As my 3 year old daughter, Emerson, has grown and excelled in her Montessori school, I’ve thought more and more about what my hopes are for her future education and what I believe an education should provide.
There’s a great deal of talk these days about standards in education. I believe that it’s time for a new type of standards. I’ve attempted to put together a set of 10 belief statements that highlight the positive perspective of Emerson’s education and my own learning experiences.
I didn’t set out to write statements that are exclusive to Montessori, but rather aspirational for the schools that I hope will help Emerson become the best possible version of herself.
I believe children deserve a PERSONALIZED and PURPOSEFUL education. They should be free to do INDEPENDENT, SELF-DIRECTED and FASCINATION-DRIVEN work. The classroom should be an ENVIRONMENT OF BEAUTY that allows for FREE MOVEMENT and COLLABORATION. A commitment to EXPERIMENTATION and DISCOVERY during childhood will create a foundation for lifelong learning.
1) PERSONALIZED – I believe that a child deserves an education that is responsive to his or her individual spirit and learning style, utilizes all of the senses, and focuses on his or her dynamic development as a whole person (i.e. emotional, physical, social, spiritual, aesthetic and intellectual.)
2) PURPOSEFUL – I believe that a child with a positive conception of purposeful and concentrated work is prepared to be present and satisfied with his or her life’s work.
3) INDEPENDENT – I believe that a child provided an environment for independent decision-making is also prepared for responsibility in an ever-changing world.
4) SELF-DIRECTED – I believe that a child who learns the value of self-direction and self-correction will develop a positive self-image in a world requiring self-motivation.
5) FASCINATION-DRIVEN – I believe that a child with freedom to concentrate on his or her fascinations develops a capacity for both self-discipline and self-initiative.
6) ENVIRONMENT OF BEAUTY – I believe that a child who is taught the value and responsibility of learning in an environment of beauty and harmony will appreciate the value of beauty and harmony in one’s life.
7) FREE MOVEMENT – I believe that a child requires purposeful movement and activity as an integral component of realizing his or her full intellectual potential.
8) COLLABORATION – I believe that a child engaged in a classroom collaboration of diverse ages and cultures gains an open, empathetic, and respectful perspective on participation in a community.
9) EXPERIMENTATION – I believe that a child who is free to exercise critical thinking, experimentation and creativity will have an appreciation for the world of entrepreneurship and innovation in science and art.
10) DISCOVERY – I believe that a child started and supported on a journey of self-discovery will also discover the possibility of self-fulfillment and a lifetime of learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Is there something missing? Is something not clear? Does something seem misplaced, overstated or uncomfortable? Don’t worry about formal remarks. I’d just love some kneejerk wisdom from others who care as much about education as I have grown to.
Thanks to Bobby George and many others for feedback on this draft.