Tomorrow’s Child

A Publication of The Montessori Foundation $5.00 Volume 6, Number 2

Adolescence without
Tears — The
Montessori High
School
A Parent’s Guide to
Middle Schools
Boards that Work

Adolescence Without Tears

The Montessori High School
A Tomorrow's Child Reprint, Spring 1998
 This article originally appeared in the 1998 Spring Issue of Tomorrow’s Child.

Adolescence Without Tears

Montessori High School
by Tim Seldin, President
The Montessori Foundation
“Our youth love luxury. They have bad man-
ners, contempt for authority; they show disre-
spect for their elders and love chatter in place
of exercise; they no longer rise when elders
enter the room; they contradict their parents,
chatter before company; gobble up their food
and tyrannize their teachers.”
— Socrates, Middle School Educator
The Republic of Athens, 5th Century BC
❦❦❦

A dolescence is the middle ground

between childhood and the world
of adults. Teenagers are neither
child nor adult. One minute they are
one, next the other. Their bodies are
growing overnight, and as sudden
spurts of growth begin, they often be-
come awkward as the body’s center of
balance is thrown off. As their muscular
development proceeds, many literally
don’t know their own strength.
Leaving childhood behind them,
teenagers enter a stage of life in which The photos in this article were taken at the New Gate School, Sarasota, FL, unless otherwise
they are betrayed by their own bodies. identified as archive photos from the Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD taken during author
With the onset of puberty, both their Tim Seldin’s 22 years as Headmaster.
bodies and emotions tend to change cence are social, physical, and emotion-
dramatically. Some mature precociously al. She observed that teenagers often
and have to learn to deal with the body find it difficult to concentrate on their
of a 16 year old and the way that it af- studies; their lives are not centered on
fects their social relationships with school work but on learning how to be
peers and older teens, while others wait comfortable around one another.
impatiently for puberty, convinced that
they’ll never mature. They have to cope ❦❦❦
with emerging sexuality and hormonally My vision of the future is no longer of people
driven conflicting emotions. It is nor- taking exams, earning a secondary diploma,
mally a time of life marked by uncertain- and proceeding on to university, but of indi-
ty and self-consciousness. viduals passing from one stage of indepen-
Between their changing bodies, dence to a higher, by means of their own ac-
changing social roles, the emergence of tivity, through their own effort of will, which
mature sexuality, and raging hormones, constitutes the inner evolution of the individ-
it is not surprising that early adolescents ual.”
worry so much about the image they
project to the outer world! — Maria Montessori, The Erdkinder
❦❦❦
Maria Montessori’s Vision of
Secondary Education Above all else, they struggle to forget
that they were ever children, and in
Working in Europe fifty years ago, Dr. their desperate struggle for self-respect
Maria Montessori recognized that the and independence, they often resent
basic developmental tasks of adoles- and resist their parents’ need to set ap-
propriate limits. Not wanting to ever Designing Schools to Meet Many factors contribute to this, all of
again feel like children, young teenagers the Needs of Children which are tied to our culture’s image of
deeply resent being embarrassed, espe- what a junior or senior high school
cially in front of their friends. Sadly, they Dr. Montessori believed that schools at ought to look like. For example, parents
often feel embarrassed, and for many every age level should be designed to and students alike tend to expect a fairly
years tend to perceive each experience meet the personality and interests of large enrollment, which offers students
as complete humiliation. children at that stage. Her close study of a wide range of friends and extra-curric-
Desperately needing to feel accept- the way children think and learn led to ular activities.
ed, young teens are faced with an adult the development of her highly effective In a country where secondary
world that rejects them and criticizes programs for infant, toddler, early child- schools commonly have enrollments of
their silly mistakes, wild mood swings, hood, and elementary education. more than a thousand students, you can
taste in clothes and music, and tendency As early as 1917 Dr. Montessori be- expect some raised eyebrows when a
to challenge adult authority, each of gan to call for a fundamental change in Montessori middle school program
which is part of their struggle to create a the way we educate adolescents. She open its doors with fewer than ten
new identity. Is it any wonder that believed that traditional high schools twelve year olds.
friends are more important than family are poorly designed to meet the devel- Programs are organized into small
during this period. opmental needs of adolescents. Our so- communities (typically referred to as
Adolescents need to feel grown-up ciety fails to provide pathways that meet “houses”) ranging in size from 30 to 75
and accepted and respond with enthusi- many of their basic developmental students. Depending on enrollment,
asm to any adults who make them feel needs. Adolescence is a period of life each “house” will commonly have two,
accepted. Unfortunately, in our society where the young person’s primary chal- three, or four teachers assigned to this
there are few, if any, opportunities for lenge is to establish once and for all his community of learners. While students
early adolescents to feel that adults ever independence from the family and to may also take courses from other adults
take them seriously. Early adolescents become an emotionally and socially ma- in the school, this team of adults serves
are filled with play. They tend to be fo- ture adult. This may sound as if she was as their advisors, mentors, and primary
cused on themselves and their friends. making an excuse for irresponsible teachers.
They are generally disinterested in teenagers. In fact, she argued that we Typically a secondary Montessori
schoolwork. Many are depressed, lone- are creating generations who have program will be organized into two or
ly, or filled with rage. Ironically, just as failed to make a smooth transition from three Houses covering either a two- or
young people temporarily lose any real childhood into adult society. three-year age span. For example, at
interest in the world of ideas, society ex- Barrie we divided the Upper School into
pects them to buckle down to serious three groups: the seventh and eighth
study.
The teenage years are the sensitive
Creating the grade; ninth and tenth; and eleventh
and twelfth grade houses. While stu-
period when children firmly set their
personal values and sense of social re-
Ideal Facilities dents normally have friends at every
grade level, each house is a small school
sponsibility. We all know that teenagers
are profoundly influenced by peer
for a Secondary within a school.
Ideally, each house will have its own
group pressure and that if kids “fall in
with the wrong crowd,” they may make Montessori suite of classrooms and meeting areas.
Most often programs are forced, by
some very poor choices. Here is one of
the key contributions that a Montessori
high school can make, because within
Program budget or limited space, to adapt them-
selves to existing facilities. For New
Gate, our laboratory school in Sarasota,

N
its small, closely knit social atmosphere, ew Montessori secondary pro- FL, we have developed one model
Montessori children can grow into confi- grams typically begin with a small which I feel will be ideal for an estab-
dent, warm, accepting, and supportive group of seventh graders, with lished “house” of perhaps 45 students.
adults. Montessori believed that sec- the class gradually building over the To the best of my knowledge, it doesn’t
ondary schools should prepare children years as more
for life, not just for college and a career. students elect
A Montessori high school helps young to continue
people to discover, accept, and confirm with the
their self-worth as individuals. school up
Our society has left behind the rites through the
of passage that once facilitated the upper level(s).
child’s transition from childhood to full This presents
status as an adult. By design, a Montes- a tremendous
sori high school is a carefully prepared challenge for
environment that helps teenagers mas- many schools
ter the secrets of the world of adult- because par-
hood: how to act appropriately in given ents and stu-
situations, earn a living, understand dents are nor-
everyday law and economics, and how mally reluctant
to express love and friendship. Students to be part of a
are accepted by the school community fragile new
as adults in training. program.
actually exist anywhere as of yet, but A fifth room serves as a science lab,
represents a blend of many programs’
NOTE: Montessori materials often no with a large greenhouse attached. The
facilities that I have visited.
longer appeal to middle-school students. lab is equipped for the life and physical
Each House will be focused around a
In their search for a new identity, they sciences, with corrosive-resistant work
commons room of approximately 2,000
want to avoid anything that reminds them surfaces, sinks, Bunsen burners, aquaria,
square feet. This space will be set up for
of their childhood years. However many animal cages, and secure storage for
reading and quiet study. At least at the
students still lack the ability to grasp math chemicals and equipment. For safety,
beginning each common room will con-
abstractly, while others may need to re- the lab has an emergency shower, eye
tain part of the upper school library. At
view occasionally. As a result, Montessori wash, and ventilated fume hood in
one end of the commons there will be a
middle-school students rarely want to which students can safely work with po-
small stage which will be used for de-
work with the Montessori materials. tentially noxious chemicals.
bates, student presentations, guest
Dr. Paul Epstein, during his years as A sixth room houses an art studio
speakers, and performances. As in many
Head of The Barrie School’s junior high and craft workshop. Creative expression
schools, the students and teachers will
program found that students responded is particularly appealing to many adoles-
eat their lunch in the commons room.
positively to activities in which they were cents. In addition to formal lessons, stu-
Off the commons there will be sever-
challenged to create their own “Montes- dents should be able to engage in the
al smaller rooms. Three will be used for
sori” materials in the class art studio or arts as interest, workload, and schedule
seminars, with a large conference table
craft shop. allow. The craft workshop should pro-
and seating for up to 10. Another will be
They used these created materials to vide tools for building model structures
used as a math lab, set up for students
present lessons to younger elementary from wood, paper, and other materials.
to work alone or in small groups, and
children. With this strategy, students who Students often construct dioramas,
equipped with a wide range of appara-
were resistant to working with apparatus models of ancient buildings, little ma-
tus for making math concrete:
that they considered “baby-ish” attained chines, or re-creations of historical arti-
Montessori and Mortenson math appa-
the same result through the steps of cre- facts.
ratus, and a collection of scientific mea-
ation and teaching concepts that they did Finally, a small but complete kitchen
surement and surveying equipment.
not yet fully understand to other children. is important, allowing students to pre-

The Basic Elements of a

Secondary Montessori Program
■ It teaches students to think for and speech, and apply their
themselves and develop logi- knowledge.
cal reasoning, research skills,
and higher-order “formal” ■ The course of study is an “inte-
thinking skills rather than hav- grated thematic approach” that
ing students memorize predi- ties separate disciplines of the
gested concepts, theories, and curriculum into studies of the
information presented in lec- physical universe, the world of
tures and textbooks. nature, and the human experi-
ence.
■ The curriculum offers a broad
view of the world, emphasiz- This integrated approach is one
ing ecological interdependen- of Montessori’s great strengths.
cy, the historical development As an example, when students curve but
and inter-connectedness of study the culture and history of rather are evalu-
ideas and events, and an inter- the ancient Greeks in ated individually against clearly
national/transcultural perspec- Humanities, they also study stated academic objectives
tive. mythology and read Homer and through a wide variety of au-
the great Greek Tragedies. As thentic assessment techniques,
■ The curriculum is develop- they read Shakespeare, sec- including portfolios, long-term
mentally based and appropri- ondary students study the projects, and self-evaluation,
ate to meet the intellectual, so- Elizabethan period and attend
cial, emotional, and physical performances of Shakespeare. ■ Montessori at the secondary lev-
needs of adolescents. el encourages students to value
■ Montessori secondary programs the process of learning, especial-
■ The course of study goes be- do not emphasize academic ly the ability to learn from their
yond the traditional college competition among students. mistakes.
preparatory curriculum, teach- The program evaluates students
ing students how to think on a logical, objective basis. ■ The faculty is flexible in teaching
clearly, do their own research, Students are not graded on a styles, which allows the modifi-
express themselves in writing
 Joseph’s school in Columbus, OH, stu- pus. Many smaller schools have cre-
dents took turns working with a staff atively addressed these challenges by ar-
member or parent volunteer to plan ranging to use a nearby gymnasium at
each week’s lunch menu, purchase the another school, by contracting with a lo-
ingredients, prepare the day’s meal, and cal swim and racquet club, using public
serve it to the class in a restaurant-like athletic fields, and by transporting stu-
setting. dents to local public or college libraries.
The meal was eaten on real plates Some programs may even want to
with silverware, glasses, table cloths, explore the use of science labs, art stu-
candlelight, and quiet music. In practice, dios, or other facilities to give their stu-
Nancy had two small teams working dents access to programs not possible
each week: one to prepare the meal and on their own campus. The obvious
the other to serve and clean up. While it trade-offs include the cost of transporta-
was true that those students involved in tion, travel time, and the requirement
this process missed a few hours of class to fix the week’s schedule around the
time, the lessons in practical life and the times when these outside facilities are
peaceful atmosphere of lunch time in available.
Nancy’s class were well worth it.
Sports and competition are important as-
pects of life at the secondary level. This Enhancing the Program by
archive photo was taken at the Barrie School Use of Outside Facilities “All my life I’ve struggled to keep the
in Silver Spring, MD. schools that I attended from getting
In designing a Montessori secondary in the way of my real education.”
pare their own meals. In one model, program, it is nice, but not essential, for
which I first saw in Nancy Hallenberg’s the school to provide a gym, athletic — Mark Twain
Middle School classroom at the St. fields, or fully equipped library on cam-

cation of assignments and testing by supporting the development of and ethical development and en-
strategies to meet individual stu- effective and responsible interper- courage service to the commu-
dent’s learning styles and special sonal and social skills, particularly nity.
interests. in the areas of the relationship be-
tween the student and family, rela- ■ The curriculum should offer an
■ The curriculum allows students tionships with peers, relationships intellectual program which is de-
to learn through experience and with the opposite sex, and the de- signed to allow students to blos-
practical “hands-on” application. velopment of a capacity for finan- som without boredom, allowing
cial independence. children with exceptional talents
■ The faculty consciously strives to to grow without having to leave
help students develop self-es- ■ The school should be a community the prepared social environment
teem, independence, responsi- of young people and adults based of the school to enter college at
bility, compassion, openness to on kindness, trust and mutual re- a premature age. (It would do so
new experience and learning, pa- spect. by tapping into the broader local
tience and self-discipline, accep- and national community to
tance of others, and effective and ■ The school should be a social labo- arrange tutorials, mentorships,
satisfying social relationships. ratory in which young adults learn and individual studies with
the skills of living in the adult world enough challenge and structure
■ There should be a sense of com- within a safe environment to fit each child’s personality.)
munity among the faculty and
students, allowing many oppor- ■ Ideally, the teachers should be re- ■ And finally, the school should
tunities for student participation naissance men and women who ideally be located in a physical
in the planning and operation of serve as mentors and facilitate the setting that inspires contempla-
the life of the school community. process as their students learn how tion and spiritual harmony such
to observe, listen, read critically, as one finds in the mountains,
■ Students are introduced to social gather information, and learn from redwood forests, desert, some
issues of the community in hands-on experience. gardens, and beside the sea.
which they live, both through the (Most often land, rather than
curriculum and through field ex- ■ The school should consciously pro- elaborate buildings, creates the
periences, volunteer efforts, and mote entrepreneurial spirit. desired effect. The buildings can
internship projects. be simple if the campus makes
■ The school should consciously pro- its people smile each time they
■ The program facilitates each stu- mote students’ personal spiritual walk outside.)
dent’s transition into adulthood
 Secondary In traditional secondary
schools, teachers tend to see
helping students absorb the
Montessori curriculum as their fundamen-
tal goal. In Montessori, we
Teachers: seek a balance between acade-
mics and emotional, social,
Selecting Staff and spiritual growth, which
leads students to a place
where they are honestly ready

T
to learn something.
he typical Montessori program
The secondary Montessori
will be organized into a small
educator must recognize the
school within a school, which we
crucial role played by this
call a “house,” made-up of 30-45 stu-
process of social and emotion-
dents covering a two- or three-year age
al growth. Group process and
span. Two, three, or four teachers will
lessons in everyday living skills
be assigned to work with this group on
are not supplemental activities
a full-time basis. They will be much
to enrich the real curriculum;
more than just teachers of specific sub-
they are to a very real degree
jects; they will be mentors, counselors,
the most important element
and guides through the learning
of the curriculum.
process.
Certified and experienced secondary
The ideal secondary
Montessori teachers are so rare at this The archive photos on this page were taken at the
Montessori teacher has a
point that any school contemplating a Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD.
thorough understanding of:
new program should plan on sponsor-
ing one or more teachers through sec-
■ early childhood and elementary ■ today’s most promising and innov-
ondary Montessori teacher training. The
Montessori philosophy and curricu- ative secondary curriculum ele-
obvious alternative is to open the pro-
lum; ments and teaching methods;
gram with a staff that is not trained at
the secondary level. Although this is not
■ adolescent psychology and devel- ■ individual and group counseling
something that I would recommend,
opment; techniques;
new secondary programs may see it as
their most realistic option.
■ the mainstream of American mid- ■ strategies for facilitating the growth
Secondary Montessori teachers
dle school and secondary educa- of independence, responsibility,
should not be thought of as specialists
tion and contemporary college ad- logic, and compassion in teenagers;
in one area of the curriculum, as you
mission requirements; and
find in traditional high schools. Instead
of teaching science, math, or history,
■ Montessori’s thought in the area of ■ the practical issues of organizing,
they integrate the course of study into
adolescent education; structuring, and administering al-
thematic units. In some programs, one
ternative secondary school pro-
teacher will teach all of the major sub-
grams.
jects, much as elementary teachers do.
At a minimum, he or she will be expect-
ed to tie together two or more tradition-
al subject areas, such as science and
math, or English and social studies. The
ideal secondary Montessori teacher is a
renaissance man or woman, well edu-
cated in many disciplines and fascinated
by new opportunities to learn. A pro-
gram may supplement the skills of the
full-time core-teachers by bringing in
other part-time specialists.
The teacher’s personality and ability
to relate to adolescents is perhaps the
most important element in predicting
his or her potential for success. The
most brilliant teacher will fail miserably
if unable to win the trust and friendship
of his students. At no stage of education
is it more important that the teacher be-
come the student’s mentor, confidant,
and trusted friend.
 The Structure
of the Day:
Maintaining a Balance
of Structure and Flexibility

S
econdary Montessori programs
normally do not look very much
like elementary Montessori class-
rooms because of the very differ-
ent personality of the adolescent.
Where the elementary child often works
alone, adolescents need to constantly
interact with their friends. When they
were ten, Montessori students may have
enjoyed working with the Montessori
materials, but at twelve they don’t want
to be reminded of the years when they
were “just kids,” and they may reject the
Montessori materials as “baby-ish.”
Students study marine biology in the Caribbean in this archive photo was taken in a French
class at the Barrie School in Silver Spring, MD.

What Kind of Student

is Right for a
Secondary Montessori Program?

S econdary Montessori Programs are

primarily intended to serve as the
logical next step for a child who has
come up through the early childhood
and elementary Montessori programs.
program that will be challenging and
the opportunity to participate in “extra-
curricular” experiences that will en-
hance their personal growth.
As Kathy Channick, who counseled
Ideally, one Montessori secondary pro- new students at Barrie’s Montessori On the other hand, learning in a
gram might serve an entire community, high school, once put it, Montessori program rarely involves pas-
drawing students from several different sively sitting back and listening to a
Montessori elementary programs. It is “The students who can make the transition teacher talk. Students learn through
possible to accept a limited number of aren’t just looking for a school where they can participating in seminars, meeting with
older students who are coming from get A’s; they are looking for an environment guest speakers, individual research, dra-
other more traditional schools, but only where they can become part of a community matic ‘re-creation’ experiences, hands-
if they are carefully screened and select- with strong shared values. We can’t accept on projects, building models and diora-
ed. students who are in serious conflict with their mas, field trips, and internships, This
The climate within a secondary parents or who are “turned off” to school. kind of learning asks students to get in-
Montessori program is essential. To suc- They wouldn’t find a peer group, because the volved, and questions, and think!
ceed, the new program must be able to culture among the students is to do well and Above all, it is rarely boring.
maintain an atmosphere of warmth and be personally challenged. Secondary programs strive to main-
respect. There must always be a strong tain a balance of structure and flexibility.
sense of community in which students A Montessori secondary program like Barrie Teacher initiated group lessons are usu-
and teachers live and work together is an excellent school for an older student ally brief; rarely lasting more than 30
very closely. Each student must feel that who is ready to think, read, and seek out real minutes. They are intended to get stu-
he or she belongs to and is accepted challenges: kids who are “turned on to dents interested and give them just
and appreciated by the entire communi- school,” because the program reinforces that enough information to get them started
ty of students and teachers. I don’t attitude. on independent study, projects, or dis-
mean to suggest that secondary cussion.
Naturally students coming up from the ele-
Montessori students won’t tease one an- Seminars and specialist classes are
mentary Montessori classes tend to do beau-
other, fuss, and sometimes feud. They scheduled in such a way as to allow stu-
tifully in the Upper School program, however,
will! But there must be an over-riding we continue to find that students who have dents large blocks of time to work with-
sense that the school is both physically grown up in families which share similar out interruption. Scheduling for these
and emotionally safe. values to the school’s philosophy most often do group activities is flexible and allows the
Naturally the program needs stu- very well.” teachers to set aside the amount of time
dents who are looking for an academic most appropriate for given activities.
 Town Meetings
Study Guides Montessori described ideal sec-

M
ondary program as a “social labora-
any secondary Montessori programs give students Study Guides to
tory” where young people could
help them organize their work. Ideally these guides are not prepared
master the skills of everyday social
by the teachers alone, but by the teachers and students working to-
interaction and community life in a
gether to set goals and suggest a learning path defined in accordance with the
controlled learning environment.
student’s individual learning style.
Ideally the students and teachers
Study Guides typically break the week’s work into three elements:
would live together in an authentic
community (The Erdkinder farm
▲ Skills and knowledge that the student will hopefully absorb
school). Today’s secondary
Montessori programs commonly
▲ Experiences in which the student is invited to engage, such as attending
address this need through period-
seminars or talks, books to be read, movies viewed, field trips taken, pre-
ic retreats, lessons in everyday psy-
sentations given, lab experiments completed, tests taken, etc.
chology and personal develop-
ment, and daily group meetings.
▲ Essays, reports, and other assignments or projects which are to be turned
In most programs, students and
in.
teachers gather every day in Town
Meetings, where they learn how to
Many programs expect students to demonstrate a given level of mastery be-
work together, express their
fore they are allowed to move on to the next level. Unacceptable work or per-
thoughts clearly and honestly, re-
formance on tests of skills and knowledge must be resubmitted after additional
solve disagreements, compromise,
lessons or coaching.
and reach consensus. There is a
It is common for secondary Montessori programs to allow students to select
real sense of community.
from among several optional learning strategies and assignments or to propose
another option.
Using this approach, secondary Montessori students continue to learn how below: Students participate in an
to pace themselves and take responsibility for their work —skills that are criti- archaeological dig in this archive
cal to success in college. photo from the Barrie School in
Silver Spring, MD.

The World is Their Classroom ...

M
ontessori secondary programs Secondary Montessori pro-
will normally go out into the grams commonly arrange for their
community to give their stu- students to participate in community
dents a wide-range of projects and ex- service and internship experiences. At
periences that would never be possi- certain points of the year, students will
ble in a traditional schedule. Some engage in internships in the business, One of the
schools go out as opportunities arise; professional, or public interest commu- unique programs in a
others schedule one day a week for nities. Students develop their own re- Montessori high school is the opportu-
academic extensions, breaking off sumes and are expected to find their nity for a wide range of international
into small groups to visit museums, own internship position. study and travel. Montessori education
galleries, the theater, university li- They can be found interning in gov- is worldwide, and each programs has sis-
braries, the courts, governments of- ernment offices; working for Green- ter schools across America and in
fices,and scientific laboratories. peace; studying at the zoo; assisting in Europe, Asia, and South America. There
Students also use Extension Days to doctors’ offices, architectural firms, vet- are invaluable opportunities for corre-
work on special projects or to study is- erinary clinics, radio stations, newspa- spondence and student exchange expe-
sues in-depth. They contact and visit pers, hospitals, retail businesses; or vol- riences. Using Barrie again as an exam-
government agencies, public interest unteering in shelters for the homeless. ple, students have engaged in travel/
groups, and relevant industries, pour Many internships develop into long- study programs in Israel, Canada,
through the public record, or inter- term relationships as students prove France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Mexico,
view key public figures. Gradually, they their worth. Costa Rico, Russia, the Caribbean, Japan,
try to pull information together and Students begin to think about their and China. With our strong orientation
attempt to interpret the “big picture.” career interests, and as they discover toward ecological studies, Montessori
Students form their own opinions and their ability to make a difference in the high schools also sponsor camping, ca-
defend them in class, often with very world, they become more self-confident noeing, and sailing expeditions every
spirited debates! and independent. year.
 though they are usually a distinct minor-
ity, most teenagers get relatively little Learning How
long-term learning out of their educa-
tion. They put in time, do their assign-
to Work:
ments, cram for tests, and quickly forget Economic independence
after grades are posted. Many colleges

T
feel that this is equally true at their level.
o become independent from
Several studies show that students in
their family, teenagers have to
traditional programs don’t really under-
learn how to stand on their own
stand most of what they are being
feet financially, emotionally, and social-
taught. Harvard Psychologist and author
ly. This has been true throughout histo-
of The Unschooled Mind, Howard
ry, but with education extended well
Gardner, goes so far as to suggest that
into young adulthood in complex urban
“Many schools have fallen into a pattern
societies like ours, it has become in-
of giving kids exercises and drills that re-
creasingly difficult for young people to
sult in their getting answers on tests that
establish their independence until
look like understanding.”
much later in life. We have created a
But several decades of research into
state of extended adolescence for the
how children learn have shown that
The Secondary most students, from as young as those
vast majority of students who go on to
college, and so we end up with 21 year
Montessori in kindergarten to students in some of
the finest colleges in America do not, as
olds who still have not finished the
business of growing up.
Curriculum Gardener puts it, “understand what
they’ve studied, in the most basic sense
In their drive to separate psychologi-
cally and socially from their families,

S
econdary Montessori programs of the term. They lack the capacity to
teenagers often become resentful and
don’t attempt to offer a cafeteria- take knowledge learned in one setting
argumentative if they feel they are being
style menu of elective course op- and apply it appropriately in a different
treated like children, which is aggravat-
tions. After a few weeks most setting. Study after study has found that,
ed by the knowledge that their parents
teenagers are either enthusiastic or by and large, even the best students in
control the purse strings. Regardless of
bored with their classes according to the best schools can’t do that.” (On
what we do, adolescents will find ways
how comfortable they feel with their Teaching for Understanding: A Con-
to establish separate identities apart
classmates and the instructor, no matter versation with Howard Gardner, by
from their families. If they can’t do it
how interesting the course title sound- Ron Brandt, Educational Leadership
through positive steps, they will create a
ed at registration. The goal is to help Magazine, ASCD, 1994.)
sense of separate identity by establish-
students learn with some depth rather Our goal in Montessori education is
ing psychological distance from their
than skip through material so quickly to help students to learn how to learn;
parents and adult society: The culture
that it is soon forgotten. to trust their own ability to discover and
of youth.
There is no standard secondary think logically. We seek to foster their
Teenagers need the concrete experi-
Montessori curriculum as one finds at curiosity and self-motivation.
ence of beginning to earn their financial
the early childhood and elementary lev- Montessori recognizes that people
independence and the self-respect that
els. Secondary Montessori programs learn in different ways and at different
it brings. To accomplish this goal, we
commonly follow a carefully considered paces. While it isn’t often practical to in-
don’t need to teach them a trade and
core-curriculum designed to both pre- dividually pace course work at the high
send them off to practice it for life (how
pare students for college and help them school level, we do allow for a great deal
many would know what they wanted to
form a sense of the big picture of our of flexibility.
do in the first place?). Instead, we can
world and culture: how knowledge was Students can spend more time on ar-
teach them how to work and give them
discovered, how it is used in everyday eas that they find difficult and move
the sense of self-esteem and self-re-
life, and how apparently separate “sub- ahead more quickly in those subjects in
liance that comes from contributing to
jects” fit together. which they excel. Beyond that, we en-
the family income in some degree,
Respect permeates a Montessori courage students to pursue in depth ar-
school. It produces the warm, comfort- eas of special interest. We encourage
able tone for which our schools are best them to collaborate and work together.
known. Montessori assumes that stu- For these reasons, we build as many
dents are responsible and capable; that opportunities as possible into the sec-
they have within them the ability to suc- ondary curriculum to allow students to
ceed. move around, work with their hands,
While standards are high, Montessori and master practical life skills. From the
doesn’t believe that competition and experience of hundreds of interesting
stress are the best ways to motivate and practical hands-on projects and
learning. Over and over again, teachers challenges, the undirected behavior of
challenge students to think — really early adolescence gives way to a sense of
think! personal satisfaction, high motivation,
and the renewed ability to focus seri- This archive photo of students helping out in
While we can find bright highly moti-
ously on academic work. the school office was taken at the Barrie
vated students in every high school, al-
School in Silver Spring, MD.
whether they spend it on clothes or
save it for college.
To meet this need, the secondary
A Parent’s from new perspectives and logical van-
tage-points. They express idealism and
concern for others. Peer groups are im-
Montessori program will attempt to of-
fer a wide range of practical experiences
designed to help them develop some
Guide portant, and there is an increased re-
liance on privacy. There is also an in-
creased desire to make commitments
practical skills during the school years
and to assist them in the formation of to Middle to friends.
In preparation for adulthood, early

Schools
their own enterprises. Whenever possi- adolescents need positive social interac-
ble, Montessori schools will normally tion with their peers in which to estab-
engage older students to work around lish trust, self-esteem, and self-confi-
the school, assisting with younger chil- dence. It is also possible that gender-
dren in the primary or elementary class- by Paul Epstein, Ph.D. specific forms of interaction are re-
es and volunteering or working as assis- quired for this age (Brown & Gilligan,
tants in their summer camps and be-
Department of Education 1992). Early adolescents are creative
fore-and-after-school programs. These
Transylvania University and thrive on occasions for self-expres-
older students are often found answer- Lexington, KY sion in a myriad of forms; for example,

F
ing phones in the school office, xerox- athletics, music, dance, drama, writing.
ing, pulling trash, and vacuuming the or nearly 45 years, educators and These activities often occur beyond
carpets. parents have redesigned junior the spheres of family and local commu-
Montessori schools usually urge par- high schools into middle-level ed- nity influence. Providing safe environ-
ents to encourage and support their ucation programs (Kellough & Kel- ments during the transition from child-
children’s interest in earning their own lough, 1996). Successful middle-level hood to adulthood is a concern. Defini-
spending money through part-time jobs education programs today coordinate a tions of ìsafe environmentî vary be-
or opening their own enterprises. complex framework involving an under- tween families and between different
These sorts of experiences build charac- standing of early adolescent develop- ethnic and cultural populations. The
ter and, properly planned, need not in- mental needs and learning tendencies, Internet, for example, provides access
terfere with school. In fact, they repre- family dynamics, middle-level school to our world of information; it also elim-
sent one of the most meaningful ways practices, community and national sys- inates adult and non-adult distinctions.
that we can help our children to com- tems, and visions for how best to pre- As this distinction blurs, early adoles-
plete the process of growing up. pare students for 21st century economic cents often receive conflicting messages
Older students usually have devel- and political adult life. about expectations and standards. Con-
oped enough specific skills to allow flicting messages often affect self-es-
them to run small business enterprises The Early Adolescent. teem and self-confidence.
organized along the Junior Achievement
model: corporations financed, owned, Adolescence is often portrayed as a time Middle Schools.
and operated by groups of committed of stress and storm. Adolescents are be-
students with minimal faculty support. lieved to be irresponsible, unresponsive, Middle level programs should be struc-
One project that we have seen work unmotivated, crazy, and unpredictable. tured to satisfy cognitive, physical, so-
in some schools is a small café, which But, according to research, this is a cial, emotional and moral developmen-
sells coffee, cocoa and donuts before myth. These descriptors are overem- tal needs of early adolescents. The
school and hot sandwiches, soups, fruit, phasized and misleading (Scales, 1991). National Middle School Association
and deserts at lunchtime. Another is a Early adolescence coincides with puber- (1997) warns, “Not meeting these needs
student store and craft shop, which sells ty, a period of rapid skeletal and genital often results in alienation from school,
textbooks, paper, pens, greeting cards, growth. Growth spurts for girls occur loss of general self-esteem and a sense
computer diskettes, along with student about two years before boys, with 10 1/2 of belonging, and destructive methods
crafts and artwork. being the average age of onset for girls, of coping, including delinquency and
Around the country, one often hears 12 1/2 for boys. Individual maturation drugs” (p. 1).
of entrepreneurial teenagers running all rates and durations do vary, however, While the majority of adolescents
sorts of services, such as baby-sitting ex- and rapid or lengthy periods of physical successfully transition from childhood
changes, catering services, odd-jobs, and psychological developments to adulthood, it is estimated that 25% of
and lawn care. At various points in my throughout the adolescent years are adolescents are at-risk for delinquency,
years at Barrie we ran a student coffee both normal. pregnancy, sexually transmitted dis-
house on weekends, which served won- These changes are often perplexing eases, substance abuse, eating disor-
derful coffee and pastries and provided to early adolescents and to their parents ders, and suicide (Santrock, 1997).
talented young musical groups from our and teachers. Early adolescence is a Given the changing economic and polit-
area the opportunity to perform in an wonderful, confusing, perplexing, em- ical climates of our society, early adoles-
intimate setting. barrassing, awkward, and exciting time. cents also face risks of not being pre-
These kinds of emotions can be experi- pared for envisioned life as adults in the
enced by both early adolescents and 21st century. One vision urges educa-
Tim Seldin is President of The Montessori parents; a task for adults is to stay off the
Foundation and the co-author of tors to prepare graduates who can think
roller coaster. Engaging in abstract rea- systemically, process and relate informa-
Celebrations of Life and The World in the soning is a new possibility; early adoles-
Palm of Her Hand. tion, identify and work with a variety of
cents can explore and question values resources, utilize a variety of technologi-
 cating their daughters and sons
(Arnold, 1990). In sum, a middle-level
curriculum provides activities that are
personally meaningful and socially con-
21st Century Visions tributive.

Montessori’s Erdkinder Model

Community & The Montessori model of middle-level
National Systems education is based on an understanding
of the developmental needs and learn-
ing tendencies of early adolescents.
The Middle- Incorporating all of the elements of to-
Level School day’s middle-level programs, the
Montessori model originally added one
other unique idea. Writing in 1937, Dr.
Maria Montessori recommended involv-
The Family ing early adolescents with the land. She
called her middle level program the
Erdkinder — the children of the land.
Montessori believed the designs of
Early Adolescent puberty warranted a holiday from tradi-
tional lecture-based instruction. Instead
Developmental of confining students to classrooms, she
Needs & Learning proposed instead a program that would
Tendencies help them accomplish two key develop-
mental tasks of early adolescence ñ be-
coming psychologically and economi-
cally independent. Only then, she ar-
gued, could early adolescents escape

Frameworks: Early Adolescence from the pettiness of puberty and take

seriously the realities of life in society.
The Montessori Erdkinder model
was a farm-based boarding school
cal tools, and successfully communicate goals, planning, assessing learning, and where students would live throughout
and cooperate with teams of workers multicultural awareness. Teachers work the year and manage a hostel or hotel
(SCANS, 1991). in interdisciplinary teams and teach an for visiting parents. The students would
Efforts to develop middle level pro- integrated core academic program of- sell farm goods and other products in
grams that address early adolescent de- fered in flexible or block schedules. their own store. Farm management and
velopmental needs and learning ten- Middle level learning experiences are store economics would form the basis
dencies have been guided by successive designed to help early adolescents of meaningful academic studies.
editions of the National Middle School make sense of themselves and the The Erdkinder curriculum would
Association’s position paper, This We world around them using a variety of encourage self-expression through mu-
Believe (NMSA, 1995). Consequently, materials, resources, and technologies. sic, art, public speaking, and theater.
there is widespread agreement as to the Students also participate in a variety of Students would also study languages,
structure of a middle level program. electives or exploratory subjects includ- mathematics, science, history of civiliza-
There is also widespread agreement ing extracurricular health and fitness tions, cultures, and technological inno-
that administrators, teachers and par- programs, intramurals, and clubs (Forte vations. The Erdkinder would also pos-
ents need preparation and support to & Schurr, 1993). sess a “museum of machinery,” where
develop and implement these pro- Middle-level teachers incorporate co- students could assemble, use, and re-
grams. operative learning and other active pair their own farm equipment.
Today’s middle-level programs learning strategies, various computer The Montessori middle school is an
should offer a variety of grade level and software technologies, and authen- example of successful middle-level pro-
combinations (for example, grades 5-8, tic assessment practices into their in- grams. Since 1982 an estimated 60 pri-
6-8, or 7-9) to accommodate a school structional strategies (Clark and Clark, vate and 15 public schools now offer
district’s enrollment patterns and other 1994). A middle-level curriculum should 6th - 8th or 7th - 8th grade Montessori
budgetary constraints. Students are engage students in reflective thinking, programs. Various aspects of the Erd-
grouped in small learning communities problem solving, critical ethics, and cre- kinder model are found in some of
called “teams” or “houses” led by teach- ative thinking curriculum (Beane, 1990). these programs. Students in one pro-
ers who are trained experts at the mid- Community-service programs are gram go to the land for a week to build
dle level. also an essential component of a middle shelters, cultivate crops, and recycle.
Students also meet in smaller adviso- level program; efforts are made to con- Students in another program run a
ry programs; topics include setting nect the school to the community and baby-sitting business. These kinds of
to engage families in the process of edu- “practical-life” activities are essential.
They provide direct learning experiences derstandings of the early adolescent re- Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the Crossroads.
that involve the early adolescent with quire us to rethink and reassemble suit- Women’s Psychology and Girl’s Development. New York:
Ballantine Books.
meaningful learning activities. able learning environments in which
Clark, S. N., & Clark, D. C. (1994). Restructu-ing the Middle Level
A Montessori middle school should our children can fully exercise their po- School. Implications for School Leaders. Albany, New York: State
also offer a challenging and rigorous acad- tentials. We are just beginning to under- University of New York Press.
emic program. Montessori middle-level stand the potentials and capabilities of Forte, I., & Schurr, S. (1993). The Definitive Middle School Guide.
students should study inter-disciplinary the early adolescent. Nashville, TN: Incentive Publications, Inc.
subjects in mixed-age groupings using It’s astonishing to consider that the Kellough, R. D., & Kellough, N. G. (1996). (2nd Ed.). Middle
School Teaching. A Guide to Methods and Resources. New
critical thinking skills and situations of co- average life-expectancy during the time Jersey: Merrill.
operative learning involving real-life expe- of the ancient civilizations was 20 to 25
National Middle School Association. (1995). This We Believe:
riences. years. What we now call “early” adoles- Developmentally Responsive Middle Level Schools. Columbus,
Their levels of achievement are high; cence was once middle age. Imagine: OH: Author.
the Montessori middle-level curriculum the Pyramids, Parthenon, Coliseum and National Middle School Association. (1997). NMSA Research
builds upon the successful learning expe- other ancient structures may have been Summary #5. Young Adolescents’ Developmental Needs. HY-
PERLINK http://www.nmsa.org/ressum5.htm
riences of the elementary and early child- built by eleven, twelve, and thirteen year http://www.nmsa.org/ressum5.htm.
hood programs. It is not uncommon to olds! Middle level schools should free Santrock, J. W. (1997). Life-Span Development (6th ed.). Chicago:
find Montessori middle-level students the possibilities inherent within middle- Brown & Benchmark Publishers.
completing geometry in the 8th grade, level learners today. Scales, P. C. (1991). A Portrait of Young Adolescents in the 1990s:
writing 10 to 15 page research papers in Implications for Promoting Healthy Growth and Develop-ment.
Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute/ Center for Early Adolescence.
an expository style, using high school lab-
oratory techniques, and studying a variety References The Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills.
(1991). What Work Requires of Schools. A SCANS Report for
of classical and contemporary literature Arnold, J. (1990). Visions of Teaching and Learning. 80 America 2000. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor.
Exemplary Middle Level Projects. Columbus, OH: National
that might include Shakespeare, Ibsen, Middle School Association. Wigfield, A., & Eccles, J. (1994). Children’s Competence Beliefs,
Hesse and Miller. Beane, J. A. (1990). A Middle Grades Curriculum. From
Achievement, Values, and General Self-Esteem. Changes across
Elementary and Middle school. Journal of Early Adolescence,
Montessori once noted educators and Rhetoric to Reality. Columbus, OH: National Middle School 14(2), 107-138.
parents must “follow the child.” New un- Association.

Where are all the Amsterdam when it was closed by the cided to turn its Montessori upper
Nazis. At last count, there were eight school into a traditional academic pro-
Montessori high large, highly regarded Montessori high gram, and the Institute for Advanced
schools in the Netherlands. Montessori Studies no longer offers sec-
schools? Secondary Montessori programs de- ondary Montessori training.)

Y
veloped sporadically in North America. Today there are perhaps 200 Mon-
our children have been in
A number of schools in the US devel- tessori middle-school programs in
Montessori all their lives. They love
oped secondary programs that were in- North America, and many more are in
school and learn enthusiastically.
fluenced by Dr. Montessori, but which various stages of development. They
Montes-sori has been the perfect match,
were not officially recognized as “Mon- range from small independent school
but your children are approaching the
tessori.” They included the upper- programs, such as Harvey and Nancy
age where they’ll have to leave
school program opened in the early Hallenberg’s program at the Claremont
Montessori if their school doesn’t do
1970s at Ravens Hill College in Phila- School in Boca Raton to large public
something soon! And so you ask, “Why
delphia, the early-adolescent program Montessori middle-school programs.
aren’t there any secondary Montessori
begun in 1978 at Near North Montessori Dr. Betsy Coe offers AMS certified sec-
programs in our town? What would it
in Chicago, and the Montessori Farm ondary Montessori teacher training at
take to start a middle-school class at
School in Half Moon Bay, CA. I graduat- the Houston Montessori Center and the
our school?”
ed from another in 1963 — the Barrie North American Montessori Teachers’
Most Americans have the impression
School outside Washington, DC. Association is offering four-week non-
that Montessori is just for preschool.
Barrie was founded by my family in diploma granting seminars in secondary
Even though Montessori schools have
1932 and opened its upper school in Montessori education.
spread all over the world during the last
the late 1950s. I had the privilege of As we approach the 21st century, the
91 years, in the US, most schools stop af-
teaching at Barrie and later served as its secondary Montessori movement con-
ter kindergarten. Some run through
headmaster for 22 years. In 1982, Barrie tinues to spread in both the public and
sixth grade, but secondary Montessori
was officially recognized by the Ameri- private sectors. New Gate, the Montes-
schools are very rare. All this is begin-
can Montessori Society (AMS) as the sori Foundation’s laboratory school in
ning to change as more and more
first pilot Montessori high school in the Sarasota is currently engaged in the
Montessori schools open elementary
US. That same year, Paul Epstein, process of establishing a Montessori sec-
classes, and many have either opened or
Harvey Hallenberg, and I organized the ondary program. Through the following
are exploring the possibility of develop-
first AMS-accredited secondary articles in this and future issues of
ing middle-school programs.
Montessori teacher training program at Tomorrow’s Child, we will document
The first secondary schools organized
Barrie’s Institute for Advanced the challenges and opportunities for
along Montessori principles were found-
Montessori Studies; another program schools that wish to create educational
ed in Europe in the 1930s. Ann Frank,
was opened in Dallas shortly afterward opportunities for their older Montessori
the young girl made famous by her
by Dr. James Paulik. (After I left Barrie to students.
poignant diaries, was a student in the
lead the Montessori Foundation, — Tim Seldin, President
first Montessori high school in
Barrie’s board and new headmaster de- The Montessori Foundation