Morgan Berger Jane Blakelock ENG 2100-37 13 March 2014 Montessori Philosophy and Education

Maria Montessori is the reason the Montessori Method exists today and has had great influence on all types of schools around the world. She was a medical school graduate who became the first woman doctor in Italy. While she was practicing medicine she worked with handicapped adults and children. Maria studied her patients and came up with an education method that would be beneficial for those who were not yet ready for public schooling. The Montessori Method has evolved and the principles have been used in a wider range of classrooms other than in just Montessori School classrooms. It is becoming more common to see Montessori schools popping up around the more common public schools. Since the method is based on individual children it is a popular trend to send children who may have learning disabilities or difficulties to a Montessori school. The students individual needs and abilities is what the Montessori Method focuses on. The classroom is designed to feel like a community and be comfortable to the students while they are there. The students ages in a single classroom can vary by up to 3 years difference. This is because some students will act as leaders and some will act as followers and they will all rely on each other for help and guidance. Each student is focused on as an individual and given projects and activities based on their specific needs. All of the students in one classroom may be working on completely different activities at the same time. The enthusiasm to learn seems to be greater among children who are not yet of school age but have experienced learning through the

Montessori Method. As for the teachers role, they are there to observe the students more and instruct them less. Maria Montessori often said, I studied my children, and they taught me how to teach them. (Seldin) By observing the students more an educator can understand better how a student learns and what materials would be beneficial to them. Peer learning is important in Montessori schools but is less prevalent in traditional schools. The impact of having students in the same classroom for three years with students who may be three years old or younger with them allows them to learn from each other. In traditional schools it is common for everyone in the same grade to also be the same age and therefore they are all on the same level of learning. The older children in Montessori classrooms can be beneficial to those younger students because they have more experience. Traditional schools do group work as well as Montessori schools but they lack the dynamic of age differences and potential peer learning. The peer learning done in a traditional school does not have as great of an impact because the students are learning the new topic together instead of staggering those who may know more with those students who may know less. Traditional public schools seem to focus more on the outcomes rather than on the journey of the student. Classroom time is spent mostly with teacher instruction and then all of the students working on the same assignment and turning it in for a standard letter grade. The students learn topics that will help them be ready to enter the next grade but Montessori schools allow students to stay together for three years and prepare for their whole future. A small study was conducted by Fleege, Black, and Rackauskas (1967) showing that Montessori students were in fact more ready for future schooling and life than traditional school students were. They found that the Montessori children were superior to the others in verbal ability, reading

readiness, interest in learning, independence, interpersonal relations, leadership, and learning ability. (Douglas H. Ryniker, Alan R. Sholw 2) The amount of freedom that students have in Montessori classrooms allows them to have a certain amount of control over how they use their time in the classroom. This also means that students are given the opportunity to choose what topic they would like to work on and if they would like to work alone or with a small group of other children that are working on similar activities. When students are doing activities or projects they give themselves timelines and due dates instead of the teacher restricting them to only a week or a few weeks and by doing this the student can decide how much work and time they want to devote to the project. This does come with some guidance from the teacher when they schedule conferences with them and go over their notebooks and goals for the completion of the project. By giving the students freedom they are committed to fostering the kind of autonomy and self-confidence modern scholars believe is necessary to enhance internalized motivation. (Murray 6) Through many of Mari Montessoris studies she found that children actually like work and would choose it over play. Expensive toys were donated to her school and children soon lost interest them after just a few days and this is what she said about it, this is what they do when given the correct setting and opportunity. (Seldin) She believed in giving the child a choice in their education and not forcing the conforming ways of learning the way that typical schools are operated. The way that Montessori schools hook a child with their schoolwork is through their individual interests and connecting that to the real world around them. The children become curious and thus enjoy what they are learning in the classroom. Students are not satisfied with bits and pieces of isolated information.They want to grasp the whole of knowledge.(Lillard, P., 1996, p.45) (Murray 7)

A study was done showing that students in Montessori schools are more active than students in traditional public schools while in school and after school hours. Unlike traditional preschools, children in Montessori classrooms are not required to sit and listen to teacher directed instructions, but are encouraged to choose and participate in individual or group activities. (Wonwoo Byun. Steven Blair. Russell Pate 5) Montessori schools believe that a student must be active in their learning and encourage group activities. The classrooms are also bigger than traditional schools and contain less computers and televisions. This helps reduce a students sedentary behavior and increases physical activity. Once a child is outside the classroom, those who attended Montessori schools show that they are more active at home than those children who have not. This could be because Montessori schools encourage students to work on school projects at home, exploring the world and learn more on their own rather than to go home and forget what they did that day. It is common in traditional schools that children believe they are done learning for the day once they leave the classroom and that is in fact very untrue. Many teachers wonder if just their certificate to teach in a Montessori school is what changes the classroom but thats not always the case. Many public schools have small group tables and similar materials as the Montessori schools, so does that make them an authentic Montessori school? Tim Seldin (2006) stated that authentic Montessori refers to the preparation of the teachers, and the specific Montessori-designed school program that they implement. (Huxel 33) A Montessori certified teacher is constantly learning and preparing for the future of their classroom and how to prepare their classroom for their students. Observation is one of the most important tasks a Montessori teacher does every day that they are in the classroom. The better a teacher can observe their students the better they will be able to respond to the needs of

each student. The teacher is authoritative, is an observer, is an educational resource, and serves as a role model. (Huxel 33) Once the teacher can grasp what they are observing and put into action what the students need it is important that they reflect on how it helped or hindered the child. The teacher is always learning in the classroom the same as the children and should ask themselves the same thing they would ask students when they have individual conferences. This will help the teacher be more prepared for future days and students that will come into their classroom. There will never be a concrete environment in a Montessori classroom; it changes day to day, school year to school year because every child learns differently. The key to authentic Montessori is reflection by the teacher. Teachers in traditional public schools need to pass a state test and get their licensure just the same as Montessori teachers. The difference is that Montessori teachers get extra training and a certificate to teach in Montessori schools. Its easy to view teachers not in Montessori schools as copies of each other. They are all following the same curriculum and teach the same thing, the same way, to all of the classes that they have. Montessori teachers adapt to each individual student. There is no cookie cutter lesson plan to be followed like in traditional schools. Montessori classrooms offer three hours a day for free, individual work where the teacher is just an observer but traditional classrooms do not offer time like this. The only free time students have in traditional classrooms is when they have recess. Students in Montessori classrooms feel more independent and involved in their learning than those in traditional classrooms which are more controlled by the teacher. During a students time in a traditional classroom they are learning things that they will eventually have to be tested on. Most teachers in these schools aim for the highest grades because it will reflect well on their skills and the concern about the students individual scores is

not as important. Testing is much less important in Montessori classrooms and when test are given they are to see the students progress and not to see the teachers progress. A students progress in the classroom and their understanding of what they are doing and why is more important than a teachers raise when their class gets good scores on the state test. Montessori education has been linked to motivation theory. In this linking, four main topics have been focused on; autonomy, interest, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy in Montessori education is giving the student a sense of choice, volition, and freedom from external pressure toward behaving or thinking a certain way. (Murray 24) Children need direct experience in order to grasp a concept and really learn it. It is important for a child to be able to work on something and be completely concentrated and not be interrupted by a teacher trying to instruct. A child is in complete control over how they use most of their class time and this is where we see autonomy at work. Students are allotted three hours during class to work on either a few small projects with a group or to work on their long-term project that they have chosen individually. This allows them to work at their own pace and collect information and research that they want. During this time the teachers role as a guide is very apparent and they are there simply to answer any questions that the student has. In fact, the term teacher is widely avoided in Montessori schools. It is preferred to call a teacher more of a guide and this is to emphasize the childs role in his own learning (Chattin-McNichols, 1988, pp. 56-58). (Murray 26) The teacher also does not have a designated area in the front of the classroom with a large desk; instead they blend in more with the classroom. About once a week the teacher and students will have individual conferences to discuss progress made and any questions the student may have pertaining their long-term, individual project they are working on. During these conferences the teacher talks about how to reach goals and complete projects and does not give

grades. Instead, students are encouraged to give themselves evaluations based on their successes and completions of projects. These projects students choose to do are based on their own interests. In order to keep a student motivated to keep learning they must be interested in the topic they are studying. Interaction with the environment is most productive in terms of the individuals development when it is self-chosen and founded upon individual interest. (Murray 27) A common question heard everywhere around us is when am I ever going to need to know/use this when I grow up, well Montessori tries to rid of that question in their schools. It is important that the child be interested in what they are studying, so much so that they want to learn about it outside of the classroom as well. To make this happen it is important to make connections to the world they live in with the topics students are studying. Students are not satisfied with bits and pieces of isolated information They want to grasp the whole of knowledge. (Lillard, P., 1996, p. 45) (Murray 28) Competence is important in Montessori classroom because when a student has confidence it reinsures a student and gives them more inspiration and interest in what they are learning and allows them to handle challenges. To track the progress a child has made they are with the same teacher for three years. This allows for relationships to be built and a change in rolls to occur. They will start out as the younger student who looks up to the older students for help and guidance. You will see confidence in the student grow when they become the older student and are then helping the younger. It is easy to track this change when a teacher is allowed to instruct and guide the student for three years. Relatedness connects the other three topics together; competence, interest, and autonomy. These three features of the Montessori elementary classroom enhance students feelings of

belonging, and a stronger sense of relatedness has been shown to foster increased internalized motivation for engaging in positive school behavior. (Murray 31) There are many ways one may interpret how to use the Montessori Method to teach children. One controversial topic is whether or not a child should be able to choose an activity before the teacher discusses or presents the topic. Maria Montessori had believed that a child should be presented with the age and developmental appropriate materials before given instructions on an activity. The teachers principal duty in the school may be described as follows: She should explain the use of the material. She is the main connecting link between the materials, that is, the objects and the child. (Montessori, 1988, p. 151) (Kirby 1) Having teachers give a lesson before giving the student an activity gives the teacher more control over her classroom and therefore better classroom management. The opposite view is to let the child choose an activity freely and without any lesson from the teacher. Impulse is important; a child should be allowed to explore their urge to work with what they find interesting. The childs conquests of independence are the basic steps in what is called his or her natural development,. (Maria Montessori) (Kirby 2) Montessori believed that knowledge must be created in a child and that will happen by allowing them to follow their urges. As adults we tend to learn a lot from mistakes and trial and error; similarly, a child must learn to make choices. When a child is given more freedom it allows them to teach themselves and not have a teacher wants pushed upon them. This allows the child to develop more skills than just what they are studying like critical thinking. Many could argue that a child needs structure and instruction in the classroom and could not learn by choosing activities by themselves. If we allow a child to explore what they want we will see how smart they are. In order for a teacher to be able to control a classroom where the children have more freedom to choose what work they

want to do, they must be creative and extremely flexible. (Kirby 2) The teacher needs to be more of an observer when in a classroom like this and only offer assistance to a child and guide them when they are struggling and need it. In elementary classrooms that are not based on the Montessori Method, more than 90% of teachers said they had a computer and technology in their classroom and only less than 3% said they could not use a computer in any type of way with their lessons. Along with having access to computers regularly, more than 90% of teachers also have internet access, projectors, and other new technologies in their room that are available for daily use during instructional time. (Bektas, 4) This differs from Montessori classrooms because though they have computers and internet at most of their schools and in most classrooms, they do not rely on them as much as other elementary schools do. A lot of teaching in traditional classrooms are teacher-centered and lecture and discussion yet Montessori classrooms are more hands-on and interactive with the use of different materials and resources for their activities and projects. Since Montessori schools have smaller classroom sizes it is easier for them to be more student-centered. Traditional classrooms cannot always accommodate each individual students needs to be successful in their school career. The method of Montessori schools has proved to be successful and is migrating into traditional classrooms. The specialized materials have increased the students experience in education and have made them more interested in learning new things. As the teachers act as more of an observer teaches the students to be independent and only ask for help and suggestions when they are struggling and need it. The amount of freedom the students have allows them to explore further than what may be required for their projects and activities. Montessori schools allow children to exercise their minds and their bodies with the open classroom and reduce the use of computers and televisions. The experience they gain while

working as groups allows them to use these skills in their daily lives outside of the classroom. As the Montessori Method is evolving, growing, and adapting to new technologies and times it is becoming more appropriate for many young students and is having a positive impact on future generations.

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