Question+and+Comments+for+La+Cabra

Question and comments for La Cabra:

In regards to the teacher being a "silent observer", once the lesson is taught, the teacher just hangs back? But supervises small groups? Theres just something about that that is contradicting in my mind with the definition of a teacher. -Meryl Rubin

I was very interested about the comments made by the mother in this article. It seemed to me that while she liked the education that her daughter received at the Montessori school, she felt that the education that made her daughter so independent also made her grow up too fast and too independent too quickly. It felt to met that she was almost contradicting herself which made her critique somewhat confusing.~ellen grahl

It is interesting you mentioned that teachers address the needs of individual children. This is a very important point. Instead of addressing the class as a whole, this program focusses on these children individually. It is also interesting that this program uses hands-on-materials, which is affective when helping children learn about certain subjects. Depending on their developmental needs, the activities should be fun and encourage these young students to want to learn. - Amanda Damato

I think that the Montessori method will prove useful and appealing to the child when they are in school but also further down the road. Like Dewey said, it is important to play on what the child shows interest in. By allowing children to choose their subjects by what interests them individually, teachers are instilling the freedom of choice at a very young age. Having to choose what path to take will certainly be useful when choosing colleges, careers, and so on. I find the Montessori method to be very intriguing and am curious about any studies done on the long-lasting effects of the method on children individually. - Allison Ruggeri

As mentioned above, by allowing children to choose their subjects by what interests them individually instills freedom of choice at a young age. Beyond the freedom choice, children also process and retain information more effectively because it is relevant and interesting to their lives. I believe that Montessori Schools builds confidence in children that would traditionally not be established until later years of schooling. Building confidence in children at a young age is important and beneficial because it will positively effect the child’s level of self esteem as an individual and as a student. -Emily Saphire

"Our academic expectations for our kids have gone completely awry, whereby children are no longer allowed to simply be children and are instead expected to perform." If you do not want your children to perform, then do not send them to school. Based on what was said early on about this model, it reads to be pretty solid. That quote reads like it was taken from a mother whose child did not do that well and had to say what she did. If your children are not in school to perform whether it be socially or educationally, then why are they there? If you want them to just be children, then let them hang out on the playground and wait for their friends who are being educated to get out of school and play with them. - Matt Kimbell

While I appreciate the emphasis the Montessori model places on promoting self-discipline, independence and responsibility, a few questions come to mind. You mentioned that the student’s work at their optimum level– what if the child becomes un-motivated, or gets bored? How are they going to progress to the next step? What if a student doesn’t have interest in learning the imperative materials (reading, writing, math)? Since there isn’t a structured grading system, have there been any instances of a teacher providing a positive observation of a student that doesn’t deserve to move to the next level? - Lori Dunn

The Montessori Method brings out some very good points, however, I am uncertain about a few things. "Sparking a child's interest in learning through presenting material to stu dents that will catch their interest," is something that is important to successful education. Keeping the kids focused on something they want to learn is important. The Monetessori schools seem very organized where children can obtain a higher education at a young age. My concern is the 'multi-age' groups rather than classes of one grade level. Although that seems like a good technique, I feel kids would get discouraged if they aren't preforming as well as their peers. It would be nice to do a survey on how many parents like the idea of combining. I do think this method has some excellent stratagies though. - Jenna Sernio

I love that this program encourages older students to help and teach younger students. Both students will benefit tremendously by working together in this way. This truly is a social community where all students collaborate and learn together. I didn't realize that Montessori teachers must be certified before they are hired in a Montessori school. Do most programs require this? I would think that the school would train you after you are hired. - Jamie Fullam

What I found most interesting is the that the daily worksheets and textbooks are left in school and the child is never punished for not completing the work on time. It made me wonder how they would handle a difficult child who never completed their work on time and was resistant to learning. -Valerie Wakeham

Out of all the programs assigned, I actually thought that I knew alot about the Montessori program. Apparently, I was completely wrong! I learned alot about the actual reasoning and methodology behind this approach. While I don't agree with everything, I do think that it has alot of wonderful qualities. I happen to think that children do need to have a little more structure than what Montessori programs offer, but I can see that with the right teachers and the right students, this is a wonderful way to educate and share information... Rebecca Calvi

I believe the Montessori Method of teaching is a bit to liberal for children. I agree with Rebecca that children need to have more structure and discipline in academic studies. "Children are not supposed to conform to pre-set goals and standards set in traditional schools," I do not believe a child is "conforming" when it comes to traditional education. In fact, I believe traditional education is a bit more important then the aesthetics of a classroom. Although, it is important to make the classroom a bright and cheerful atmosphere, I believe $40,000 can be put to use in a more productive manner. It is clear what the parents tuition is being used for. I also, feel that letting a child learn at their own pace may cause the child to fall further behind. I am not quite sure how a child will adjust once they leave the Montessori school considering all of the "independence" a child is given. After all, what will these children do once they go to a "traditional" school and realize that there are responsibilities that come along with education such as homework. I believe mixed age groups may stint a child's ability to succeed academically. Overall, I do not agree with the Montessori Method of teaching. Montessori Schools seem more like a day care program. Great Job on the Wiki. - Jennifer Scalabrino

I’m a huge fan of kids discovering a sense of self and a sense of self-worth very early in their lives. I also agree with the significant majority of the beliefs that Maria Montessori had about children. I’m not really a fan of the Montessori method beyond kindergarten though. I’m also not entirely certain that Montessori schools are much different than most pre-school and kindergarten programs…discovery, social interaction, etc. I am also a believer that being able to handle measurement and assessment are a big part of surviving and thriving in the real world. - Jason Moynihan

I love that the child is respected and regarded as an individual in the Montessori program. It seems this program is the complete opposite of the Success for All program. While I definitely agree with some aspects of this program, such as the child being an active participant in his or his academic experience, there are a few aspects I do not agree with. The structure and scheduling seem so loose that it may actually be a disservice to the child.- Michelle Flam

In this case, I agree with most of my classmates regarding the Montessori Method. I do feel like children that age do need a little bit more structure than this program allows. I do not think the structure makes them less independent, instead it teaches them responsibility which they will need as independent adults. One thing I liked about the program is making each student feel like they had a choice in the curriculum.-Margaret Mulawka

While I appreciate the unique and positive attributes the Montessori program provides I (like a couple of others) wonder how it prepares children for the more rigorous education they will receive as they get older. In turn, I am curious about any research that details how the Montessori method works at the elementary school level. I saw some positives you noted for the 12 year olds studied, but there was no mention of how they compared on math and other areas. Overall I think the Montessori method can be a wonderful alternative from the traditional school for preschool, preK and perhaps K, but I do not think it is necessarily the best fit for elementary ae children. -- Jonathan Reinsdorf

My daughter attended a year of Montessori nursery school in NYC when she was 3 yrs. old, & we were very impressed with this approach. The teachers truly do carefully observe the children & have a nuanced sense of each child's personal learning style. My daughter, who's a perfectionist, liked to spend a long time observing other children performing a skill before she felt comfortable engaging in it. Her Montessori teachers respected her personal learning style & pointed out to us that Montessori's mixed-age classroom was a great environment for her because it permitted her to observe the sophisticated skills of older learners. In evaluating other Montessori schools, I did notice that they vary widely in their receptiveness to different learning styles. Some can be quite rigid about enforcing their rules. If your child has difficulty with separation anxiety or requires lots of rambunctious play to work off their energy, they might be a bad fit in some Montessori classrooms. I'm curious how often public schools adopt the Montessori method & especially how often its adopted in low-income, urban schools. Edgemont School in Montclair has adopted the Montessori method, but even though it's a magnet school, I doubt that the majority of the student population is low-income. The wiki mentioned a study in a Milwaukee school serving "mostly urban minority children", but I'm curious to learn more. - Claudia Sayre