Reply to I'm a DC Montessorian. AMA.

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[quote=Anonymous]OP: thanks for all of the great information that you have shared here. I have really appreciated and benefited from this forum (which is not something that I frequently say about DCUM).

My child, who has just turned three, recently started at a public Montessori school here in the District that has a good reputation. We believe that Montessori is a good fit for him because he enjoys independent learning. And, like you, I have had my doubts about corporate Montessori and suspected that they would be motivated to push down teacher salaries and push up tuition (in search of improved profit margins). Your own experience on this subject seemed to confirm my suspicions. Because of those suspicions, we were very happy to be accepted to a public Montessori school and to be able to avoid corporate Montessori.

And while we were thrilled to be accepted to this school, there has been a lot for us (as parents) and for my child to adapt to, much of which has already been discussed on this forum. Infrequent teacher communication w/ parents, parents generally not entering the classroom for dropoff, our child needing to take himself to the bathroom, etc. It has all been an adjustment for us but okay. However, far and away the biggest adjustment for me is the very high student:teacher ratio. The class has 28 students with two teachers (both are lead, qualified teachers), which is 14 kids for every teacher. While this forum has earlier discussed that the large class size is indeed the Montessori way, and I understand that, I just don't understand what is good about it or why it works for kids. In particular, I worry that my just-three year old gets very little personal attention. (And of course, like most parents, I worry that my little duckling will be forever damaged by this, which I know is ridiculous but EC is important). I keep trying to tell myself to trust the school and the system -- but it is hard to do so when the high student:teacher ratio flies in the face of what conventional wisdom says is important for ECE, which is a low student:teacher ratio.

Can you explain why a high teacher:child ratio and large class size works in Montessori? Do children, especially the little ones, get enough personal attention in this setting? 
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