Starting a Montessori Middle School

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Starting a Montessori Middle School

• Dr. Betsy Coe, Penny Cichucki, Larry Hodgkins,
  Anita Rish

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So you want to start a middle school program?

• Are you sure?
• Really?
• Anyone who would want to work with teenagers is
  crazy!! (you will hear that many times)

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You still want to start a middle school program?

• Our youth love luxury. They have bad manners,
  contempt for authority, they show disrespect for
  their elders and love chatter in the place of
  exercise (work) they no longer rise when elders
  enter the room they contradict their parents,
  gobble up their food and tyrannize their
  teachers.

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• When youngsters reach the age of 13 we should
  put them in a barrel, seal the top, and feed them
  through a knothole. When they reach age 17, we
  should close the knothole

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Previous quotes by

• Socrates middle school educator in the Republic
  of Athens
• Mark Twain American writer, humorist
• If anyone is left in the audience, we think you
  will find starting a Montessori Middle School
  program to be a challenging but very rewarding
  experience

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Outline of this Session

• Basic overview of adolescent program design
• Classroom photos
• Share some of our personal experiences
• Trials and tribulations
• Starter questions with brief comments
• Discussion and questions

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Decisions for Expansion

• Strong Elementary Program
• Survey of interest for the next 5 years

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Program Design

• Needs
• Students (at least 8) and committed parents
• Attrition rate may be as high as 25 in early
  years
• Supportive administration
• Parents and staff will question
• Space
• 100 sq feet per student
• Money
• Cost of the program is the same as all other
  levels - 10, 10, 5
• 5 thousand teacher to secondary course

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Program Design

• First steps to take
• Find a teacher
• Generalist able to teach all subjects who is
  committed to the school and program
• Visit other middle school programs
• Read Erdkinder, Montessori Life articles, etc
• Attend training
• Educate staff and parents

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Montessori Planes of Development

• 2nd Plane (6-12 years old)
• Creative Imagination
• Love of peers
• Love of culture
• Able to reason concretely
• Want to be part of group

• 3rd Plane (12-18)
• Development of Self
• Physiological changes
• Searching for Model
• Able to think formally
• Social Life
• Marked Opinions
• Sensitive to Criticism

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Physical Characteristics

• 1. Rapid growth, feet, hands, and noses.
• 2. The age of the mouth (like toddlers).
• 3. Puberty.
• 4. Sleep needs.
• Accommodations
• Open space.
• Sturdy furniture.
• Rest time.
• Fruits, vegetables, and water available at all
  times.

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Intellectual Characteristics

• 1. Critical, abstract thinking, capable of
  accommodating several points of view.
• 2. Intensely curious about practical
  applications of thought.
• 3. Prefer active learning involving peers.
• Accommodations
• Dramatic and artistic projects provoking critical
  thought involving multiple view points.
• Cooperative learning.
• Responsibility to peers for care of the
  environment and running a business

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Psycho-Social Characteristics

• 1. Seeking autonomy (like toddlers).
• 2. Preparing to be able to accept
  responsibilities and commitments. (Theyre not
  there yet.)
• 3. The imaginary audience the whole world is
  watching.
• 4. The personal fable bad things happen to
  other people, not me. I can take risks that
  others cant. My ideas and experiences are
  unique.

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Psycho-Social Characteristics

• 5. Pseudo-stupidity overwhelmed with new
  information from new cognitive abilities and
  finding it difficult to make choices. They are
  often disorganized and worry a lot. (Elkind)
• 6. Refer to peers as sources for standards and
  models of behavior as well as breaking away from
  family.

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Moral and Ethical Characteristics

• 1. Idealistic and impractical
• 2. Ask large, unanswerable questions
• 3. Quick to find hypocrisy in role models
• Accommodations
• Real life experiences with community service and
  internships help give a more realistic view of
  life.
• Opportunities to experience nature, the study of
  the universe, and other things beyond the grasp
  of the human mind.
• Coordination of all levels of faculty from
  infancy programs onward to be good role models.

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Words of Wisdom from

• Betsy markers
• Penny finding the right teacher
• Anita developing partnerships
• Larry extra-curricular activities

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Markers

• David Elkind in All Grown Up and No Place to Go
• Lockers
• Electives
• ROPES courses
• Continuum of Field Experiences
• School Rituals dont infantile them
• Plan and agree on certain new rights/responsibilit
  ies

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Finding the Right Teacher

• Finding the RIGHT teacher is KEY
• Good Role Model Respectful, Mature
• Intelligent Generalist, able to Teach All
  Subjects
• Good Physical and Emotional Health
• Flexible, Quick Thinker, Open to New Ideas

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Finding the Right Teacher (cont)

• Aware Happenings Near/World
• Peace and Justice Advocate
• Really Enjoys Adolescents
• Good Sense of Humor
• High Energy
• Secondary I Credential

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Relationships, Relationships, Relationships

• Develop community partnerships
• Chamber of Commerce
• Business Leaders and Owners
• Civic Organizations
• Parks and Recreation Departments
• Area Colleges and Universities
• Educate anyone who will listen
• Helpful when implementing the non-conventional
  aspects of the curriculum

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Extra-curricular activities

• Sports programs
• Intramural
• Interscholastic
• Significance of being on a team
• School spirit
• Others
• Science Olympiad
• Chess, Writing, Hiking
• Whatever your students are interested in
• Need facilitators

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Nothing but the FAQs

• When Montessori programs add an adolescent level,
  what are the effects on the retention of students
  or other measures of stability?
• How will a new adolescent program in our school
  affect our community?
• What are the normal developmental characteristics
  of adolescents, and how do we develop an
  environment to accommodate to those needs?
• Should I accept transfer students?

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• Lhodgkins_at_wmpcs.org
• Arish_at_wmpcs.org
• Drbcoe_at_aol.com
• Pjk13_at_mc.net

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And of course, the million dollar question How
will you prepare my child for High School?

• Students must know how to learn.
• Students need to be responsible for being at the
  right place at the right time.
• Students must have good work habits.
• Students must be able to cooperate with other
  students in work settings.
• Students must have positive attitudes towards
  adults.
• Age-appropriate academic skills.

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Additional Questions and Discussion