Today, I would like to share my own Montessori adventure with you. I began my education as a Montessori child. I recall the peace and serenity of the place, how honored and respected I felt that I was left to make choices and work alongside my friends. I, of course, had no idea of the woman behind this educational wonder, only that I was contented and loved to work. I could not know that this educational method was created for the intellectual and emotional being I was at that moment in time.
I also recall leaving that environment and being placed in a traditional school. How strange and different it was! I no longer felt peaceful and contented, only anxious about how many times I had to stop working and move to another subject and how students were pitted against each other for the best grades. Many other children seemed nervous and lost as well. I found ways to adapt and perform, but no longer felt the joy of learning.
When I became an adult with children of my own, these feelings regarding education again surfaced. I saw my children as unique and endowed with their own interests and learning styles — how could I entrust them to a “lock-step” system? I then had the fortuitous opportunity to be invited to learn more of the Montessori theory and how it empowers children to be avid, joyful learners, capable of designing their own future. Delving into the scientific foundation of Montessori theory, I realized why it had spoken so loudly to my younger self — it was thoughtfully and lovingly designed for who I was at that time in my life. I realized I greatly desired to create opportunities for all children to embrace that same joy of learning and to find inner peace. My Montessori journey had begun…
WILDERNESS MONTESSORI 