I found Montessori's educational philosophies, rather interesting. I mean, if you put children (3-6 in age) in a room, and allowed them to master things on their own what would happen. Especially, with the teacher as a onlooker only intervening in extreme cases.
I believe that these schools are a great idea in philosophy. If kids were always respectful of other children and wanted to master every skill, this school would be perfect. However, there are many flaws with this school I believe.
Starting, with natural human behaviors. Children and human's alike are all naturally jealous. If a child is playing with blocks, but sees another playing with blocks and lincoln logs, he/she will most likely be jealous. Then, the first child will naturally want to go take the lincoln logs for themselves. If the teacher is a passive obserever, then who will stop this.
Also, what happens if the child is not working? The teacher is a observer, not an instructor. This means that, they should just watch the child nap or color all day. What if that child falls behind? Then, the main thing i would blame is the child not being instructed. I mean some kids need an extra push, and will not just work by themselves.
Then comes the fact, that if this school works. Then, why isn't there more of them? The answer is parents and teachers agree that while these schools may work for some, they do not for the majority. Also, parents do not want their kids falling behind.
As i said in the beginning, I find these schools interesting. However, I think unless more instruction is used, they'll never work.
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I totally agree in the fact the Montessori's idea of education is a very interesting way to go at. It seems it is a very independent learning theory that he has. I somewhat disagree with what you say for a matter of debate.
ReplyDeleteAs you stated something about natural human behavior and how we are naturally jealous. I think that jealousy wouldn't exactly be a big problem in these schools. The students are theoretically are going to do what they want to do. So I doubt a student a would be jealous of some other student playing with building blocks unless the other student had the same desire to build blocks at the same time.
Also on your statement of the child falling behind. You have to remember that the students are at the age of 2.5 to 6. There wouldn't really be any falling behind in a sense of education. Students in modern public schools today are being taught how to spell their own name and do simple math in Kindergarten and 1st grade. Even when students are going into 2nd grade they are still trying to teach the students how to write and read and do simple math I doubt there is going to be much falling behind. And if a parent is scared of their child falling behind they could easily teach their child how to spell their name and do 1+1 on their free time.
I agree with you that there should be some kind of push but I don't think there shouldn't be more than a slight nudge towards the right direction.
Other than that I agree that these schools are not for everyone. It seems that it would be an extended pre-school. Also as society is today and the fact of the No Child Left Behind Act, Montessori's schools would be greatly frowned upon by teachers and adults alike. This kind of school might become popular later in the future but I doubt it will happen in out life time.
Over Easter break I visited with a family member who is a teacher. She told me that the students who transfer out of Montissori and into public schools are about 2 years behind the kids who have been in public school since kindergarten.
ReplyDeleteKids from Montessori are allowed to do what they want when they want. So when they go into public schools I think they will have trouble adjusting to the structured environment.
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