I’ve been enjoying this blog by Anastasia Fotis about her experience in NAMTA’s Adolescent Orientation. This is a five week summer crash course on Montessori theory and practice for the adolescent–that is the 12-18 year old.
Montessori’s vision of the Erdkinder, or residential farm-based boarding school for 12-15 year olds is finally taking hold in the Montessori community and new adolescent programs are popping up all over the country. As a geography major who did graduate work in environmental education, it’s really exciting to see place-based education taking such a central role in adolescent education, in a way that is developmentally appropriate.
So much of environmental education in “wilderness camps” is about the content rather than the child and their developmental needs and psychological characteristics. As a Montessorian, I’m more focused on how to aid students’ natural development rather than the passing on of knowledge content. Environmental literacy is only as useful as the developed intellect and spirit that will engage with the ideas and turn them into action.
For more on Montessori adolescent programs, check out the Hershey Montessori Farm School website, the flagship adolescent Erdkinder program in the US. They have a little video on their page, too!
Great post. Although I teach Primary, I’ve always been very interested in what’s happening in the later stages of development. Especially adolescence.
Thanks for sharing.