Unschooling Blog, Vol. 25: Montessori Update, and the CRITICAL Difference Between Learner-Centered (Natural) and Top-Down Approaches to Education.
June will soon be turning into July, and that means my son has been attending his new Montessori school (financed by earnings from Steem!) for about a month now.
I'd like to just briefly detail some of the changes in his attitude I have already seen, and the key differences between learner-centered (common sense!) models and traditional, state-sponsored, top-down approaches to education.
When my son was going to a standard preschool, there were often days he really did not want to go. I have been blown away by how excited he has been this month to go to "Montessori," and by his willing happiness to report back to me what happened there at Fiore--his school--when I return home from work.
His learning guide there, who I will call N., assists Isaiah in doing what he wants to do, and leaves notes for me in a small binder about their work and progress at the end of the day. Where the traditional preschools and kindergartens here in Japan leave very little room for personal choice regarding what activities are engaged in, as N. puts it:
If a child wants to practice folding shirts for three months straight when he comes in here every morning, that is great, and that is what we will help him with.
You see, what the Montessori method has in common with unschooling, as far as core principles goes, is this:
THE LEARNER IS THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE LEARNED. NOT A "TEACHER." THE LEARNER IS THE TEACHER. THE "TEACHER" IS A GUIDE AND A PROVIDER OF INFORMATION AND RESOURCES FOR THE LEARNER.
We are all learners. There is nobody on earth who is not one. Traditional methods of schooling tell us we must depend on somebody else to dispense curriculum, information, and instruction, and we must absorb it from them, regurgitated. This is ludicrous.
How did I learn to play guitar? I loved it, so I learned it.
How did I learn to draw? I loved it, so I learned it.
How did I learn to write? I lo.....You get the idea.
As I enthusiastically dove head first (with no teacher) into those things listed directly above, what made doing them fun was that they were my own. I could learn them my way and at my pace. And the fact is, it wasn't even something you could call "education." I was just doing what I loved, and of course, when you are passionate about something, the knowledge gained thereabouts sticks hard and fast and is, indeed, burned into your brain and becomes part of your soul and spirit. THIS is real learning.
Many critics of the free school/unschool/Montessori-type methods will retort: "Yeah, that's great. But what about math? what about the core subjects everyone needs to know to succeed in life? You can't learn those just by 'following your passion.'" To these I say:
Does not the 4-year-old kid who loves dinosaurs uncannily memorize all of their names and facts about them which you could not remember even if you tried? Is this not English education? Is this not a course in biology?
Does not the guitar player become familiar with math and fractions by feeling that if he plays that one riff in the song too slow or too fast something turns funky?
What about being turned on to Jimi Hendrix? OH! Now you are on to a history lesson about the hippie counter-culture of the 1960s. From there, maybe it leads to early blues, jazz, and the slave trade that brought these to America. See what I mean? Everything is connected, and if a learner is passionate about something, the other somethings relevant to that something will also be picked up, naturally.
Everything outside of this...who cares? Maybe you are a computer programmer in your town. Do you really give a damn about the Shakespeare class you were forced to take in high school? You may, or you may not. You may love your job as a programmer and not care at all about that kind of stuff. If it is not relevant to you--your desires, interests, proclivities, goals, and dreams--why bother? Conversely, the professional writer may have zero interest in programming. Should she be forced to sit through hours of lectures on the subject when she'd rather be writing? Why?
But you know what? Once that programmer needs to create a new game about Shakespearean Zombies pillaging England, guess what kind of research he is going to be doing. Once that professional writer decides to pen some fiction on hackers who break into government computer systems, guess what kind of research she will be doing. See what I mean?
In Summary:
I am tickled pink that my boy loves his new "school." When I think of all the things I was forced to learn back in school myself, I shudder. I thought that I was a failure at math, and felt stupid. It wasn't until I had a professor in college tell me that "numbers are beautiful," that I really started to realize I could do math, and understand it much better than I had previously realized.
In elementary school I was shamed for drawing pictures all day. I used to erase the eyes from celebrities in magazine pictures with an eraser--giving them giant alien eyes--and then photocopy them, writing phony sensational articles and stapling them together to form my very own multi-page tabloid magazines. STEVEN TYLER OF AEROSMITH IS AN ALIEN!!! READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!! I sold these at school for a quarter. My teacher made me throw them away.
SOURCE. Who cares about school when you can be making shit like THIS!?
Guess what I don't remember. ALMOST ALL OF WHAT THAT TEACHER "TAUGHT" ME. Guess what I do remember, and still love. HOW TO ARRANGE, EDIT, AND CREATE UNIQUE GRAPHIC IMAGES AND WRITE STORIES. Nobody taught me these things. Being read to, reading, drawing and chopping up magazines got me here. That's fun stuff, and I did it myself, and with the help of those guides who saw my passion and let me ROLL WITH IT.
Thanks for reading!
~KafkA
(If you missed the last Unschooling Blog Post, about making a Bitcoin paper wallet for my son, you can find it here.)
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
You are so right about this. I was going to become a teacher years ago. The things that helped me decide I didn't want to be a teacher was the fact of how militarized it all is. They need you to be a babysitter first. What you are teaching is to obey authority. How to stand in line. Hurry up and wait. It is so ridiculous.
I don't want to send my daughter to public school, but she does need the interaction with other children. So I want to home school her and send her to gym class and maybe arts and crafts, which she already loves and does a lot of.
Exactly. I figured that out as well when I was studying to be an elementary school teacher in college. At the end of it all, there was no way I could go down that road.
Your daughter is lucky to have an aware papa.
One of the things I am aware of is the fact that her papa is really lucky to have her as his daughter. She is way smarter than her papa was at her age. Must be the papa mama mix. LOL
This is such a helpful insight...I am currently struggling to decide between homeschooling (which I know is a massive commitment), school nursery and a montessori. I went to a montessori myself and from what I've learned about it, it seems like the best option!
This is also our path, 'unschooling.' Is it not hubris and arrogance of 'man' to think that God's life lessons are not enough for us to learn in life? What better teacher is there than life itself? Thank for the post. I have a blog out there on this i would like to migrate over. Congrats on setting up your son with btc and wallet.
The education system these days add less value and moral thoughs and they are just made to learn a very uneffective skills .
Great article, vivid examples. I've really grown to like Montessori education over the last year, particularly when it's done right. But even when it's not, it's better than the average public school.
Followed so I can see more of these updates. Keep 'em, coming!
Thanks for sharing, I'm glad your son has found his groove.
Both of my kids are studying for an exam to pass out of a grade level of math next year. I understand math, I understand the need for it, in certain circumstances anyway. Fuck, I was in engineering and manufacturing for 25+ years, I get it.
But for the most part, it's a complete waste of their time, other than the fact that they enjoy taking tests and like the challenge of moving ahead of their peers.
The vast majority of things "taught" in public schools here in Murica today are either incomplete, just plain wrong or the kids don't understand why they need it. They don't need it, the cash register does all the work printing the receipt for what the customers buy at the discount stores & chain restaurants with their plastic "money."
This is amazing! I love the concept of the Montessori school - it's unbelievably simple and boils down to supporting the learner's path.
I was always like this. I remember virtually nothing from school, except what music I listened to under the desk in the back row or what naughty images I carved into that desk, so the next class could admire them:) Even the books we read (I love reading) didn't stick with me.
What I did learn in life I learned because it interested me, fueled my passion and made me happy!
Upvoted and resteemed!
I'm glad that you son is liking his new school and hat steem has given him the power to do it at ease!
I wish him the best of luck with everything
Wonderful how you child has found what he likes... standard school, I have nothing against it. Now that I have my own kids however, it gets me to question - is what's good for others, good for my kids? How do I tap my children's potentials in ways that normal school cannot?
Wow such a beautifull post, i love this teaching method, similar to what ELON Muske said in a video I saw, his doing the same thing with his children !!