Montessori Milestone

Jan. 17, 2007

There are no grades or homework and mornings are spent working on whatever you choose–it’s not the typical school experience most of us remember. Unheard of? Not if you’re
a former Montessori student or the parent of one.
Montessori schools are celebrating their 100-year anniversary this month. It was January 6, 1907 when Dr. Maria Montessori formed the first children’s school in Rome, based on the belief that any child educated in an environment that promoted independent learning and exploration would fulfill his or her natural potential.
Born in Italy in 1870, Maria Montessori was the first female medical doctor in her country upon graduation in 1896. Very involved in women’s rights and social reform, Montessori returned to school in 1901 to study psychology and philosophy, becoming a professor of anthropology in Rome in 1904. Two years later she gave up her medical and college teaching careers to focus on children.
Montessori education is now taught in over 22,000 schools in more than 100 countries around the world, and advocates couldn’t be prouder.

LOCAL TIES
At the Petoskey Montessori Children’s House and Elementary School, teachers – known as guides – have been educating children since 1973. Housed in a converted farmhouse, PMCH operates tuition-based programs for infants and children through age six, with a wing for its publicly-funded elementary school offering alternative education to children ages six to 12.
“The philosophy behind the Montessori education is that every child is unique and that we are here to educate as an aid for life,” explains Ann Stebelton, primary guide in her first year at PMCH. “Not necessarily everything is academic, but we’re teaching skills that they can use in life – social skills…cleaning…sewing. We do a lot of peace teaching and how to be with your friends and how to be peaceful in your community and how to work together.”

INDEPENDENT LEARNING
Low, open shelves, brightly colored learning materials and child-size tables provide a learning atmosphere for children that’s much different than traditional school rooms with rows of individual desks and mostly lecture format. Children work at their own pace and learn by their own successes and mistakes.
“The classrooms are multi-age groups, so the older children are mentoring the younger children and they work together as a community,” says Stebelton. “My classroom is a family where we all work together – we work through our problems together and we help each other out.”
Guides present new concepts to students during one-on-one interactions or in small groups based on students’ skill-levels. Mentoring is inevitable, and a student’s mastery of a skill is evidenced by that student’s ability to teach another. Morning free time is complemented by group time where all join together for storytelling or singing.
“In any typical day, we have a fair block of time in the morning,” says elementary teacher Russell Carpenter, who has been with PMCH for nine years and has Master’s degrees in public history and education. “It starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes to 11:30 a.m., when I’m giving lessons, and the kids are free to choose whatever work they know how to do… They have a choice, but it has to be productive.”
Even the youngest children in Montessori’s Infant Community (IC) – babies from two-36 months – are encouraged to learn on their own.
“We try to give them as much independence as we can – taking off their own things, getting ready for the day,” explains Cortney Beck, who has been with PMCH for six years. “Then they’re free to choose work from the shelves.”
Each child can work at a table or on a rug on the floor that is designated as the child’s learning space. Manipulative items, such as learning how to work a button, are available. Lots of windows brighten each classroom space and a full kitchen setup is the norm.
“We do a lot of what we call ‘practical life,’” continues Beck, “and that is real work or real activities that the family does – sweeping, mopping, dishwashing, preparing food, all that kind of stuff.”

TAILORED EDUCATION
Montessori guides are trained at schools around the world, with most U.S. training sites requiring a bachelor’s degree for admittance. Training is offered at three levels – Infant-toddler, ages 0-3; Primary, ages
3-6; Elementary, ages 6-12 – with a full academic year of study the required minimum. Approximately 200 public Montessori elementary schools exist in the U.S.
A study published in the Sept. 26, 2006 issue of the journal “Science,” reveals that when compared with children from mainstream school systems, children in Montessori schools have improved behavioral and academic skills. “I’ve seen children that have moved from the elementary (Montessori school)
into the (traditional) public and it has been pretty seamless,” concludes Stebelton. “They’ve been a little bored, but they have all the skills that they need to work in the world and be a good citizen.”

An Open House and presentation of “What Is Montessori?” will be held at the Petoskey Montessori Children’s House and Elementary School, located at 1560 E. Mitchell St. on Thursday, January 18 at 6 p.m. For info, call 231-347-5331,
e-mail pmch@racc2000.com or visit petoskeymontessori.org.