What is Montessori? | Jesse McCarthy

Answering the question "What is Montessori?"

[carlesserrano]

The thing i like the most about this methodology is basically what it says in the beggining: Children aren't inferior. I believe that Montessori is about believing in children and not treating them like some kind of pre-human and some day they are going to grow and be a person. I think Montessori sees already as people children and not think about them as only the future but the present as well.


So the things children do in Montessori school are about them own developement and present self-confidence and not just looking forward to learn the things they are going to need in a far future.

[viviangalleher]

I went to a Montessori school from when I was 2-14 years old, and I am so happy I did. I now go to the best highschool in my state and was able to do things on my own from a younger age like doing my own laundry, making my own food, managing my time well, and being curious in learning things outside of school on my own time. I am also someone who participates a lot in all my classes, and I am not afraid to have normal conversations with teachers and other adults like some of my other classmates. As for certain subjects, because of the way Montessori teaches math, it has always been my favorite. I am now taking pre-calc as a sophomore. I really do owe a lot of my intellectual and real life abilities to Montessori and its unique way of teaching. I am so grateful to Maria Montessori and her methods.

[minkymonkeyboo]

I only found out about this today and I'm so blown away by this. I'm 15 and I have never experienced raising a child. I want children and now I've seen this I am so inspired to raise my future children like this as I would of wanted to have this as I am bought up in a sheltered environment where every thing is done for me, I needed this and now I can give this to my child as I think this is amazing for them to grow up to become adults.

[Seokjinnnnie]

This reminds me a lot of parenting systems in Japan and Korea. From an early age they are taught independence, giving them money to run errands at the age of 3 and cleaning and cooking lunch during school etc. Very different from the style in the US which I personally think attributes to many entering young adulthood confused and lost. I really like this approach and would be super interested in parenting my child this way. Kids aren’t helpless or lesser, they are just as important and should be valued and shown that value.

[gigiem]

I find it mind-blowing that children of 2 years old are able to set the table. It really makes me think what are their potential capabilities, and it breaks my heart a little to know we cut their wings at a very early stage.
One thing I really like about the Montessori education is that it's applied to practical life. It teaches you things you will need for the rest of your life that you can apply at any given moment. I think this fact also encourages children to keep on learning, as it's more motivating than learning how to solve equations (don't get me wrong, they are also really useful, but most of us won't apply them on a daily basis).

[therezachurtado]

My both kids were in Montessori and the in the IB program. They have always been very self sufficient and the way they face problems in their lives is so much better than I ever did.

[marrodo]

I admire Montessori system, but the aspect that I most like is the fact of let children freedom to develop themselves. I mean, as said in the video, we have been conditioned by society to see children in a different way than they actually are, so we must change this acquired thought and start seeing reality.
The children are more powerful than we think, and this methodology allows them to be more confident and able to develop their capacities. In addition, children begin to build knowledge and skills by themselves, which, personally, means the base of every personal success.


Mar Rodó
Group 31, Primary Education.

[tonigarrido]

One of the aspects that I find very interesting about the Montessori methodology is the fact that the teachers are like one more student in the classroom, and the relationship that the students have with him is very good and familiar. I see it as a very positive way of learning since they can all be put on the same level and thus help their imagination grow, in addition to their knowledge, together.
One thing that in turn I found very interesting is that they help students learn to do things that can help them in their day-to-day, such as household chores, cleaning chores, and people care tasks, etc. .
I'm Toni Garrido, from group 31 of Primary Education at the UAB.

[hrllgpg]

From my point of view, the role of the teacher in a Montessori school is a really interesting fact to talk about. We, as students, usually think about a teacher as a figure of authority or maybe the person who knows about everything. But a teacher is a role model. I would say that is a person that you have to admire.

With Montessory method, the teacher is a person who must share his knowledge but also, he has to rely on his students. He is, with another words, a kind of guide.

[anaarias]

Ana Arias Ruiz, Group 41 A.
The role of the teacher in a Montessori school comes down, basically, as an observing job. The teacher has to be able to observe what the kids are attempting to do and, in case they are struggling with something, she/he has to be able to help them. It is important, though, that the teacher does not help the children if they are not really in need of help: by following this rule, the teacher lets the kids learn how to do things by themselves and become autonomic humans.
On the other hand, the teacher doesn’t have to judge the children. Furthermore, he/she has to consider them equal to himself/herself instead of considering them something inferior.
Finally, a Montessori teacher has to ensure the freedom of children when it comes to decide what they want to do or play with. The existence of a freedom without limits can lead to really good results.
I believe that I would enjoy working at a Montessori school cause I just love the way they treat children and how free they become because of this pedagogic method.

[MazorKuziaki]

I cried watching Jackson go about his day. It made me so happy to see him getting along with his peers, shaking hands, being independent, that it made me cry. I hate that I never got any of this.

[polbellavista]

The main thing that I most like about this methodology is the fact that the childrens are attended all the time and they are the center of attention.

The kids are helped all the time and teachers have to be attentive to help them whenever they need it. In addition, kids can feel successful because teachers let them succeed on their own.

In conclusion, I think that this methodology is very helpful and useful to childrens and they have more probabilities to success.

[kierraogden]

My mother in law always says that her job as a mother was to do herself out of a job. I believe that.

[hannaausten]

I was in a Montessori school for 8 years. we had two hours a day where we could choose what we wanted to do. at the end of the month we had to present everything we did to the teacher, because there was a plan we had to follow but the way we did the required exercises and the timing was our choice.
the other time of the school day we had normal classes.
the whole system is good i think and it helped me learn how to do things on my own an to organize the tools I need in order to complete a task, but I was only a child so things I did not want to learn or think where not interesting to learn i simply ignored or did poorly. so for example I don't really know how to read a clock. i think it is good to let children explore there way of learning things but certain things need to be learned and with the Montessori method it is not really possible to ensure that important things where learned substantially.

[raquelcontreraszamora]

After watching this wonderful Montessori’s video, I am going to talk about the aspect I liked the most about this methodology, which is freedom.
In my opinion, freedom makes children experiment for themselves and can obtain their own interests. So, they do not need anyone to tell them what they have to do, or what to play, or what they have to like. This methodology gives them independence, which gives them more autonomy and not to require from anyone. Moreover, freedom means that there are not authoritarian teachers, the role of the teacher is to guide, which makes self-confidence grow up.

Raquel Contreras Zamora. Primary education. Group 31.

[TheDancedreamer]

a two year old can set a table better than my boyfriend

[Sofiamaranon]

I find really interesting that Hazel’s teacher speaks English with their students even though this language might not be his mother tongue. Speaking in English with them since a young age can develop many advantages in the future for them, like for example, be able to speak in this language fluently and without any difficulty. Also, if the teacher is a non-native English speaker, he can teach their students, words or expressions in other languages that can be useful for their futures if they really think that those words or expressions can help them if they want to speak in other languages.

Sofia Marañón, Group 31, Primary Education

[catrionafrancesca]

hello! I have been in a Montessori school for 2 years, unfortunately this is my final year before I graduate (I'm 17). The montessori concept has really helped me learn how I work and study best, I love it. Soon I will start studying to become a nursery teacher and I would love to work in a montessori kindergarten

[joeljimber]

Joel Jimber Grup 31 UAB Ed. Primària

After watching this inspirative video, I wanna talk about the role of the teacher in a Montessori school
. As anyone can see at the videos, teachers haven't a autority behaviour. They try to only observe and guide their students to help them developing their competences such as self-confidence and autonomy. That's the key to Montessori's pedagogy success: freedom within limits and practical life which needs especially children autonomy. Teachers have to guide their students but not give them unnecessari aids. This can be achieved by observing children and finding out what are they interested in. Definitely, what a teacher needs to adopt that role is to believe in children power and not in society judgments that positions them in a inferior way.

[thereseward]

While I am new to Montessori- I am a firm believer in independence. This has been helpful to see Montessori in action