Elementary Child Working with the Checkerboard
Defining the Montessori method of education is often challenging, as it has a long and rich history, and encompasses so much more than just a pedagogy. More than just a method of teaching, it’s a way to understand human development. As I continue to deepen my work in this field, I find that own definition, or “elevator speech,” as we sometimes call it, changes and evolves to reflect my own changing understanding.
Here is what I would say right now:
As a Montessori teacher, my work is to foster each child’s innate potential for holistic human development and assist them in their journey towards leading a fulfilling, independent life. Each child undergoes an amazing process of constructing her own personality, essentially teaching herself by interacting with her environment.
Dr. Montessori recognized this innate potential in each child and developed prepared classroom environments filled with hands-on materials that would allow the child to have direct experience with their surroundings and thus teach themselves, rather than relying on an adult to transmit information. These environments were constructed after careful and methodical observation of children’s needs and tendencies throughout the different stages of their development.
Only now are scientists and developmental psychologists beginning to understand the mechanisms of neurology that support the observations that Dr. Montessori made over 100 years ago. For more current research, explore the work of Dr. Angeline Lillard.
For a comparison between Montessori and conventional education, check out this chart made by AMI-USA.
Montessori Organizations
Association Montessori Internationale
Montessori Administrators Association
North American Montessori Teacher’s Association
My Favorite Montessori School Websites
Marin Montessori School
