We're Leaving Montessori - Page 2

[Music-mommy]

Originally Posted by Cheshire

I think so many of the problems you've mentioned are based on teachers' personalities/school personality and not on M philosophy. I hope the move is a good one for your daughter - no reason for her to be miserable.

Best wishes!

We are thinking of leaving montessori as well, for this exact reason. DD had a WONDERFUL teacher until April when a new one took over for Mat leave. The first teacher (6-9 class) was kind, gentle, respectful, loving and the kids love her. The new teacher, cold, callous, didactic, disrespectful and righteous. My daughter tells me stories daily, the teacher is telling the children they that 6 year olds should go to bed at 7:30, 7 year olds at 8:30 etc.. told a child that his parent was irresponsible for letting him stay up late, I over heard her talking to children, after posing them a question, cutting them off with a "Whatever!", instead of listening to their answers. Punishing children for not listening by making them miss their playtime at lunch. THe list goes on and on. My daughter tells me she is bored at school, that the teacher is not available when she asks for lessons, that she has nothing to do, when we approached the teacher about this the teacher told her in a very didactic tone that she needed to perfect her math materials before moving on. But dd said she didn't know what to do with those materials anymore, that she thought she had learned them, the teacher told her "oh come on, there is more to learn".

When they are late they are asked in front of the class why they are late (teacher does circle time at the beginning of each day) and they have to have an answer. My daughter now will not enter the class if she is 2 minutes late because she has such anxiety about being asked why she is late.

My daughter is also highly sensitive and when things are not well at school she reacts with hyper sensitivity. She ends up having fits because her clothes are too tight, her socks are too tight, or she can't find the right colour socks or she's too hot or cold, etc. etc... I have come to learn that anxiety exacerbates this, and when she is happy and comfortable at school that these issues disappear and when she has anxiety about school they re-emerge.

I have spoken to the teacher and endlessly with the principal who seems to think that this teacher is fabulous. ANd therefore am realizing that we need to leave, because though the teacher is not returning next year, this seems to be the style of teacher that the school strives to have, that the principal views this teacher as "ideal".

I am utterly confused now as to what Montessori represents. This school is applying for AMI certification. And we keep getting told that when the school is evaluated that the evaluators really like what they are seeing.

I am really sad to have to be looking for another school now when I thought I'd really found something amazing. Ho hum....

[MattBronsil]

Originally Posted by phylisrn

I have done a lot of research on Montessori and from my understanding, Maria taught this program to orphaned mentally handicapped kids and they are unable to find a place in the school for an average child?

?? :

[MattBronsil]

Originally Posted by phylisrn

The problem is the other schools in the area are called associate status. I am not sure what that means.

Most AMS schools are associate member schools.