Montessori Education: A Different Approach

Some schools make thinkers out of toddlers, while others make doers. Differing methodologies strike students at differing stages of learning. For years, everyone had been reared to learn by simply sitting and listening to their teacher.

But could one learn by speaking too? Could students revolutionise their learning by actively participating in the discourse and experiments? Moreover, could students work by having their own ‘say’ about the learning process and schedule?

With the conventional authoritarian teaching, that’s a total no-no. On the other hand, the answer would be a resounding yes – that is for Montessori education. Perhaps, you might have caught a whiff of this institutions’ buzz around primary education learning. 

A concept known for its child-pace approach, the Montessori method largely hooks up with the simulation in the environment, as well as the differing role played by the teacher. In the name of following the student’s paced learning, the environment is readied for the pace level. Hence, it is not surprising to find students of differing ages in one class, as the levelled pace remains to be the denominator (and not the age).

In a Montessori education, teachers are no longer to assume the authoritative speaker. In place is the teacher’s role to facilitate learning – in partnership with the student. Moreover, teachers are given the challenge to fully attend to students; in other terms, it is basically a one-on-one approach. The common discourse of this close approach is the direction by which students are capable of reaching, while the teacher provides the tangible tool and environment to permit such student capability.

The advantage of the Montessori education is obvious – pressure-free learning for students. Students will no longer have to struggle catching up with their peers, as they are to focus more deeply with themselves, their capabilities and education needs.