A lesson from Early Education

The education crisis is not lost on me.  In fact I think about it, research and problem solve daily.  And I am smart enough to know that while I cannot by myself change the system, I can contribute to, educate on, and be part of am education revolution.  Although o studied schools of thought back when I was doing masters degree, everything from progressive to Waldorf to charter and back again.   And that brought me to thinking about the school my daughters attend, a small Montessori preschool with three mixed age classrooms.  The Montessori method is controversial in itself and this not to advocate it in particular. 

I have followed my older daughter there for two years and my younger one has been there about three months.  They are in a 3-6 year old class with mixed socioeconomic backgrounds.  I am most impressed that with a complete absence of grading and tests, the majority of the students are reading and adding by the age of five. The more advanced ones are doing division at four.  They k ow where continents and countries are, and can speak on global warming.  They are experimenting with magnetism.   The universal norms in this methodology are student choice, mastery of concept, self-paced learning and strong student teacher relationships.  These teachers work hard to develop bonds with these kids.

I  have had the unique opportunity to be in the classroom as an observer. These kids are self-directed, happy. Comfortable sharing ideas and emotions with others and adults and embrace learning.  And they are allowed to have off days where they achieve less.  As we look to changing our system and more calls are made for assessment, there is learning to be done about successful learners.  And my deepest sadness is that most of these kids are about to enter an educational system that will extinguish the foundation that was built.