MONTESSORI FOR THE PUBLIC SCHOOL

Montessori is the single largest education system in the private sector. With its adoption into public schools over the past decade its prominence has only risen and its viability as a productive model is virtually undisputed.

The Pink Tower

Conceived by Dr. Maria Montessori, the first woman physician in Italy, the Montessori Method was born in the mid-1800s out of Dr. Montessori’s scientific observations of children as she looked for what optimized learning. Her initial work was not intended to create a system of education, but instead focused narrowly on the problem of children who were being rejected by the educational establishment in Rome-- children, she found, who were not able to learn by sitting in rows and listening to teacher lectures. In order to meet their needs she directed her efforts toward finding engaging materials which embodied important concepts and principals in their very design, which could give children the experience necessary for later learning and higher level conceptual development. In doing so, she was one of the first advocates of “learning by doing”.(1)

The Montessori environment is a storehouse of learning materials

To walk into a Montessori classroom is to visit an ideal environment for active learning. Montessori environments feature hundreds of beautiful materials and activities from which, along with lessons from the teacher, students may choose. Montessori actually elevated the classroom environment by designating it “the silent teacher.” She further reinforced its primacy by defining the teacher’s role as that of the “guide” in the environment. Montessori teachers introduce children to each of the materials, whether individually or in small groups, by carefully designed lessons to explain and demonstrate the material’s function and use.

Here are a few of the important principles of the Montessori Method:
· The “prepared environment” is the ultimate teacher

· The teacher is the child’s “guide” through the environment
· The Montessori materials embody important concepts and higher thinking skills
· The child has an “absorbent mind” which will soak in the nature of the surrounding environment
· That “sensitive periods” occur during which the child will be optimally disposed and ready for new learnings
· The child is free to choose his/her own work
· The child is allowed longer periods of uninterrupted time to work
· The teacher-guide observes the child’s progress and redirects or intervenes when necessary
· Materials are designed to be self-reinforcing, self-correcting, and self-confirming

The Montessori teacher observes, offers guidance

In contrast to public education, Montessori education has a unified philosophy of the nature and purpose of life which guides its system. Maria Montessori envisioned the child as a spiritual being, capable of advancing in qualities of character and intellectual capacity and whose ultimate role was that of an enlightened world citizen. Although the Method is often utilized for its ability to impart higher intellectual skills, Maria Montessori’s goal was to assist the child with the optimum development of his/her entire person. In more recent years, public schools have rushed to incorporate the Montessori model into their districts. Some have created structures to guarantee its performance in the traditional way that Montessori envisioned; others have adopted a more “blended model”, mixing elements of Montessori with practices deemed important to the local school. In the Notes below is listed an article which details “Ten Steps to Montessori Implementation in Public Schools”.(2)

Montessori student carefully replacing the number rods after use

The Montessori Method requires significant investment in both teacher training and in classroom materials. Teachers must be accepting of the Method and willing to undergo a comprehensive training to learn the value of the Montessori materials, how to arrange the prepared environment, and what role the teacher plays in it. Montessori teacher training is available in many locations around the US and the world. However there are a few Montessori institutes in Michigan and Ohio which offer this training.

Although seen as a comprehensive system with a highly defined list of materials and well-developed lessons, Montessori is open to new ideas consonant with its spirit. Over the past decades there has been much research done both on the Model itself as well as on its ability to impart learning and develop children’s capacities. A short list of Resources follows below.(3, 4, 5)

RESOURCES
1. Introduction to Montessori Education
North American Montessori Teachers Association, accessed March 22, 2015
http://www.montessori-namta.org/About-Montessori

2. Ten Steps to Montessori Implementation in Public Schools
North American Montessori Teachers Association, accessed March 22, 2015
http://www.montessori-namta.org/Montessori-Implementation

3. NAMTA Research
North American Montessori Teachers Association, accessed March 22, 2015
http://www.montessori-namta.org/Research-Downloads

4. Research on Montessori: Published Studies
Montessori Society AMI UK, accessed March 26, 2015
http://www.montessorisociety.org.uk/montessori/research

5. Montessori Builds Innovators
By Andrew McAfee in Harvard Business Review, published July 25, 2011
https://hbr.org/2011/07/montessori-builds-innovators/