Maria Montessori was the first woman in Italy to get a
medical degree. Hello feminist! Right off the bat I am aligned with Montessori
in believing education is meant for all people, not just boys from “good” families.
The Montessori in its purest form is based upon three
tenets:
- Preparing the most natural and life-supporting
environments for the child
- Observing the child living freely in this environment
- Continually adapting the environment in order that the
child may fulfill his or her greatest potential, physically, mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually.
Part of my education philosophy is that everyone can learn
with the right support. I am in full agreement with the first belief. I am in
agreement with belief number two about 65% of the time. I think there are some
students who if left on their own would be observed to aimlessly wander freely
forever. I think these students need a little more encouragement if not a swift
kick in the bottom to get them moving. That swift kick could be new ideas, a
change in their environment, or a little direction. As for the third belief, I am in agreement a
little more but not completely sold. I’d say I’m about 92% in alignment. I
think some students need more consistency and continually adapting their
environment would do more harm than good.
Overall, my philosophy aligns pretty well with Montessori. I
chose her out of the 20 or so presented in class even though there were others
who I am more aligned with because of the uniqueness of her mission and how it’s
carried out. My family went on the tour at the Montessori school on Zolezzi
Lane in Reno when our oldest girl was getting ready for preschool. On one hand
we were being told about all of the wonderful research from Montessori, exploring
the gardens where the kids grew vegetables and fruits that were used in their
meals and snacks, and falling in love with the classrooms and creativity of it
all.
On the other hand we experienced sticker shock at the pricetag such luxury
fetches and a little culture shock at the lack of diversity. When we asked
about the homogeneity of the school, we were told “Well that is our Reno
demographic” with a chuckle and a shrug of shoulders. What we wanted to hear
was how they were going to diversify their recruitment efforts and how they
introduced a love of learning and respect for other cultures. And there is no
bus that goes there; school bus nor public transportation will get you there.
And sure, they have French lessons, music lessons, dance lessons, and more all
for an additional cost.
Are you kidding me?
Something tells me Maria Montessori’s vision was not
education for only the affluent majority who could afford it and get their kids
there. So, I am in great alignment with the Montessori philosophy, but conversely
I am in great opposition to how it is carried out in Reno.
http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html
1 comment:
Great blog Jeannette! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on Montessori. I admire Montessori's feminist ideals. I say ideals, because I too believe sometime her ideals can be a stretch and that every student is different and have different educational experiences.
On another note, wow is all I have to say about the Montessori school... That is too bad that the school is more focused on its monetary values versus its diversity values. I am sure they probably didn't intentionally do this, but I think this is a prime example of our country's institution on education. This then becomes a social class issue while it furthers the affluent students and proceeding to keep down the lower-income students. Montessori would be rolling in her grave...
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