Pros and Cons of Montessori education?
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Anonymous
| "ExperIEnced" (Excuse the above spelling typo!) |
Anonymous
I would agree with the first and second point. My child was bullied by an older classmate and I had to withdraw him from the school along with other reasons. The children get to pick their own work but sometimes they "fight" for it. There doesn't seem to be a systematic way to rotate the materials. So your child could be pouring water every day for a month if she wanted to and the teacher would allow it. I understand the philosophy of trying to master and perfect the skill but it is ridiculous to not encourage child to try other materials. If your child doesn't want to participate, the teacher will also allow this and not make efforts to find things that may interest the child. I think it goes along with the Montessori philosophy of following the child's lead. Anyways, it wasn't right for my child. In fact, he is doing so much better at a play based pre-school. He's having so much fun that he doesn't even realize he's learning! |
Anonymous
Montessori teacher again. There are SO many misconceptions about Montessori, in my opinion. 1) First, I am glad that you found a non-Montessori school that was a better fit for your child. I agree that Montessori is not for everyone. But (respectfully) I also believe that you cannot judge an entire philosophy on 1 child's experience (if that is what you are doing- I would have no way of knowing this.) 2) A GOOD Montessori teacher would NOT allow a child "to pour water all day." Yes, the Montessori teacher follows the lead of the child, HOWEVER, the teacher is essentially referred to as a "guide," and in this role, he/she is SUPPOSED to introduce new lessons/extensions so the child continues to progress, and not be "stuck" in one area/activity. That does not mean that the child can never pour again- It simply means that the teacher is expanding the curriculum for the child to include other things besides pouring. 3)There are multiple materials on the classroom shelves, and, yes, children sometimes need to wait their turn. This is life, and I think it is good to have to wait sometimes. Also, because the materials are on the shelves for a long while, everyone WILL get a turn- If not that day, then perhaps the following day. Children are at different levels/ages, so there really should not be too much fighting for materials because there are different materials for each level, and in some cases, several same materials so children who happen to be at the same level, can simultaneously work on the same activity, and not have to wait. Montessori also considers the "WHOLE CHILD," therefore "grace & courtesy lessons" (which include sharing, patience, etc.) are taught. 4)As for bullying, I do not know of a school that does not have a problem with this at some level. I do know that in every Montessori classroom that I have ever visit or taught, the older children have taken on the role of "helper" to the younger children. My experience is actually the opposite. |
Anonymous
| 18:19 thanks for the great post. This has been our experience with Montessori. Perhaps you could tell me why so many parents find the table washing exercise something they do not want their children to do. I think it is a great exercise. The children love working with water and it is a great way to develop gross motor control, lengthen their attention span and teach the top to bottom left to right progression. I may have posted on here previously. This thread has been around for some time. I did not go back and read all of them to see if I have posted before. |
Anonymous
| Thanks, previous poster! Your question is a great one. I think that many people have a preconceived notion about Montessori, without really understanding the philosophy. Also, those who have had a bad experience with montessori at 1 school are judging Montessori on that singular experience. If one has a good Montessori teacher, and is a good candidate for Montessori, in my opinion, they will have a fabulous, joyful learning experience. |
Anonymous
| I work in a Montessori school. Let me give you the inside's intake on this. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILD TO A MONTESSORI SCHOOL unless the child is a very slow learner. If your child has a autism or some other special need, then send them to a special school for that. If your child is normal or above average intelligence your better off at a public or other type of private school. Montessori schools do not prepare students for the real world. All the child are white and spolied. The students were given a standardized test and I was told to give them extra time to complete it. Maybe that is how they come up with claim that students perform better on standardized tests. The parents at this school are so stupid. They are paying just about $10,000 to send their children there to learn things like matching cards, how to roll rugs and pouring. These "lessons" are on the shelf and the 3-6 yrs old are suppose to come into the room pick a lesson and do their work on their own. AS you can expect the children of course do not this. They always wander around and play around. Almost no teaching gets done at all because a teacher will only work with 3 kids at a time while the rest play around. The system is all wrong. We have about 30 kids in one class and 2 teachers and one asst . Public schools only have about 8 kids in headstart with an asst and at least in public school students learn useful things like colors and writing on actual paper. All these things taught at the Montessori school could be taught at home for free. Who cares if the kid can roll a rug? I feel we are not actually teachers but babysitters for spoiled brats and special needs students whose parents are in denial that something is wrong with their child. Any little thing that happens with their child gets blown out of portion and the school is constantly on damage control. The school is always kissing up to the parents and basically is run by the parents. But I guess it should be since the parents are stupid enough to waste $10,000 a year on tuition. Later on though the kids suffer because once they go into middle school they have a hard time adjusting. They are not use to actually studying, sitting quietly, and doing homework. The world is competitive place and Montessori does not prepare students for what the real world is like. People that defend Montessori method are either making a lot of money from it or live in a fanasty world. |
Anonymous
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I am a teacher in another Montessori school, I could not disagree with your opinion more....
Perhaps it is the school you teach at? Perhaps you are an assistant, and the school neglected to educate you on the Montessori philosophy? My assistant is a valued part of my classroom, and I have taught her about the philosophy, also, she does research on her own. You sound like your mind is made so I am not recommending that for you-Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I just wish people would not judge on a single experience, or misinformation. *MANY Montessori schools are multi-cultural. It depends on the school-just like it would for any teaching philosophy/school. In fact, Montessori was started for low-income children in Italy. *Matching cards are the first stage to reading, sound & letter recognition, and vocabulary. *In a well-managed classroom where the activities are appealing, YES, the children GLADLY do select their own work- however, sometimes they do need guidance. A good teacher makes sure to rotate among all of the children on a daily basis for special lessons. In any school, public, religious, etc- children are often working on their own, too. *While the teacher is working with a few children at a time, the other children are also learning by WORKING independently, and not being micro-managed, working at their own level in work that interests them. Many of the Montessori materials have control-of-error built into them, so the child self-corrects. *Rolling a rug helps with eye/hand coordination. The children in my class like rolling rugs, and even ask their friends if they can do it for them. The rugs give the child a designated work space, and they have the freedom to choose where they would like to set up. *As in any classroom, school, teaching philosophy, there are bright/and struggling children. Montessori may not be for everyone, but it is FABULOUS for others. And this is coming from someone who has taught several philosophies. |
Anonymous
| PP- And one more thing, I am most certainly NOT making a lot of $$$$$ from teaching Montessori, and do not believe that I am in a "fantasy world." |
Anonymous
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"*In a well-managed classroom where the activities are appealing, YES, the children GLADLY do select their own work- however, sometimes they do need guidance. A good teacher makes sure to rotate among all of the children on a daily basis for special lessons."
The key here is a good teacher....You are lucky if your child has a good teacher but I'm not going to pay $10000 and hope that I get a good teacher, I expect her to be a good teacher and manage the classroom by keeping the children engaged. If I am paying $10000 than I expect my child to be rotating through the materials equally. The above poster is probably one of the rare good teachers and in public/private schools you also have your limited supply of good teachers. I think some children truly benefit from the Montessori curriculum and advance academically but at the expense of other children in the classroom being neglected but perhaps this is the case in all classroom environments, not just Montessori. |
Anonymous
| 24 children to 2 adults (teacher+assistant). How much adult time/day could be possibly be devoted to your child? I am still disturbed by the teacher's words: I have not heard your daughter's voice too much during these three months.[i] I suddenly woke up and did the math. |
Anonymous
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Hi all and thank you for sharing your Montessori experience and opinion.
I am struggling a bit on whether to send my 4 year old child to a Montessori school or simply choose a traditional private institution. On a recent visit at one of the local Montessori's in Miami I noticed the very nice outdoor settings and left the place under the impression that the system was very strong on aspects such as: a) allowing children to learn how to learn. Or letting them gain a sense of appreciation in regards to learning. b) acquiring a sense of self and personal responsibility. c) creativity through a somewhat less organized setting. d) instilling a sense of achievement and "owning" a problem/task/endevour. e) understanding interpersonal relationships through exposure to different ages as well as different levels of knowledge/experience. All this sounded wonderful as it may mean -among other things- that a child can build a solid foundation projected to the world as a sense of self-confidence (what else do you really need in life to succeed?). However, after the visit, I kept having this vague feeling that all was well in a "laboratory" sense and that there was a lot more in the real world that made the setting for the school almost look like a bubble. As my child is a boy, I asked myself if this experience wasn't a bit too androgynous. In spite of being very impressed I remember wondering if I should complement the time in Montessori with weekend escapades to local playgrounds where he would encounter a more aggressive world. But then, why pollute him? At the center of my preocupation was my own life experience after having gotten possibly the best education anyone could aspire at in my country in which I excelled at every stage (elementary, highschool, college). Yet, at age 29 I felt a complete failure in the corporate world lacking basic skills to get ahead. Others, with much much less education than my own, even less intelligence, would outpace me. Reason why I quit my job, left my country and decided to roughen myself up far away from my comfort zone, all alone, taking a miriad of street jobs just to catch up. (It worked... but it was a journey of about 10 years). In spanish, we would refer to this as "falta de calle". Please excuse the short paragraph about myself but it was just to describe the dilemma I face about whether giving my son a somewhat elitist education that seems to be removed from the requirements of the world he may encounter at some point. I can sense some may answer that making a switch by 1st grade would be a simple solution but I would like to know if other parents have had the same questioning and what went on their minds. |
Anonymous
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My very shy four year old goes to a Montessori school. She has blossomed socially and academically.
She can spell, read and write like a six year old (my friends' six year olds). She has grown to be very confident, not just at school, but has now an attitude that she can do it if she "works" on it. She would spend the night at school if it were possible. She has asthma and some days I keep her at home, well those days she cries saying she wants to go to school. I love Montessori. |
Anonymous
| my son has gone to a montessori school for the past three years. while there are certainly no brawls in the playground, the boys are just as rough and tumble as you would expect during recess and playtime. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
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interesting article on the link between Montessori and creativity:
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2011/04/05/the-montessori-mafia/?blog_id=182&post_id=2034 |