningful ways to the people in their home and school communities.

Why Montessori? Because a strong Montessori community is a group of people working together to help each person become the best version of him or herself. The gift of a Montessori classroom is that children begin their education with strong bodies and strong minds working alongside friends who know and love them almost as well as they know themselves.

Meeting the Needs of Each Student

Ed Stanford by | Montessori Blog

Remember the years you spent as a student.

Remember fresh new school supplies on the first day, the school cafeteria, the playground at recess, lockers and school buses.

Remember more than a decade of teachers and classrooms with chalkboards, whiteboards, overhead projectors, desks, textbooks and bulletin boards.

In more than 2000 days as a student, do you also remember thinking any of the following thoughts, whether in 2nd grade, middle school, or high school?

  • The teacher is going too fast and I can’t keep up!
  • The teacher is sooo slow and I am completely bored.
  • Why are we switching topics?   This is actually interesting and I want to learn more.
  • I already know this stuff, why can’t I do something else?
  • Why do we have to give a speech?  I would rather make a poster.
  • Why do we have to write a paper?  I would rather give a speech.

These are the frustrations that Educators hope to eliminate through Differentiated Instruction, which is defined by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) as

“instruction that seeks to maximize each student’s growth by meeting each student where she is and helping the student to progress. In practice, it involves offering several different learning experiences in response to students’ varied needs. Learning activities and materials may be varied by difficulty to challenge students at different readiness levels, by topic in response to students’ interests, and by students’ preferred ways of learning or expressing themselves.”

Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?  Students learning at their own pace, being challenged but not overwhelmed or bored, following their interests and showcasing their learning in speeches, posters, or papers as they choose.   The chances are good that you have already experienced some of traditional education’s attempts at differentiation.

The most common examples of differentiation in traditional schools are ability grouping within classrooms or between classes.  Ability grouping continues to be a controversial approach, but odds are good you experienced it without realizing.  In elementary schools, teachers may divide a class into smaller groups of advanced, average, and remedial students for specific instructional topics such as reading or mathematics.  Often these groups have cute names to belie the inherent judgment of ability, but students quickly figure out who are “good” readers and who are “slow” readers.

Tracking is a more obvious practice as it creates entire classes of advanced, average, or remedial students.  Perhaps you remember being a freshman, junior, or senior in a geometry classroom full of sophomores, knowing you were seen by your classmates and teacher as extra clever or less than clever.  You may also have experienced or observed “pull outs” for special education or gifted and talented classes.  In a “pull out”, students leave their classmates and for specialized instruction with specialized teachers.

 

Consider the definition of differentiated instruction again; perhaps one can make an argument that ability grouping offers several different learning experiences in response to students’ varied needs, and that learning activities and materials may be varied by difficulty to challenge students at different readiness levels, but it would be difficult to argue that topics vary in response to students’ interests, and by students’ preferred ways of learning or expressing themselves.

Why is it so difficult for traditional education to differentiate?

Traditional education depends on teachers to instruct students and deliver content.  Remember the lectures, assignments, and teacher guided activities from your classes.  All of these require a high level of teacher involvement.  Traditional education curriculum is scheduled on the premise that a single teacher will deliver a set content to a group of children on a set timetable.  Even when there is a more independent project such as a research paper or speech, these are the exception and not the rule.

Imagine a class with 30 students.  How can a single teacher, each and every day, provide individual instruction to all 30 children that is tailored to meet their specific needs and interests with just the right amount of challenge and some choice in how to learn?  It can’t be done.  Teachers are already stretched far too thin trying to create group lesson plans and grade homework, imagine if their work was increased 30 times over.

Dr. Maria Montessori discovered a brilliant and elegant solution to the challenge of meeting every child’s needs.  She created, tested, and refined the through observation auto-didactic (self-teaching) materials to convey particular knowledge to children.  Today’s Montessori teachers rely on the same materials and do very little direct instruction.

One example of auto-didactic materials is the bells, each of the 16 bells produces one of the 8 notes of the diatonic scale when struck, yet appear completely identical.  8 of the bells have wooden bases and 8 have white painted bases, and each note has a wooden bell and a white bell.   Following a presentation from a teacher on the proper use of the bells, children are free to choose to work with the bells anytime.  Young children begin by refining their ability to hear and differentiate musical pitches, then to sequence notes in ascending or descending order, then the names of pitches, and eventually to reading and writing simple songs.

The auto-didactic materials free the child from requiring a teacher to receive instruction and practice.  A musically gifted child in a Montessori classroom is able to proceed through the sequence of activities with the bells very quickly, only needing a teacher periodically to demonstrate the next step.  Meanwhile, a less musically inclined child is free to practice each step until they are confident enough for the next, without a teacher being forced to hurry the child along to “stay with the class”.

Children have an ever expanding set of materials so they can choose to practice something familiar are challenge themselves, providing hours of self-directed learning.  This allows the teacher to observe and to move from child to child presenting new materials as needed.

Although Montessori teachers rarely gather all 30 children together to instruct a single skill, they don’t sit around drinking tea all morning.  Teachers have many roles, the most important of which is embedded in the above definition of differentiated instruction.

“instruction that seeks to maximize each student’s growth by meeting each student where she is and helping the student to progress. In practice, it involves offering several different learning experiences in response to students’ varied needs. “

Dr. Montessori understood the need for an individualized learning experience in her first classroom in 1906 and her approach continues to be an elegant and effective model of differentiated instruction for theorists of today.

Every Child Has Exceptional Potential

Peter Davidson by | Montessori Blog

A few days ago, a young couple was in my office.  They have a 14 month-old toddler, and are considering Montessori.  For the sake of their confidentiality, we’ll call them Mr. and Mrs. S.  I had arranged for them to spend 20 minutes observing in one of our toddler environments, and an equal amount of time in a Primary classroom of 3 to 6-year-olds.

© MariaMontessori.com

Before inviting questions, I always ask prospective parents to share their impressions of the two classrooms based upon their observation.  As is typical, they were amazed.  “I was expecting children to be running around, possibly shouting or crying, but instead found both classrooms to be surprisingly calm.  The toddlers especially surprised me – choosing their own activities, or feeding themselves snack and cleaning up after themselves.  In the Primary class there were many more children and activities, but they were also calmly and pleasantly engaged.  Though we were very impressed, we began to wonder, would our child fit in here among these calm and self-possessed little beings?”

“First, I want to assure you that we have no intake process to identify only the best, brightest, calmest and easiest children for admission,” I responded.  “Although we do help parents make an informed choice before applying, we don’t even meet the children until after they are accepted into the program.  However, we have some advantages that you don’t have at home.”

“In the first place, both environments have mixed-age groupings.  Though two of the children in the toddler class in which you observed only started two weeks ago, the other 10 have been in that classroom with that teacher for at least 6 months already.  In the Primary class, the age range is even broader.  A full third are in their third year in that class with that same teacher, another third in their second, and only a third were new to the class at some point during the past school year.”

“This has two implications for a new child.  First, any new child has many, many role models in addition to the teacher.  Secondly, since the teacher can count on the vast majority of students functioning comfortably and independently based upon their long experience, she is free to focus more of her attention on the youngest and newest children in their first days and weeks.”

Mrs. S: “Yes, but if our son were in the classroom, I would imagine he would be attracted to the activities with water, and at home he invariably makes a huge mess.  I’m even worried that he might be attracted to the fish bowl.  What’s to stop him from sticking his hands in it and splashing the water out?”

Me:  “Starting on his first day, the teacher would give him careful presentations of the use of each material before he is invited to use it.  This is done one-on-one as the teacher demonstrates in front of him an essential use of each activity in a way that communicates its purpose and component sequence of actions.  It is only after this presentation that he is free to choose this activity on his own.  Some of these activities will include water, but she will emphasize the control of movement necessary to be successful.  When it’s his turn, if he does make a mess, she will simply show him how to clean it up.  But, more importantly, she will observe which of the component steps or skills he still lacks, and, on another day, repeat the presentation with a greater emphasis on those missing pieces, thus fulfilling Dr. Montessori’s admonition to ‘Teach by teaching, not by correcting.’

As for the fish bowl, that is simply another opportunity for learning.  On his first day, as part of his orientation to the classroom, she will show him how to watch the fish, emphasizing with her motions the importance of keeping her hands by her sides.  She will watch how he does when he is attracted to the fishbowl on subsequent days and, if necessary, give him another lesson or simply a reminder, ‘Do you remember how to watch the fish?  That’s right, your hands can be right by your side.’

So, be assured, it’s not that Montessori only works with exceptional children.  Rather, from our point of view, every child is blessed with exceptional potential, your child included.”

Conflict: Break It Up And Break It Down

Pilar Bewley by | Montessori Blog

In a previous post, we explored how natural consequences can help children learn to control their own behaviors.  A question arose in the comments: “How should adults (parents and teacher alike) handle a child who is disruptive and aggressive to others?”

The short answer is: There’s no one right answer (but some wrong ones!).  Because every scenario, every child, and every adult is different, the right approach has to include a tailored mixture of common sense, compassion, firmness, and consistency.  Additionally, you should consider the age of the children you’re helping, since toddlers and pre-schoolers use different levels of communication and reasoning.  With that said, here’s an approach I’ve used successfully in the past, but again, the ideal “technique” will depend on the characteristics of the situation at hand…

First of all, if a child is putting a peer in danger (i.e. biting or scratching), it is best to separate the aggressor from the situation as unemotionally as possible and take him to an area where he can calm down safely.  Theresa, an experienced Montessori guide, placed a pillow under a table and used it as a calming spot for one student.  In some cases, an over-stimulated child might need to leave the scene entirely for a little while.

Reacting to a child’s behavior out of anger and panic is NEVER an effective solution. You might feel angry and frustrated with the aggressor (I know I have!), yet the situation is not about you.  His behavior is not a reflection of your ability as a parent or teacher! He is simply asking for guidance in dealing with an unfamiliar experience and strange feelings… It’s a beautiful learning moment, so take advantage of it!  You should use a firm voice to let the child know his behavior is unacceptable, but don’t fight violence with violence!

After separating the children, give the aggressive child time to sort through his emotions while you (or another adult) make sure the other child is not seriously hurt; let them both cry if necessary, and invite them to breathe deeply (you might want to take a few deep breaths yourself!).

When the aggressor has calmed down enough to talk, ask him the following questions:

1)  What are you feeling? (The language of emotions is key to developing emotional intelligence)

2)  What happened? (Get his side of the story but don’t jump to conclusions)

3)  Are you ready to tell your friend how you’re feeling and find out how he’s feeling? (If he’s not ready yet, respect this and let him know that you’ll give him a few more minutes to collect himself before going to talk to his friend.  Then follow through!  If he is still unwilling to talk, invite him to sit in a chair and let him know that when he’s ready to talk he can get up and join you.)

Truly listen to his answers without judging him or dismissing his claims.  What sounds trivial to you could be of monumental importance to a four-year-old and will define how he deals with problems as an adult!

When both children are ready, invite them to sit down (this provides a non-confrontational setting), sit with them at their level, give each a turn to air his grievances, and listen to both sides of the story carefully without taking sides (even if one child got hurt).  You’ll be surprised how many times I’ve found that the child who got hurt was the one who started the altercation!

Once you have the facts, find out how each child felt during the altercation. Make sure they understand each other’s feelings by re-stating their emotions: “John, Peter says he felt angry when you took the tricycle away from him.”

You should also make sure that the aggressor understands physical violence is never a good choice, by asking, “How do you think Peter felt when you punched him in the stomach?”  Don’t be afraid to put him in the victim’s shoes by following up his answer with, “How would you feel if someone did that to you?”  If you get a muttered “I dunno” as a response, you could add, “I think you would feel hurt and angry, just like Peter did, because nobody likes being hit and nobody deserves to get hit.”  As always, keep your voice firm but calm, because unnecessary drama on your part will cloud the lesson.

Then, ask both of them what they could have done differently to prevent the situation from happening.  Sometimes they draw a blank here, and this is normal.  After all, if they knew what the right choice was, they probably wouldn’t have gotten into a fight to begin with!  Prompt them by asking what the rule is about the limit that was broken.  “Peter, what’s the rule about taking turns with the tricycles on the playground?”

Once they state the rule, if they are still unsure of what they should have done differently, you can provide a couple of positive and reasonable suggestions that adhere to the rules of the environment (i.e. playground, home) and are easy for the children to remember in the future.

Never make two children to apologize to each other before they are ready. A forced “I’m sorry” teaches the aggressor that he can get away with anything as long as he’s willing to say a few empty words, while it devalues the needs and emotions of the victim.  Instead of demanding an apology, you could ask both children if they feel better after talking things through.  Since it’s quite likely that they will be ready to make amends using their own words (instead of your prompt), you can point out how wonderful it is to talk about our problems and understand how the other person is feeling.

You might be shaking your head and thinking, “How in the world will I find the time and patience to go through this?”  Have faith!  It really only takes about five minutes to go through this mediation process, since children are very transparent and their issues are normally easy to solve (thank goodness!).  Sometimes, before you finish mediating they’ll be running off to play holding hands!

I have seen this approach work even for children who are what you might call “repeat offenders”.  With consistency and love, even the most impulsive children can develop a more peaceful method of dealing with problems.  Children use the tools we give them, so behave with them in the exact same way you would want them to behave with each other.  You will be amazed at the long-term results!

Above all, don’t be afraid of conflict, because within it lies an amazing opportunity for growth and learning, not just for the children but for you and your entire family.

I Am a Montessori Geek

Ed Stanford by | Montessori Blog

 

I am a geek.  Many people use geek as an insult, but I use geek to denote an intense fascination and enjoyment of any particular subject.  Common examples of geeks include sports geeks, fashion geeks (fashionistas), and gastronomical geeks (foodies).  The difference between enjoying something and geekdom is a level of fascination; sports geeks quote player statistics from memory, and foodies have a favorite food critics.

©MariaMontessori.com

I’m an education geek.  I enjoy learning and teaching, and exploring the theoretical, philosophical, and scientific underpinnings of learning and teaching.  I enjoy reading books, articles, and research studies about education; therefore I am an education geek.

Geeks hunt for the best.  Movie geeks want theatres with the best sound systems and projectors.  Fashionistas shop for cutting edge, unique fashions.  Education geeks pursue the most elegant and effective educational practices and my search led me to the Montessori Method.  I beg your indulgence as I share my journey.

In college I decided to teach, so in addition to declaring an art major I also joined the education department.  After 13 years as a student I thought I understood education; my ignorance was soon revealed.

Professor Jean Ketter opened my eyes when she introduced me to Resistance in Education, a field of research into why some students defy the educational system, usually to their own academic devastation.  An example of a Resistance in Education study is an exam question describing a problem with the cafeteria followed by the directions “Write a letter to the Principal of your school explaining the problem in the cafeteria and proposing a solution.”  Most students wrote a letter; many surely resented the assignment, but they knuckled under and completed the task as directed.

However, few students did not write the letter.  Interviews revealed these students had refused to attempt the task because they “would never write a letter to the Principal to solve a problem”.  The assignment required was so out of character for these students that they refused to participate.

Resistance in Education was my first recognition that traditional school is a game.  I had naively believed schools were objective meritocracies in which students succeed or fail according to ability.  Reading, debating, and analyzing Resistance in Education revealed the reality that schools are systems with objectives and rules and strategies, and like any system, schools can be “played” or manipulated.

It is my belief that most teachers were good students and felt accomplished.  It is hard to imagine anyone wanting to return to classrooms for 30+ years unless they had positive memories.   Perhaps some knew how to play the “game of school”, or perhaps, like me, they just “played nice” without asking why and quietly collected high marks and accolades.

Delving into writings about Resistance in Education, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and Hidden Curriculums, I began to review my years as a student with new insight into my classmates’ behavior and my own.  I had accepted the rules of the game without question and excelled in school, but the “game of school” is rigged; not everyone has a fair chance at success.  Those unwilling to set aside their personalities to assume the role of student and “write letters to Principals about problems in cafeterias” are only one example of the skewed circumstances that are common in the “game of school”.

Knowing children are playing a game without understanding the rules, without even realizing they are playing a game with profound impacts on self-worth, self-confidence, and a whole host of beliefs and attitudes is unsettling.  Realizing that this game is unfair is appalling.

Professor Ketter again changed my life by introducing a wide range of educational research and thought inspiring me to seek alternatives to traditional education.  The writings of John Dewey, father of Experiential Education, introduced me to Constructivist educational thought and the hope that education isn’t limited to a “game” bearing only an abstract relationship to real life.  Dewey envisioned a curriculum evolving from student interests with direct connections to life; unfortunately he did not develop a practical methodology, leaving a dream with no blueprint.

Each new educational thinker challenged my pre-conceptions about standard elements of traditional education standards such as grading, testing, and social reform.  I was excited by the possibilities, but no one provided a concrete plan to make these ideas reality.

Graduating college, I began teaching high school art during the academic year and spending summers at SuperCamp, an academic/life skills program for students built on cognitive and neuropsychological research.  I am fascinated by education built on an understanding of cognitive functions to fully engage the brain.  After a few years I began looking into Montessori education and the more I learned about the Montessori Method the more I felt I was finding what education should be.

In future posts I will define current education terminology and discuss how these ideas relate to the Montessori Method.  I believe Dr. Maria Montessori was the kind of genius seen once in a century, a Newton or Einstein of education.  In 1906 she anticipated dozens of educational principles identified in recent decades through independent research.  Her work influenced Jean Piaget, the father of developmental psychology, and Erik Erikson’s Psycho-Social Development theory.  The Montessori Method is an impressive pedagogy that integrates many of the best educational practices for children and families.