A Fresh Perspective: My Thoughts on Montessori Teachings, Principles and Philosophy

Verse of the Day: Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

For my opening statement, I would like to define what Montessori teaching is and provide a bit of information regarding its history. Montessori was founded by Italy’s first female doctor, Maria Montessori who provided education to children from low-income homes in 1907. According to an article written and published by whitbyschool.org, Instead of using traditional teaching practices, Maria introduced her own philosophy into the classroom, a method that some would call “child lead” in which the student would be guided into choosing their own ways of learning and deciding as an individual how to approach challenges. Encouraging a sense of independence through exploration and problem solving is a key element of what separates Montessori teaching from traditional. Maria Montessori once said that “the goal of early childhood development should be to activate the child's own natural desire to learn.”

I discovered all of this while teaching in Texas, and my initial reaction was quite negative. I saw it as a fancy way of saying “let children do what they want while you watch.” I was greatly mistaken. Montessori is not the absence of adult supervision and guidance, it is the absence of dominance and control for the sake of learning. Children grow to do things simply because an adult tells them to, and it does not always yield the best results. Having authority in a room does not always have to come with constant conflict between the adult and the child. As adults we must learn to relieve ourselves from always having to be “in charge” and give ourselves a chance to be interactive without being invasive. I began to see that in comparison to my own upbringing, Montessori principles stood in stark contrast from how I was taught and I felt it was time to learn a new way of doing things. It is in fact a very polarizing topic with many believing as I had that it just isn’t a positive way to teach a child, and that adults have to have a firm grip and unwavering persona in order to properly educate. Not only does this mentality bring unnecessary stress to the teacher, it puts unnecessary stress on the child and creates a negative work, play space for both parties.

Let's talk about Montessori in the home. I've watched tons of home videos where parents praised the approach of Montessori principles and values and how they changed the atmosphere of their homes and the dynamic between parent and child. In my observations, I have seen that the parent is an active participant in engaging the activity as a form of “play”, parents provide a positive focus for their children while still being present and children are comfortable with maneuvering in a space that is accessible for them. The results? Self-motivated and assured children who are confident in their abilities and parents who are reaping the results of being invested in their children’s progress.

I strongly believe that Montessori teaching is by far one of the best parenting and education methods out there in terms of positive and long lasting results. I believe that through Montessori teachings and principles, both teachers and parents are afforded the opportunity to actually enjoy their children without the overwhelming cost of having to feel superior or having to engage in a power struggle and children are given the opportunity to fully embrace and interact with their environment without being overcast with intimidation.

"For the love of life and literature, stay prayerful, stay positive and write on!"