Tuesday, March 8, 2011

January 31, 2011 - Dear Maria Montessori,

Dear Maria Montessori, We've become converts.

After almost two years of h
aving Max in a Montessori school, we feel like we've drunk the Kool Aid, learned the secret handshake and joined the cult.

Our Max has blossomed into a mature, self-directed, insightful, fun, caring boy.


And now we're ready to send our Alex to absorb your lessons.


Alex had his observation at Abintra today and he did well. He has been at the school a few times so he is fairly familiar with the materials. He easily did some basic lessons and very willingly followed the guides to find something more challenging.


Afterwards, he handed Max a drawing he did using the metal inserts.


"It looks like he's ready," brother Max declared. "Do you like Abintra, Alex?"


"Too much," Alex replied.


I remember back in high school when I was miserable and my mom took me to see other schools, including a Montessori school. I wasn't willing then to leave my friends, my sports and my comfort zone even though all of which were disappointing me.


And I look back on how school took the love of learning out of me. I don't remember taking books, discussions or anything home with me from school. I remember spending class time doing the reading lessons they wanted us to do at home and ignoring the teacher. I remember teachers not being able to explain to me why anything they were teaching me was important. And I remember getting and being happy with the Bs and B-s that I mostly got.

I just pull into the Abintra campus and get excited for my boys. School should be interesting. School should be about getting kids to want to explore and learn on their own. The whole lecture & memorize routine that I went through was a real downer.

I remember going to a parent night and learning how Montessori teaches math with beads on strings and shaped like cubes. Literally, the geometry formulas that I was told to memorize suddenly made sense to me. Why oh why couldn't a teacher back then realize that this stuff wasn't making any conceptual sense to me rather than treating me like I wasn't smart enough or that I was too lazy to learn it?


It's really kind of weird to me that you created these methods to teach street kids who were deemed beyond able to learn and now I'm paying tens of thousands of dollars a year to have my kid learn them.


I also fantasize sometimes about the community of a public school: the PTA meetings, the sports and the shows.
Ultimately, I think about the jealousy I feel about my kids' education and I decide the expense, the extra work it'll take to get them into outside activities & the long drives are worth it.

I don't want my boys spending more time thinking of ways to get a decent grade than spending learning something they enjoy.


I heard a parent's Montessori story that hits me:
"My kid didn't do well on an exam," the parent said. "His friend said 'But do you know the material?' Yes, my kid said. 'So who cares about the test?" the friend concluded.

And that sums up Montessori and my education desires for my kids.


Who cares about the test if you're learning and happy.