Dr. Maria Montessori was a highly acclaimed Italian physician who invented the Montessori Method of education. If you look at the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos, Google’s founders- both Larry Page and Sergey Brin and several acclaimed journalists have one thing in common- Montessori education.
While traditional forms of schools focus on the teacher being the center of control and primary dissemination of information, Montessori philosophy is completely different. It depends on the student-centric approach. When you enter a Montessori classroom, the Montessori philosophy will be clear to you.
There is no rigid structure, students work alone as well as in groups. They interact with their immediate environment, and toys are a way of learning. The teacher takes a back seat and only guides and supports students.
Montessori is a very successful method of education. Indian schools across the world are also incorporating the Montessori curriculum to provide the best education. If you want your child to be independent, creative, divergent, inclusive and collaborative, Montessori philosophy is perfect to look at.
Montessori education is recognized across the world and Dubai is at the forefront of core countries, the students enjoy the Montessori classrooms.
There are five core principles that Montessori philosophy is based on, let’s take a look at them. Though decades old, the Montessori educational system is one of the most effective in preschool years.
● Respect for the child
● The absorbent mind
● Sensitive periods
● The prepared environment
● Auto-education
Respect for the Child is at the Core of Montessori School Education.
Montessori-based education focuses on a child as a unique individual who is capable and has varied interests. This makes sure that the education is focused on the individual needs of each child and they are not expected or forced to learn at another student’s pace.
Montessori teachers recognize that the child is the most important, hence all the learning is at par with the student’s ability and capacity. Students are dealt with compassion, humility and as equals.
Unlike traditional schools, Montessori teachers talk to the child when they misbehave to get to the bottom of an issue instead of bullying or demeaning the student. This creates a sense of higher self-independence and respect for oneself and others.
This started when Dr. Maria Montessori was working with children with disabilities who were deemed unfit for education. She realised that these students need to be kept at the centre, altering teaching methods to their needs and respecting them. These students were as bright as others, they just needed a more respectful and understanding environment.
The Absorbent Mind - A Montessori Philosophy in Indian Schools.
The initial six years of a child are the most crucial. The child is constantly being exposed to new environments, developing relationships and making sense of the world.
Research says that most adults with some kind of mental distress have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACE’s). This goes on to prove that the Montessori philosophy of creating a healthy and safe environment for the child in early years where their curiosity is met with compassion and interest helps children make sense of themselves and others. This helps create an individual self that is authentic, not scared of making mistakes, and eager on taking new opportunities.
Dr. Maria Montessori believed that learning through absorbing from one's environment is constant and continues throughout one's life. We keep absorbing what we know, see and are even conditioned according to those realities.
Sensitive Periods are Highly Focussed in Montessori School Classrooms.
In a child’s life, there comes a period of sensitivity and Montessori teachers are trained to look for these signs through observing students in the classroom. In such periods, the child grasps information and is very sensitive to their environment and reactions, responses of others.
The child’s grasping power increases exponentially and they are thus highly susceptible to the heightened emotions and learnings of others as well as themselves.
This can be a different time for every different student and Montessori teachers when they find a child in a sensitive period, create a cushion and resources for the child’s optimum growth without any hiccups.
Montessori Classrooms are child-friendly in such a way that students are free to choose what piques their interest. The teacher merely helps and supports them to engage with that material. The toys, furniture, play items, and learning objects are child-friendly.
Even the spaces are fluid, the furniture literally attracts students with bright colours, shapes, wall paintings of picnics, railway stations, fruit markets, etc. The tables and chairs are often of different shapes like that of animals, the library is creatively designed, sometimes like an open car where students can sit and experience learning.
All the spaces flow into each other seamlessly and are child-friendly with low tables, benches, cupboards, drawers, etc. All this makes it easy for the child to explore what fascinates their eye and divulge into it hands-on.
The final principle of Montessori Philosophy in International Indian Schools.
Auto education literally translates into the education of the self. Montessori philosophy believes that children are more than capable of educating themselves with the right environment, learning materials and guidance. This means that all the other four principles contribute to the self-learning and capability of a child to engage in the growth and learning with teachers being their cheerleaders and mentors. They are free to learn as and what they want and need.
Teachers are merely there to hold their hand in the process. This with today’s blend of technology becomes, even more, self-explanatory. Students with access to technology are rendered to be smarter than their own caregivers such as teachers.
This means that students don’t just learn, they enjoy learning with themselves and others. They absorb information from their surroundings and work in groups as well as individually honouring each other's ideas, values and diversities.
International Indian schools believe in educating their students through creating an environment where the students can learn by themselves through the experiences of themselves and others around them.
Montessori learning has recognized three developmentally important age groups which are 2–2.5 years, 2.5–6 years, and 6–12 years. Through these ages, the students in an Indian Montessori school learn through various activities like exploration, manipulations, order, repetition, abstraction, and communication.
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