Montessori Makes Sense

Maria Montessori created the Montessori method of teaching over 100 years ago. Dr. Maria Montessori was more than just an educator. She was also a physician and scientist. Her focus was to work with underprivileged children within a very poor inner district of Rome. She had exceptional success. Maria brought her principles in education to America in 1913. Unfortunately, the excitement was short lived. By the year 1920 the Montessori method of teaching was all but gone in the United States. Montessori began to make a recovery here in the United States in 1950. Today, there are thousands of Montessori schools teaching millions of students. Many techniques found in Montessori classrooms for generations are finally finding their way to the public school system.

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So, what is the Montessori method of teaching? There are several aspects that make Montessori a unique and successful way of teaching. Montessori education is about understanding and discovering what is best for each individual student. There are many concepts within Montessori education. Here are just a few.

Design

Design is one of the most notable aspects of a Montessori classroom. Walking into a Montessori classroom, you will notice that everything has a purpose. Adams (2019), a Montessori teacher from Vancouver Canada states, the classroom is set up to provide the kids with the tools they will need to be successful and reach their full potential. You will notice differences compared to a traditional public-school classroom. Desks are not aligned in rows or in a specific order. The classrooms are set up as such that everything is a common area or shared space. There is also an element of neatness, purpose, creativity, engagement, and it looks fun! Adams (2019), “by using thoughtfully-designed materials, children are able to concretely understand a concept before moving onto abstraction” (para. 10). As you look around a Montessori classroom you can see the different tools used to assist in understanding those concepts. Those tools are a personal reflection to the educators teaching style. Everything seems to have its place as well. The organization within the classroom supports a level of comfort and serenity. You might find tools such as puzzle maps, sound cylinders, beads, and a moveable alphabet. The decor and flow of the classroom boosts the child’s creativity.

Collaboration

If you’ve ever visited or experienced a Montessori school setting, you would see that there is a dedicated focus to collaboration. The educators in a Montessori school truly get to know their students. Learning to understand your student is essential to creating successful educational tools. Understanding the student helps spark curiosity, which in turn promotes understanding and growth. In a Montessori classroom students become mentors for each other. The teacher cultivates the strengths and promotes a collaborative environment. Where one student may struggle, another may thrive. This encouraging effort within the classroom builds confidence, the same confidence that extends to curiosity and a deeper understanding of the concept. This collaboration extends beyond the classroom. Larson (2009) says communicating with colleagues from one Montessori to another is a crucial factor to having a successful Montessori program. She goes on to compare big business models and their success in collaboration and expanding a network. Just as the students learn from each other within the classroom, the Montessori program learns from each other outside the classroom.

Technology

Montessori teaching has always been a hands-on approach. The children learn by active problem-solving, using techniques that involve tangible items. There has been a recent trend in education with robotics. Programs such as STEAM explore robotics. Coding is introduced in the classroom at the elementary stage. Montessori education promotes a hands-on approach and this approach has become more popular as technology progresses. Okuo (2014) describes Montessori techniques in teaching to be ahead of their time. The concept is to engage the student with a specific task, where the student will either solve the problem or fail to solve the problem. Okuo (2014) goes on to say that it’s okay for the student to be right or wrong. The learning lesson is why. This supports the premise that failure is okay, and simply a means to a deeper understanding of the concept or problem. Today students use robotics and different forms of technology to test their skills. Instead of reading from a book, students are building the robotics, writing their own code, and testing their process in the classroom. Montessori teaching has been taking this hands-on approach to learning for over 100 years.

Understanding

Understanding your student is equally, if not more important than the design itself. This concept is directly associated with the way a Montessori school functions. Coe (1991) says that the educational process begins with observing and understanding each student. She goes on to say that a student’s psychosocial needs should be considered before the cognitive growth can begin. This supports the theory that if the student is entertained and engaged, the student is more willing to learn. A Montessori teacher will monitor their students’ progress closely. A lesson plan may be adapted to assist the student understanding the concept before moving forward. The teacher will also put focus on areas that specifically interest the student. The idea is to keep the student engaged. Once a student experiences boredom they are likely to lose interest in the lesson. Understanding your student and what excites them is essential to build on concepts and ensure those concepts are retained along the way.

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Accomplishment

Feeling a sense of accomplishment is rewarding. Accomplishment can come in many forms, such as a child’s first dance recital, a first hit at a baseball game, or finishing a good book. The list is endless. An accomplishment makes us feel a sense of being independent, knowing we have the capability to accomplish tasks on our own. It is important to encourage a level of being independent as well. This encouragement will again build curiosity to further explore what’s interesting to them without being afraid of failure. Montessori education develops children’s confidence. George states that children at a Montessori school tend to learn a sense of accomplishment through their own volition. He goes on to use the example of a five-year-old student putting together a chain of 1000 beads. The child places each bead precisely on the floor with markers to delineate each marker of 10 and 100. The process takes a few hours, but the sense of accomplishment is written on his face with a huge smile once the task is complete. The key element is that the child initiated the project on his own volition. The reward is not a sticker or grade, it’s the sense of accomplishment when completing the task, he set out to do.

Many concepts can be found within a Montessori program, but the foundation is built on understanding the student and building on their strengths. A Montessori education allows the student to be self-directed and learn with a hands-on approach. Montessori just makes sense.

References

Adams, S. (2019 Feb). What does a Montessori elementary classroom look like? https://www.curiousneuron.com/learningarticles/2019/2/17/what-does-an-elementary-montessori-class-look-like

Larson, H. (2009). Networking as collaboration a Montessori model. Montessori Life, 21(3)

Okuo, O. (2014). Montessori education and the prepared environment. International Journal of Innovative Research & Studies. 3(7)

Coe, E. (1991). Montessori education and its relevance to education reform. ERIC. p. 7

George, B. A sense of accomplishment. Baan dek. https://baandek.org/posts/a-sense-of-accomplishment/