Montessori Madness

While you call tell from the title of Trevor Eissler's book, Montessori Madness: A Parent to Parent Argument for Montessori Education, that the author is gearing his message toward parents, her nevertheless provides a introduction to the Montessori method that is accessible and valuable to professional educators as well.

Eissler gears his book toward those who have little to no prior knowledge about Montessori education.  In an accessible and personal voice, he relates his own frustrations with the traditional education system as he considered options for his own three children.  Eissler explains that when he and his wife were  about to opt for homeschooling, they discovered a Montessori school in their community and became passionate advocates for the Montessori method.

Beginning with a pointed critique of traditional schooling, which he calls the "Factory Model of Education" (he frequently quotes Weapons of Mass Instruction author John Taylor Gatto, whose book I reviewed here and here a few months back), Eissler spends the rest of Montessori Madness explaining how Montessori schools differ, offering a child-centered approach that traditional schools, by their nature, cannot provide.

Eissler offers a readable introduction to Maria Montessori's conception of how children learn in their early years, describing the "sensitive periods" of development when, thanks to an "aborbent mind," children are most ready to learn in certain modes.  Far from the kind of "do your own thing" stereotype that some people have of Montessori classrooms, Eissler explains how the entire Montessori experience hinges on a carefully prepared environment and how a teacher (or "guide" in Montessori parlance) functions to allow the child a maximum of choices within a range of activities and opportunities geared specifically for the child's development level. 

In short, accessible chapters, Eissler describes the Montessori approach to discipline, competition, and reward and punishments that many parents exploring new educational options would be interested in.  Of particular interest to educators is his two-chapter discussion of Montessori's philosophy regarding errors a child makes during the learning process.  Eissler explains how making errors is a natural part of the learning process (and life itself), but notes that traditional schools treat errors as something to be avoided, punished (with bad grades, for example), or hidden.  In Montessori schools, Eissler says, errors are welcomed.  In many cases, the materials themselves include components that allow children to discover and correct their own errors.  The whole notion of a teacher "marking" a student's homework for errors is unknown in the Montessori environment (much of the traditional teacher's role is unknown in Montessori classrooms, and Eissler's discussion of the role of the "guide" will be most interesting to professional educators trained in the traditional mode).

Eissler ends his book by arguing that Montessori methods are demonstrably superior to traditional approaches to learning and calls upon parents to demand Montessori options in their public schools, where all children regardless of their family's affluence can have access to this compelling, child-centered approach. 

As a relative newcomer to Montessori and someone interested in educational policy and school choice, I was most interested in Eissler's argument, but was disappointed that he devoted only a few paragraphs at the end of the book to this topic.  Perhaps it was beyond the scope of what he was trying to accomplish to discuss the need for public Montessori options, but it's a discussion well worth exploring elsewhere.  It's hard to imagine the Montessori philosophy operating to its full capacity in a traditional public school, but the idea is not unheard of and many readers will be interested to learn more about how this works.

Likewise, as an educator with a background in middle and high school, I was left with many questions about how the Montessori approach works with older students.  Perhaps because his own children are still young, Eissler doesn't address this topic, and the reader will need to look elsewhere for additional information.

My criticism are largely the product of my own interests and needs as a reader.  Eissler doesn't attempt to make Montessori Madness all things to all people.  The end product is a good one.  As a non-educator (Eissler is a professional pilot who draws heavily on his own experiences in describing the learning process), the author writes in a straightforward and engaging way that will appeal to all readers.  Montessori Madness offers a great first step on the Montessori path.

See a series of video interviews featuring Trevor Eissler here.

Comments

[Tammy Chabria]

For more information on Montessori for adolescents read From Childhood to Adolescence by Dr. Montessori. And if you can, visit the Farm School at Hershey Montessori School (www.hershey-montessori.org) and The Montessori High School at University Circle (www.montessorihighschool.org) for pure Montessori, both in Cleveland, Ohio. For public Montessori high school see Clark Montessori in Cincinnati, Ohio (www.clark.cps-k12.org) and The Montessori High School in Milwaukee (www.montessoriib.org).

[Gary Houchens]

Thanks for these recommendations, Tammy. The teacher at our new Montessori elementary here in Bowling Green did her training in Cleveland. She speaks most highly of her experience there.