Looking to Montessori to Guide Education Reform: Anna Lee at TEDxMidAtlantic

[@DesireeSmith1]

I'm a proud Montessori parent. Love that my son loves to learn, can critically think and can form coherent respectful points of view. I thank GMS - his Montessori school, the Montessori approach to education and all this teachers and staff.

[@Moss_piglets]

When I was a child I remember going to a friend’s house. She loved painting and drawing manga but her mom would always yell at her for wasting her time at something so useless when she should be studying. She loved going to our house because our parents allowed us to explore our interests. Back then I thought her mom was mean. Years later I realized just how different our home environment was. I grew up in a Montessori/Waldorf home. It definitely made a difference how I see and approach things. Being exposed to nature lead me to a career most people would find boring. A positive environment that fosters encouragement, exploration and failures can really help a child. What happened to my friend? She stopped doing what she loved despite wanting to be an illustrator. I’ve always wondered how far she could’ve gone if her mom was more supportive and less rigid.

[@PokerBratify]

Extremely motivational and well put together. As a parent of Montessori children, I cannot tell you how powerful, effective and rewarding this style of education has been for our children ( their parents too). If you are fortunate enough to have the ability to send your kids to a Montessori based school, I highly recommend looking hard and long at this opportunity of a lifetime. You won't regret it and your kids will thank you some day (if not right away)!

[@wendywalterscook3621]

Montessori works at all ages, even the college classroom. The students in my college classes benefit from my background with Montessori.

[@akshayaswarup6988]

yes montessori works......the children can just be themselves and reach greater heights in their social and emotional maturity.

[@cowtippervt1]

"You're telling them that their time and what they love, that's developing their self confidence, is not that important." So tell them "I can see you're really enjoying drawing, but right now it's dinner time. You can come back and finish it later!" Empathize with their interest, but let them know what's going to happen, and they can pick it up later. Delayed gratification is a very good skill to develop in children; seems ignored by this approach if we tease that quote out to its logical end.

[@cherrylimeorange]

Tyler Smi Think about the ways you plan meaningful learning experiences for both individuals and groups. th

[@cinquegranelli]

Look deeper.I like how you can tell your children they can go back to a project later. It's helpful to have a reminder ahead of time to help them prepare for the transition. This can happen in a Montessori environment as well. She's just trying to make you aware of something. Parents and others are thoughtlessly abrupt . Respect involves common sense and awareness of your needs and the childs needs too.

[@rupikathirupathy4286]

Very good information esp for parents.....Thank You

[@iluvmynxd4152]

absolutely fascinating!

[@deborahbarmoha1525]

Thank you Anna Lee. Montessori is too niche. It is a philosophy and a method of education. For Maria’s vision to come true we must work to make it more mainstream.

[@veritasmedia515]

Very motivating!!!

[@Todjam12]

Hi Anna - if you are ever in Cincinnati (West Chester, OH) you are welcome to visit our school. Community Montessori School. Let us know how we can help. So awesome to see your TED Talk....great delivery!

[@agh8607]

Let's go further and base education on the 100 years of child development and brain development we have documented and collected. Montessori students are asked at much to young an age to manage their own learning. It's not developmently appropriate. Could it be better than what we are offering in the government run institutions? Maybe. But it is not the answer. I grew up in a Montessori school K-6, it was to compartmentalized, unstructured and led by the students themselves. Young children do not have the capacity to oversee/run their own education. (Check all the child development and brain development data) And by the way, there was compition, we all knew who was ahead and who was behind, children are smart, they know. Plus it's human nature. Let's keep the the conversation going. Education reform goes hand in hand with social reform. Both need an extraordinary amount of work.

[@wastingtimeya]

False. Today's studies of child development and brain development are very supportive of the Montessori Method.

[@getsingl]

I'm not sure you attended a true Montessori school. Montessori should begin at 2.5-3 years old. Was your kindergarten year not in a multi-age classroom with peers in your own plane of development? That is crucial to success of the Montessori Approach. Also, children aren't overseeing and running their own education, there is always a Montessori "Guide" / teacher in the classroom. This guide oversees their progress and teaches the child by following their unique interests. Don't underestimate the power of an authentic Montessori approach.

[@Liquid780]

Learn to chase excellence, because THAT is what the riches of the world follow

[@johndoe-io8fh]

Excellent

[@IlovemontessoriPl]

" human potential begins within the hands of a child" :)

[@whynotmontessori]

Great talk!

[@velvetmilk]

Amazing

[@s.lilley6503]

Brilliant! How to build a different world :)

[@paladiti]

Not true....it all depends on the motivation of the teachers to inculcate this. My son went to a class of 2-5 at 2.5yrs and he asked not to act like he is the boss. He was hit, he was screamed at. My happy son cried to school everyday. I took him out and put him in a local playschool that did even have English. he was happy and i was happy ...so educate your teachers before they venture to educate the world. I am sure the concept is awesome....

[@Moss_piglets]

SJC 93 25th Reunion was it a true Montessori school? Some schools just say Montessori but don’t follow any of it’s philosophy to get money from parents who don’t know much about this method.

[@murielleholistic]

Maria Montessori was less an educator than a visionary.

[@wendywalterscook3621]

Management classes. I'm a business professor.

[@twintree3101]

The statement “all kids learn better kinaesthetically” is false. As a Montessori kid I learn much better without the materials.

[@jolantan7936]

Love Montessori! Agree with the speaker, but found the talk boring and not very inspiring.. for anyone who does not know anything about Montessori.. Too bad!

[@cinquegranelli]

She doesn't bore me a bit!