The document discusses the benefits of Montessori education and its focus on cultivating independence, innovation, and respect among students. It notes that the Montessori method was developed based on scientific observations of how children naturally learn. Key aspects of the method include mixed-age classrooms, practical learning materials, freedom of movement, and guiding children to help themselves rather than being dependent on teachers. Studies have found Montessori students excel on tests and develop strong social-emotional skills. The document advocates for expanding Montessori options in West Virginia to help develop innovative thinkers and benefit the state's economic growth.

1. EDUCATION FOR INNOVATION:
The Montessori Way
The Montessori Method

2. In 1943, a 15-year boy at Eton was told that
his goal of becoming a scientist was “utterly
ridiculous.”
Why: “insists on doing his work in his own way."

3. Sir John Gurdon
2012 Nobel Prize for Medicine
Revolutionized thinking in cell development;
pioneer in work in nuclear transplantation and cloning
How many John Gurdons have we we stifled?

4. More than ever, we should cultivate, not
criticize, independence and innovation
Key to economic growth….
“The most important determinant behind economic growth is the
innovative nature of an economy.
“The role of innovation has been critical to economic
development as the nation has evolved over the decades. There
is a clear statistical link between innovations and gains in the
standard of living.”
Abby Joseph Cohen, president, Goldman Sachs
Global Markets Institute and senior investment
strategist

5. And for individuals:
Everything that can be outsourced
WILL be outsourced
“The people who will succeed in more expensive labor
markets like the U.S. will be those who can think creatively
and generate the IDEAS that will propel economic growth.”
-Vivek Ranadivé, founder, TIBCO Software Inc., one of the world’s
leading billion- dollar enterprise software companies

6. Traditional schools structured to stifle,
not promote, innovation:
• Obsession with standardized testing
• Rigid grade classifications-birthday lottery
• Lock step learning
• Disruptive schedules
• Crowded classrooms

7. Why? Schools grew out of Prussian model
“Our schools are factories in which the
raw product (children) are to be
shaped and fashioned.” - Ellwood P.
Cubberley, “Public School Administration, 1922

8. Agrarian age→ Industrial age →
Information age: Time to retool
Montessori method designed to work with, not against,
human nature to build upon a child’s innate curiosity
as the foundation for a lifetime of learning, exploration and
problem-solving.

9. Dr. Maria Montessori
• Italy's first female
physician
• A humanitarian and
devout Catholic
• Founded the Casa dei
Bambini for impoverished
and mentally disabled
students in Rome in 1907

10. “It is not true that I invented what is called the Montessori
Method. I have studied the child, I have taken what the
child has given me and expressed it, and that is what is
called the Montessori Method.”

11. Montessori‟s scientific observations formed
the foundation of her educational method:
• Episodes of deep attention and concentration
• Repetition of activity
• Sensitivity and need for order in the environment
• Innate curiosity and desire to learn
• More interest in practical activities than in toys
• Help me do it by myself
• Over time, she saw a spontaneous self-discipline
emerge

12. Based on her observations, Montessori
implemented a number of innovations
• Moveable and accessible furniture and materials
• Practical activities such as sweeping and personal care
• Physical exercise and connection to outdoor
environment
• Multi-sensory learning: tactile, kinesthetic

13. Based on her observations, Montessori
implemented a number of innovations
• Uninterrupted work
• Freedom of movement and activity within limits
• Mixed age classrooms

14. Role of teacher: to guide
The aim of education: independence
• “The greatest sign of
success for a teacher... is to
be able to say, „the children
are now working as if I did
not exist.‟"
• “Never help a child with a
task at which he feels he
can succeed.”
• “Free the child's
potential, and you will
transform him into the
world.”

15. Result: life-time love of learning
“Our care of the child should be governed not by the desire to
„make him learn things,‟ but by the endeavor always to keep
burning within him the light which is called intelligence.”
- Dr. Maria Montessori
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.”
- William Butler Yeats

16. The science behind the method
Montessori is “the original brain-based method of education because
it is based on scientifically recognized principles of human
development.”
- Dr. Steven Hughes, president of the
American Academy of Pediatric
Neuropsychology

17. Benefits of Montessori education:
• Responsibility, self-control and independence
• Student works for satisfaction of learning
• Helps the child to help himself
• Responsibility for one‟s own education
• Follow their curiosity
• Helping and teaching others
• Respect and community

18. Respect
• Students are respected and expected to learn
• Respect is mutual, based on partnership not power and
submission
• Guided to independence

19. Respect is based
on trust on trust and partnership
• Child is motivated by love of learning rather than external validation
or punishment
• Does not mean that everybody will like everybody all the time
• Conflicts should be resolved with consideration of dignity of all
involved
The entire Montessori experience is what is known
as “character education.”

21. Respecting the child builds humanity
“The child can annihilate selfishness and awaken
the spirit of sacrifice, tenderness and affectionate
care…. In this way does God move and form the
adult through the child.” Maria Montessori

22. Montessori today:
• 5,000 schools around the world
• Public, private and religious schools
• Infant through grade 12
• Most U.S. schools adopt American Montessori Society model
• “Montessori” is not a licensed name, and not every “Montessori”
school is one

23. Montessori linked to many of America‟s most
innovative and successful leaders:
• Sergei Brin and Larry Page: Google
• Jimmy Wales: Wikipedia
• Jeff Bezos: Amazon
• Will Wright: the Sims

24. Famous Montessorians
• Management guru Peter
Drucker
• Pediatrician/author Dr. T.
Berry Brazelton
• Entertainment moguls:
Sean “P Diddy”
Combs, Beyonce, George
Clooney
• Taste and trend setters:
Jacqueline Kennedy and
Julia Child
• HRH Princes William and
Henry
• Anne Frank

25. • “It was part of that training of not following rules and orders and
being self-motivated, questioning what's going on in the world, doing
things a little bit differently.”
- Google co-founder Larry Page
• “Montessori taught me the joy of discovery…It showed you can
become interested in pretty complex theories, like Pythagorean
theory, say, by playing with blocks. It‟s all about learning on your
terms, rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you. SimCity comes
right out of Montessori.”
- Will Wright, computer game designer
and original designer of The Sims

26. Validation: Study of 3,000 global innovators
and successful entrepreneurs:
“Distinguishing characteristics include a Montessori background
and ability to follow their curiosity.”
- Jeffrey Dyer of Brigham
Young University and Hal
Gregersen of INSEAD

27. Not just for the wealthy:
Inner-city Milwaukee Public Montessori School Study
First grade:
• Outperformed peers on
standardized tests in
reading and math
• Engaged in more positive
interaction on the
playground
• More advanced social
cognition and executive
control

28. Sixth grade:
• More creative essays with
more complex sentence
structures
• Selected more positive
responses to social
dilemmas
• Reported feeling more a
EDUCATIONFORUM sense of community at
Evaluating Montessori Education their school
Angeline Lillard1* and Nicole Else-Quest2
An analysis of students‟ academic and social
scores compares a Montessori school with
other elementary school education programs.
29 SEPTEMBER 2006 VOL 313 SCIENCE
www.sciencemag.org

29. Local Montessori options
• Mountaineer Montessori School:
WV‟s original Montessori School
• Founded 1976; track record of
exceptional alumni and test
results (2010: Half of all GW
National Merit Scholars were
MMS alumni.)
• Collaboration with the University
of Charleston Education
Department
• Professional staff of 18; all lead
teachers AMS certified through
rigorous on-campus training

30. Local Montessori options
• Experienced. Takes 11 tries to replace highly effective teacher
• Adjunct from WVSO, Mountain Stage, WV Golf Association
• Rich approved academic curriculum
• Preschool through grade 6
• After school and summer camp programs
• Large international and diverse student
population
• Financial aid program

31. Characteristics of MMS and other
Montessori classrooms
• Mixed-aged classrooms • Do not teach to test, but excel
(3-K); 1-3; 4-6 grades at standardized test
• Prepared environment with (STANFORD 10)
unique materials and lessons • Joyful learning!
• Teacher is not center of • Outdoor environment lessons
attention • Children contribute to
• Calm without need for constant maintenance and order of
praise or punishment school
• Students work at own level • Collaboration instead of
• Work is carefully tracked, but competition
not “graded” traditionally
• Limited and purposeful
homework and tests

32. Growing interest in Montessori in WV
• New Charleston Montessori School
meeting growing interest
• Several others through WV-most are
preschools
• No Montessori certification training
at West Virginia colleges & universities

33. Montessori education a selling point
for communities:
“A few cities removed from the list were closer to my hometown, but it
was an easy decision for me: if the town/city did not have a legitimate
Montessori school, it was readily eliminated as an option. It is
important because I want my child to have the best learning experience
possible and I believe that starts with Montessori.”
- New transferred senior executive

34. Montessori an asset to WV businesses:
“I‟ve always been a naturally curious person, wanting to learn
anything I possibly could. I find that there are a lot of situations in
work and in life in which a person can take the easy way out. I do
not approach situations with a „this is how it has always been done‟
view; instead, I approach them with a „how can this be done better‟
approach.”
- Clifton Clark, MMS alum, BB&T

35. Mountaineer Montessori School Song
Spring 2012 Songwriting Workshop

36. When you think about MMS,
what qualities do you think of?

37. MMS School Song
At Mountaineer Montessori
Everyone knows your name.
The whole school is your neighbor.
And no day is the same.
(innovation value: flexibility and adapting to change)
We welcome each other,
Every single day.
We always work together.
Our work is our play.
(innovation value: follow your curiosity; create; do
what you love)

38. MMS School Song
When you have a bad day,
There’s always a helping hand.
(innovation value: teamwork & leadership)
We use our hands for helping,
Just because we can.
Our community is peaceful.
We always persevere.
(innovation value: follow-through, tenacity and “grit”)
Everyone’s respectful,
We really like it here!

39. MMS School Song
We all come from different places.
(innovation value: global economy)
We all have different faces.
(innovation value: inclusion=innovation)
And we are all connected,
At Mountaineer Montessori.

40. Invest in innovation
March 28, 2013 The Clay Center
Benefits financial aid program

41. On behalf of West Virginia’s future…
thank you!