Maria Montessori

“All human victories, all human progress,

stand upon the inner force”

 

At the start of the 20th Century, Dr. Maria Montessori developed an educational model that put children at the centre of their learning. She believed that children learn best when they are ready to learn and that teachers need to allow children to explore and formulate their own questions, rather than dictating what they should learn and how they should engage in learning activities. In Montessori’s terms, the role of the educator is to create learning opportunities and guide learners towards them, promoting curiosity, inquiry, and exploration. She believed that when children follow their own interests, they engage and learn more deeply than when coerced or offered external motivation.

Respect is also central to Montessori philosophy. In a time and system when coercion was a common practice, Montessori educators encouraged children to self regulate and integrate principles of good citizenship, including self-advocacy. A central tenant of the philosophy protects the rights of children in and out of school, regardless of cultural background, economic  or social status.

All over the world, Montessori schools have been successful with this model. However, most of them operate within alternative programs and service only a small percentage of students. Ironically, out of 4,000 + Montessori schools in the U.S., less than 400 are public schools and the rest are private (Wikipedia, 2013).

Questions to think about

• Can the CL movement succeed where Montessori failed by improving accessibility to all children regardless of their origins and social status?

• Can it move child-centred education from the margins and into the mainstream?

These questions are only for reflection. You don’t need to post responses to them in the discussion.

 

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