Montessori preschool does not allow observation

[sora]

Hi,

I live in North Vancouver and there is a Korean montessori preschool which has all day program 10-4pm. My daughter is half Korean so I thought it would be great for her to learn Korean there. I wanted to observe the class first but the owner did not allow it. She said it is too distruptive for the kids so I have to come after all the kids are gone. She hires two teachers. She says they are montessori qualified. But I never met them because they were gone by the time I got there. It is also running out of a home - It feels like a day care. She does not allow kids to go out to the yard often in winter because it is cold and rainy. She has a tennis court in her yard but there is no play structure.

Would you register your child at a montessori school without observing the class? I like the hours and the fact that it is Korean. But I don't know if it is proper montessori or not. Also, is it better that my daughter goes to a English preschool rather than Korean? I cannot decide wether learning Korean is more important than proper montessori education.
I don't feel assured as they don't allow class observation. Why wouldn't they unless they are not confident about their program? I contacted a proper Montessori school nearby (Canadian one) and they were quite different. They said I have to come to a tour first and observe the class and then have an interview with the principle. That seems like the proper way. what do you think?

[BCFD]

I wouldn't enroll my child in ANY school that wouldn't allow me to observe. Period! When I first started checking out Montessori schools in my area, there was one school in particular that couldn't believe that I wanted to sit and observe a class for 15-30 minutes WITH my child. They had people swarming me and even the owner of the school eventually came into the room and stuck to me like glue. It was very awkward and weird and felt very non-Montessori to me. Since that visit, I have heard some not so good stories about that school. I'm glad I went with my gut instinct!

[HRJ]

No, I would not.

Now our Montessori, parents are not allowed in the classroom unless there's an evening open house - no volunteering, etc b/c it 'disrupts the environment'. I think this is common. I talked to another Montessori that did have a parent volunteer program but parents volunteered in another part of the building so that they didn't disrupt the classroom environment - kids were able to go 1 or 2 at a time to the area the parents were working in.

however, our school has two way mirrors in every class. So we can observe whenever we want. We just stand in the hallway and look in through the glass, but the kids can't see us. In fact, if you are hanging around, the directress will usually come explain what your child is working on while you are standing in the hallway.

[sora]

Is it also common that montessori schools don't do much outdoor activities or don't have a big playground. The one I visited today is a proper school that offers up to grade 7 but has a tiny outdoor area. It seems so weird.

[carmel23]

I would not send my child to a school where I couldn't observe, either.

Our M is school is really big on outdoor education and PE, and the kids go out unless it is pouring, and here in Portland, OR it rains a lot...

[nanette0269]

Hmmm...our M school has a basketball court, a soccer field, a 3-6 playground, a 18m-3 playground, a large garden and an entire field with a stage on it. And this school only has 120 students. The kids are outside A LOT even in the miserable Florida summer humidity.

[lach]

Both of the Montessori schools that I applied to required an observation as part of the application process. My presence was not a problem at either school. The kids all totally ignored me and went about their work. Since Montessori work is self-guided, the kids should be into something and not easily distracted by a random adult standing in the corner for a 1/2 hour.

I would not be okay with a school that didn't let me see a class or meet the teachers.

Both schools, fwiw, also had lovely outdoor areas and recess every day, except in extreme rain and snow.

[MattBronsil]

Just curious. Is it also a music school? I have a reason for asking. :-D

[JudiAU]

All of the schools I've been allowed tour, observation, and questions outside apart from the children. We were asked to remove our shoes, not to bother the kids, and not to make any noise in the classrom. They had a window or two you could observe the students but no, parents weren't invited in the classroom during school regularly.