Great identification on how Montessori education instills agency. My kids attended Montessori, and especially with my son, I see the agency vividly.
He’s got dyslexia and probably would have been labeled as ADHD in a typical school. Yet in Montessori, he was able to thrive. He loved story-telling and as he couldn’t (yet) write, he organized a “writer’s circle” where he told stories, and his 5- and 7-year-old friends did much of the writing. He’s always had an inquiring, scientific mind. So when he couldn’t read the science experiment cards in Montessori elementary, he recruited friends to read them to him. He then did the experiments, explained his observations and conclusions verbally to his friends, who wrote up the reports. In a traditional school none of that would have been possible: it would be considered cheating! But in Montessori, he learned that he can leverage his strengths to overcome his weaknesses. Instead of feeling dumb, he felt empowered.
Now at age 16, he’s still like that. He doesn’t like his public school, but it’s not getting him down. He tells me he loves learning, he just hates being taught. He just goes out and does things, like buying an old motorcycle and self-teaching how to restore it, and then sell it at a profit.
I shudder to think what his life would have been like, how his spirit would have been destroyed had we not sent him to Montessori school!
Thanks Heike! This is such an beautiful example of agency. Rather than seeing his dyslexia as a barrier to completing his work, he came up with a creative way to overcome the challenge himself (and work with others!) from start to finish. It's amazing how resourceful kids can be when given the trust and space to learn, and it sounds like he's developed confidence and high agency as a result. This should be a key outcome of education but unfortunately traditional education and the pipeline-to-university track are at odds with this philosophy.
I shared a similar experience attending Montessori in my early years. Even though I spent the rest of my K-12 in public school as well, those initial years in a Montessori environment gave me the confidence to speak with adults, a love for learning and so much more. It truly changed my life!
Great identification on how Montessori education instills agency. My kids attended Montessori, and especially with my son, I see the agency vividly.
He’s got dyslexia and probably would have been labeled as ADHD in a typical school. Yet in Montessori, he was able to thrive. He loved story-telling and as he couldn’t (yet) write, he organized a “writer’s circle” where he told stories, and his 5- and 7-year-old friends did much of the writing. He’s always had an inquiring, scientific mind. So when he couldn’t read the science experiment cards in Montessori elementary, he recruited friends to read them to him. He then did the experiments, explained his observations and conclusions verbally to his friends, who wrote up the reports. In a traditional school none of that would have been possible: it would be considered cheating! But in Montessori, he learned that he can leverage his strengths to overcome his weaknesses. Instead of feeling dumb, he felt empowered.
Now at age 16, he’s still like that. He doesn’t like his public school, but it’s not getting him down. He tells me he loves learning, he just hates being taught. He just goes out and does things, like buying an old motorcycle and self-teaching how to restore it, and then sell it at a profit.
I shudder to think what his life would have been like, how his spirit would have been destroyed had we not sent him to Montessori school!
Thanks Heike! This is such an beautiful example of agency. Rather than seeing his dyslexia as a barrier to completing his work, he came up with a creative way to overcome the challenge himself (and work with others!) from start to finish. It's amazing how resourceful kids can be when given the trust and space to learn, and it sounds like he's developed confidence and high agency as a result. This should be a key outcome of education but unfortunately traditional education and the pipeline-to-university track are at odds with this philosophy.
I shared a similar experience attending Montessori in my early years. Even though I spent the rest of my K-12 in public school as well, those initial years in a Montessori environment gave me the confidence to speak with adults, a love for learning and so much more. It truly changed my life!
> Self-esteem breeds high agency and high agency leads to momentum.
Great metaphor, the "physics" of ones automotivation being the resilient "momentum" that drives you through your obstacles 👍
Thanks Lorenzo! 🙏