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Montessori environments for infants, and classrooms from preschool
through high school, are base on a philosophy of education, very different
than the experienced by most of us adults. Rather that beginning
with and adult-school-society dictated set of lessons, the Montessori
'guide" (as the teacher is called) builds on the natural human
tendencies toward exploration, hard work, creativity, and communication,
to create a learning environment which feeds the evolving passions of the
children. Clearly the adult in charge of such an environment
requires a very different preparation. The traditional Montessori
training is a full year of graduate work for each of the following three
age levels, and stage of development, of children:
- Birth to three years
- Three to six years
- Six to twelve years
- The Montessori middle and high school teacher ideally has taken all
three training courses plus graduate work in an academic area or
areas.
Teaching
Ratio
Except for infant/toddler groups
(Ratio dictated by local Social Service regulations), the teaching ratio
is one trained Montessori teacher and one non-teaching aide to 30+
children. Rather than lecturing to large or small groups of
children, the teacher is trained to teach one child at a time, and to
oversee thirty or more children working on a broad array of tasks.
She is facile in the basic lessons of math, language, the arts and
sciences and in guiding a child's research and exploration, capitalizing
on his interest and excitement about a subject. The teacher does
not make assignments or dictate what to study or read, nor does she set
a limit as to how far a child follows an interest.
Toddlers ratio is 5 to
1
Preschoolers Ratio is
8 - 1
Basic Lessons
The Montessori teacher spends a
lot of time during teacher training practicing the many lessons with
materials in all areas, She must pass a written and oral exam on
these lessons in order to be certified. She is trained to recognize
a child's readiness according to age, ability, and interest in a specific
lesson, and is prepared to guide individual progress.
Areas of study
All subjects are interwoven, not
taught in isolation, the teacher modeling a "Renaissance" person
of broad interests for the children. A child can work on any
material he understands at any time.
The schedule
Under the age of six, there are
one or two 3-hours, uninterrupted, work periods each day, not broken up by
required group lessons, Older children schedule meetings or study
groups with each other or the teacher when necessary. Adults and
children respect concentration and do not interrupt someone who is busy at
a task. Groups form spontaneously or are arranged ahead by special
appointment. They almost never take precedence over self-selected
work.
Class size
Except for infant/toddler groups, the most successful classes are of 30-35
children to one teacher (who is very well trained for the level she is
teaching), with one non-teaching assistant. This is possible because
the children stay in the same group for three to six years and much of the
teaching comes from the children and the environment.
Learning
styles
All
kinds of intelligences and styles of learning are nurtured: musical,
bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, interpersonal, intuitive, and
the traditional linguistic and logical-mathematical (reading, writing, and
math). This particular model is backed up by Harvard psychologist
Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.
Assessment
There
are no grades, or other forms of reward or punishment, subtle or
over. Assessment is by portfolio and the teacher's observation and
record keeping. The test of whether or not the system is working
lies in the accomplishment and behavior of the children, their happiness, maturity,
kindness, and love of learning and level of work.
Requirements
for age 0 - 6
There
are no academic requirements for this age, but children are exposed to
amazing amounts of knowledge and often learn to read, write and calculate beyond
what is usually thought interesting to a child of this age.
Character
education:
Education
of character is considered equally with academic education, children
learning to take care of themselves, their environment, each other, cooking,
cleaning, building, gardening, moving gracefully, speaking politely, being
considerate and helpful, doing social work in the community etc.
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