Montessori secondary schools: opportunities and obstacles

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Montessori secondary schools opportunities and
obstacles

• Michael Rubinstein
• Mirjam Stefels

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part 1Secondary Montessori schools in the
Netherlands
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• 1930
• Montessori Lyceum Amsterdam
• The first secondary Montessori school
• 2009
• - 20 schools
• - 11.000 pupils

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Educational system in The Netherlands

• Age 4-12 Primary schools
• In Montessori schools
• - group 1 and 2
• - group 3, 4 and 5
• - group 6, 7 and 8

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Educational system in The Netherlands

• Age 12 18 Secondary schools
• Pre-vocational education 4 years
• Senior general secondary education 5 years
• Pre-university education 6 years

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• Lycea combine streams and usually have two years
  of basic education in mixed streams
• Gymnasia are either part of pre-university
  education in lycea or separate schools
• Schools take part in a final examination,
  consisting of a nationwide part and specific
  school exams

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Legal status of schools

• Public-authority education
• Private education denominational and
  non-denominational
• All recognized schools receive (lump-sum) state
  funding
• - for teachers
• - educational materials
• - school buildings

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Secondary Montessori schools in The Netherlands

• Main goal create an environment in which
  children can develop themselves into independent
  adults
• No blueprint, but general Montessori principles
  e.g.
• freedom in restraint
• freedom of choice
• independent learning

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No Erdkinder schools, because Boarding schools
dont fit in concept of family upbringing and
contemporary pedagogical perspectives on growing
up (youth culture peer groups work
experience) Emphasis on relevance of pedagogical
triangle child/family/school
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• Need for a shared perspective
• - General principles Montessori education
  for the 21st century
• - Six characteristics of secondary Montessori
  education
• - Profile secondary Montessori teacher

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• Montessori education for the 21st century
  modern translation of Montessori principles

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6 characteristics

• Head, heart and hands
• Learning how to make choices
• Reflection
• Social learning
• Cohesion in subject matter
• In school and outside school

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Head, heart and hands

• Complete education
• Rich curriculum
• Combining subjects, projects

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Learning how to make choices

• Choices When? Where? With whom? How? What?

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Reflection

• What have I learned? How do I tackle things?

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Social learning

• Adolescence as sensitive period for social
  learning
• Difference between unintentional social learning
  and intentional social learning (for instance
  cooperative learning)

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Cohesion in subject matter

• Instead of cutting things up into subjects
  attention for the big picture and relation
  (Montessori Cosmic education)
• Cooperation between subjects

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In school and outside school

• Authentic education, realistic assignments
• Link with motivation

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Profile secondary Montessori teacher

• Knowledge of Montessori education
• Pedagogical attitude
• Designing the learning environment
• Coaching learning processes
• Concord between
• - role as teacher
• - role as member of the school organisation
• - handler of external contacts

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Pedagogical attitude

• Trust
• Respect
• Involvement
• Dealing with differences
• Self-discipline
• Role model

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Designing the learning environment

• A learning environment that fits all pupils
• A challenging environment
• Selecting and/or making materials
• Maintaining the learning environment

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Coaching learning processes

• Observation
• Reflection
• Help interventions (or intentionally not
  intervening)

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Quality management

• Education Inspectorate
• Montessori reviews
• Teacher training courses and school advisory
  services

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Organising education

• Teaching period 70 60 40 / 80 minutes
• Free choice hours
• Various solutions
• - combined subjects
• - workplace and studio
• - stargroups
• -

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All houses are exactly alike you may not change
anything
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• The houses share a common ground
• Within the regulations of the community
• you have freedom in building your house

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Time-out

• In buzz groups
• What struck you as remarkable?
• Questions for panel discussions?

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Part 2Starting a secondary Montessori school

• Who takes the initiative?
• Who supports the initiative?

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Parents

• Sometimes parents take the initiative to start a
  secondary school
• Parents need to trust the quality of the new
  school
• Involve parents right from the start

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Teachers

• Teachers need knowledge and skills both in their
  subject and as Montessori teachers
• To set up a new school (or part of a school)
  requires facilities in time, materials and
  support
• School management needs to lend full support to
  teachers, otherwise opposition may arise

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School management

• School managers need basic knowledge of
  Montessori education
• School managers need a supportive attitude
  towards teachers (empathy, patience, willingness
  to facilitate)

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School board

• The school board needs the willingness to invest

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Government

• Government (central or local) needs to give room
  for alternative education
• - curriculum regulation
• - examination
• - finances

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Finally

• Organisation - school or part of school?
• - separate building?
• Number of pupils required
• Support for teachers